Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (25-31 May, 2026)
Six signatories declared the DKU Secretary suspended, claimed co-ruler status, and attempted to set 5 June for a sitting.
What happened last week
Last week turned on a single confrontation: the Secretary of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) declined to convene the special sitting sought for 29 May, and the six signatories responded by gathering in Tampin and declaring the Secretary suspended.
28 May 2026, Thu: The DKU Secretary declines to convene the 29 May sitting.
In a letter dated 26 May addressed to the six signatories, Raja Norazli Raja Nordin said a special sitting could not be held while the dispute is before the courts, that any sitting called unilaterally by the chiefs and the Tunku Besar Tampin would be invalid, and that he and the DKU reserved the right to take legal action over steps that might prejudice the proceedings (The Star, 28 May 2026).
29 May 2026, Fri: Six signatories meet in Tampin, announce a suspension of the DKU Secretary, and move to set a new date for a DKU meeting.
Mubarak and the three serving Undangs, together with the Tunku Besar Tampin and the Dato’ Shahbandar of Sungei Ujong, met at the Balai Rasmi Tunku Besar Tampin and announced that they were suspending Raja Norazli indefinitely as DKU Secretary, that a committee would take over his duties, and that any correspondence he signed in the council’s name after 17 April carried no mandate. In the same statement they described themselves as “pemerintah bersama (Co-Ruler) Negeri Sembilan”, asserted powers equal to those of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, and blamed the Menteri Besar, the State Secretary and the state legal adviser for failing to stay neutral. Read their Joint Media Statement in Behasa Melayu and translated in English here.
Speaking for the group, the Undang of Jelebu, Maarof Mat Rashad, said six of the eight DKU members had agreed, and the six fixed 5 June as the new date for a special sitting at Tampin, inviting the Chief Secretary, the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police to attend as observers (Malaysiakini, 29 May 2026, The Star, 29 May 2026).
This publication has set out, provision by provision, why the announced suspension carries no constitutional effect.
Read More: The DKU Secretary Has Not Been Suspended. So Why Is the Press Reporting That He Has?
Read More: Can Negeri Sembilan’s Ruling Chiefs Suspend the DKU Secretary and Convene Their Own Sitting?
Commentary worth reading
16 May 2026, Sat: Dr Ikmal Hisham Md Tah, a constitutional law lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), writing with Mohd Khairil Hisham Mohd Ashaari, sets out the “Alam Beraja, Luak Berundang” reading of Article 181 of the Federal Constitution, treating the Ruling Chiefs as protected alongside the Malay Rulers (Free Malaysia Today, 16 May 2026).
The difference between this publication’s reading and Dr Ikmal’s centres on whether to prioritise a strict constitutional-textualist reading of the written 1959 Constitution or a historical-customary interpretation grounded in Adat Perpatih and the treaties that preceded it. The two perspectives present a genuine difference of interpretation between the written law and the traditional prerogative.
28 May 2026, Thu: The Star’s report carrying Raja Norazli’s letter is the clearest account this week of why the Secretary treats a unilaterally convened sitting as invalid while the suit is live, and why he frames the matter as one for the courts first (The Star, 28 May 2026).
What we are watching for next week
5 June 2026, Fri: The attempted rescheduled special sitting at Tampin. The six have set 5 June for the sitting the Secretary declined to convene. The questions are whether it proceeds, who attends, and on what footing, given that the Yang di-Pertuan Besar ordinarily convenes and presides over the DKU under Articles 19 and 24, and that the Secretary has called any unilaterally convened sitting invalid.
Ongoing: Any legal action over the unilateral steps. The DKU and the Secretary reserved the right to act over moves they say would prejudice the court proceedings, so whether either side files anything in the days ahead is open.
28 July 2026: Seremban High Court hears the jurisdiction objection. Justice Roz Mawar Rozain will decide whether Article 16(3) strips the court of jurisdiction over Mubarak’s originating summons for the 17 April minutes. The merits are reached only if the court first finds it has jurisdiction.
Summary
The crisis has moved beyond whether the Yang di-Pertuan has been deposed, or whether Mubarak has been removed as an Undang, with multiple contenders assuming appointment of his position. This week it became a dispute about who can lawfully hold the DKU council and remove the DKU secretary.
New posts written by this publication last week
The DKU Secretary Has Not Been Suspended. So Why Is the Press Reporting That He Has? — Article 25 reserves the appointment and removal of the DKU Secretary to the Yang di-Pertuan Besar alone, so a suspension announced by six signatories carries no constitutional effect.
Can Negeri Sembilan’s Ruling Chiefs Suspend the DKU Secretary and Convene Their Own Sitting? — A provision-by-provision reading of the 29 May statement against the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959, examining each claim it makes against Articles 19, 20, 21, 24 and 25.
Joint Media Statement: 29 May 2026 — An English translation of the joint statement issued by the six signatories on 29 May, reproduced with the publication’s standard caveats.
Hari Raya Aidiladha and the Meaning of Duty — A Hari Raya Haji reflection on korban, and on how Adat Perpatih holds rakyat, chiefs and rulers alike to a standard of sacrifice and duty.
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Sources:
Kedaulatan Negeri Sembilan: Antara Perlembagaan, realiti adat (Free Malaysia Today, 16 May 2026)
DKU secretary suspended for failing to convene special meeting (New Straits Times, 29 May 2026)
‘Kami amat murka’ - Undang Luak berempat gantung tugas setiausaha DKU (Malaysiakini, 29 May 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.
