Undangs and UMNO: Who Benefits from this Power Play?
Follow the money to find out.
On 19 April 2026, three Undangs and Mubarak Dohak unconstitutionally declared Tuanku Muhriz removed as Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan. Eight days later, 14 UMNO-BN ADUN withdrew confidence in Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun. By the afternoon of 27 April, UMNO and Perikatan Nasional (PN) had formally aligned with a combined bloc of exactly 19 seats, the precise number required to form a new state government.
One represents an unconstitutional declaration. The other political withdrawal of confidence. The critical question here is: who benefits?
What we know about Mubarak Dohak
Mubarak Dohak ceased to hold office as Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong on 17 April 2026, his removal having occurred under the custom of the Luak and acknowledged by the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) under Article 16 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959. Under Article 16(3), DKU advice on such questions is final and cannot be challenged in any court. The 33 grounds cited for his removal spanned six categories, including falsifying official records, abusing power using government agencies including PDRM, violating syariah law, and defying adat governance for 30 years. All were reported to PDRM and JHEAINS.
Two days after his removal, with no legal standing as Undang, Mubarak signed the declaration purporting to remove Tuanku Muhriz. The Menteri Besar rejected this declaration on 20 April as unconstitutional and having no legal basis under Articles 10 to 12 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959.
Read: What Are the 33 Offences Mubarak Was Accused Of?
What we know about the Undang of Jelebu
SSM public records verified by this publication show that Datuk Maarof Mat Rashad, the Undang of Jelebu, signed an official letter on Balai Undang Luak Jelebu letterhead on 29 November 2024, granting formal authorisation for rare earth elements prospecting on private land in Mukim Kenaboi, Jelebu. The letter explicitly stated that no additional approval from the Land and Mines Office was required, citing the Undang’s authority under the Negeri Sembilan Land Code.
On 18 January 2025, SSM records show he became a 20% shareholder of NREE Holdings (M) Sdn. Bhd. (Registration No. 202401049421), the parent company of the firm named in his authorisation letter.
On 18 March 2026, he exited the company entirely. His total shareholding became zero. This exit occurred exactly one month before the 19 April declaration against Tuanku Muhriz.
A public official using official authority to grant prospecting rights to a company in which they subsequently become a shareholder constitutes, at minimum, a serious conflict of interest. Under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, using a position to confer advantage on oneself is an offence regardless of whether money changed hands.
Read: What Are the Corruption Allegations Against the Undang of Jelebu?
What we know about the Undang of Johol
The SSM Personal Involvement Director Information report for Datuk Muhammed bin Hj Abdullah confirms 70 company directorships, of which 47 are currently active.
Among the most significant findings:
MSZ REE Sdn. Bhd. (appointed January 2024): REE is the standard industry abbreviation for Rare Earth Elements, the same sector at the centre of the Jelebu controversy. Two Undang. The same sector.
World Gold Mining and Trade Holdings Sdn. Bhd. (appointed 4 March 2026): incorporated 46 days before the declaration against Tuanku Muhriz.
South Mineral Sdn. Bhd. (appointed 22 April 2026): incorporated three days after the declaration, while the constitutional crisis was in full public view and legal experts were publishing opinions on its invalidity.
Undang Holdings Sdn. Bhd. (appointed October 2024): a company bearing the word Undang, incorporated while he holds that position.
The Undang Yang Empat hold significant customary authority over land and natural resources within their respective Luak. Under the Negeri Sembilan Land Code, that authority gives them influence and in some cases formal power over land and resource decisions. When the same person holds traditional authority over land and simultaneously holds directorships in 47 active companies, including mining, rare earth, gold and minerals companies operating in or adjacent to that territory, the question of conflict of interest is not a speculation. It is a structural observation.
Read: Who Is the Undang of Johol and Why Do 70 Companies Raise Questions That Demand Answers?
What we know about the Undang of Rembau
Datuk Abdul Rahim Yasin holds the position of Undang of Rembau and stands as the most junior of the four signatories by a considerable margin. Installed only in September 2024, he had served barely seven months in the role before adding his name to the 19 April declaration against Tuanku Muhriz. Of all the participants, his involvement raises the sharpest questions, given how brief his tenure has been and how little institutional experience he brings to a decision of this magnitude.
On 8 May 2026, the Ibu Soko Tua of Luak Rembau went public with concerns that have been circulating within the Luak itself. According to her statement, the Anak Waris of Perut Biduanda Sedia Raja, representing Kampung Pulau, Kampung Tengah, Kampung Tanjong, and Kampung Bukit, believe that the process by which YM Dato Shahbandar Abdul Rahim Yassin was named the 22nd YTM Undang of Luak Rembau was procedurally defective under the Adat rules governing the Luak. Her specific allegations include:
The selection failed to secure full muafakat (consensus) from the principal Anak Waris
The proper Adat procedures and Kerapatan Council process were not observed
Ibu-Ibu Soko and Buapak-Buapak were dismissed without going through the procedures Adat requires (Negeri Kita, 8 May 2026)
If these claims hold, they raise an uncomfortable question: a chieftain whose own installation may not have followed Adat is now invoking Adat to remove a Yang di-Pertuan Besar.
What changed on 27 April
Until 27 April, these business interests were a story about four chieftains who signed a constitutionally invalid declaration with no legal basis. After 27 April, they may begin to suggest something larger.
A new Yang di-Pertuan Besar, unconstitutionally installed through the mechanism this declaration set in motion, would exercise royal authority over the same state. A new Menteri Besar, unconstitutionally installed through the political mechanism UMNO and PN activated on 27 April, would exercise significant influence over state land, resource and concession decisions.
The same chieftains whose commercial interests intersect with land and resource sectors in Negeri Sembilan are now the same chieftains whose declaration is now backed by a parliamentary bloc of exactly 19 seats.
Opinion
The declaration of 19 April and the UMNO withdrawal of confidence on 27 April could be two separate unrelated events. It may be coincidence. But what if they are not?
A new YDPB and a new MB, both unconstitutionally installed through mechanisms these chieftains set in motion, would together control the royal and executive apparatus of a state whose land, resources and concessions are precisely the sectors in which the chieftains’ documented business interests sit.
The question remains. Is the political alignment between UMNO N9 and these chieftains deliberate? More importantly, is it designed to benefit those seeking to remove the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the Menteri Besar?
Read Next: Who Are the 14 UMNO Assemblymen Who Withdrew Support from Aminuddin?
SSM records are public documents. Nothing in this article constitutes an allegation of criminal conduct. These are questions of public interest that warrant formal investigation.
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Sources:
Negeri Sembilan PN Ready to Work with BN to Form State Govt (Free Malaysia Today, 27 April 2026)
Negeri Sembilan Umno Withdraws Support for Aminuddin (Free Malaysia Today, 27 April 2026)
BN Claims to Have Simple Majority for New Negeri Sembilan Govt (Free Malaysia Today, 27 April 2026)
Anak Nogori is independent commentary on the unfolding constitutional crisis in Negeri Sembilan, where centuries-old Adat Perpatih, royal succession law, and modern political manoeuvring are colliding in ways Malaysia has never seen before. If you find this useful, share it with someone who should be following this, or subscribe to receive the latest articles in your inbox.
