Who Are the Four Undangs? A Profile of Each Chief
Constitutionally, there are three Undangs as Mubarak was removed from his position by the DKU on 17th April 2026.
To understand the crisis now unfolding in Negeri Sembilan, you need to understand who the Undang are. The name is believed to be derived from the Malay word undang-undang, meaning "law." An Undang is, in the most literal sense, a law-giver, a figure whose authority is not merely administrative but rooted in the customary order of the state itself.
According to Adat Perpatih, Negeri Sembilan is divided into territories called Luaks. Traditionally, there have always been four major districts controlled by dignitaries called Undang Berempat. The four original territories are Sungai Ujong, Rembau, Jelebu and Johol.
The Undang collectively hold constitutional responsibilities, including acting as co-heads of state and participating in the election of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, who must be chosen from eligible royal descendants of the Negeri Sembilan royal line.
Who Is Datuk Mubarak bin Dohak - the previous Undang Luak Sungei Ujong?
Mubarak Dohak held the position of Dato’ Klana Petra, the 10th Undang Luak Sungei Ujong. Sungei Ujong is the largest and most politically significant of the four Luak, covering the area around Seremban, the state capital of Negeri Sembilan.
He was the only remaining member of the 2008 cohort of Undang Yang Empat who originally participated in choosing Tuanku Muhriz as ruler, making his subsequent turn against the ruler particularly striking.
He was removed from his position by the DKU on 17 April 2026 on the basis of 33 violations of adat, syariah and national law. Two days later, he read the declaration against Tuanku Muhriz, an act the MB described as legally void given his already-stripped status.
Who Is Datuk Maarof Mat Rashad - Undang Luak Jelebu?
Datuk Maarof Mat Rashad is the Undang of Jelebu, whose territory covers the northern part of Negeri Sembilan bordering Selangor, with the main town of Kuala Klawang.
SSM public records and a letter on official Balai Undang letterhead raise questions about his conduct in the months before the crisis. In November 2024, he signed an authorisation letter granting rare earth mining rights to NREE Development Sdn. Bhd., bypassing the state PTG office. In January 2025, he became a shareholder in NREE Holdings — the parent company. In March 2026, one month before the crisis, he quietly exited the company.
Who Is Datuk Muhammed Abdullah - Undang Luak Johol?
Datuk Muhammed Abdullah is the Undang of Johol, installed in 2016. Johol is one of the smaller Luak in Negeri Sembilan, yet the position carries the same constitutional weight as the other three. Former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Seri Mohd Hishamudin Yunus, writing in The Edge, noted that his own great-great-grandfather was the Undang of Johol for over 60 years, one of the longest-reigning Undang in Negeri Sembilan history.
Official SSM documents show he holds directorships in 70 companies, with 47 currently active. They include mining companies, a rare earth elements company, a gold mining company incorporated 46 days before the declaration, and a minerals company incorporated three days after it.
Who Is Datuk Abdul Rahim Yasin - Undang Luak Rembau?
Datuk Abdul Rahim Yasin is the Undang of Rembau, and by far the most junior of the four, having been installed only in September 2024, barely seven months before signing the declaration against Tuanku Muhriz. His participation is perhaps the most surprising, given his extremely short tenure and limited experience in the position.
On 8 May 2026, the Ibu Soko Tua of Luak Rembau, publicly stated that the Anak Waris of Perut Biduanda Sedia Raja from Kampung Pulau, Kampung Tengah, Kampung Tanjong, and Kampung Bukit had expressed concern that the process by which YM Dato Shahbandar Abdul Rahim Yassin was named the 22nd YTM Undang of Luak Rembau was procedurally invalid under the Adat rules of Luak Rembau. She alleged that the selection did not receive full muafakat (consensus) from the principal Anak Waris, that the Adat procedures and the Kerapatan Council process were not properly observed, and that Ibu-Ibu Soko and Buapak-Buapak had been dismissed without going through proper Adat procedure. (Negeri Kita, 8 May 2026).
What current events tell us
The Undang Yang Empat are not, individually or collectively, ordinary signatories. They are constitutional co-electors of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and, in Adat terms, the law-givers of their respective Luak. Authority of that weight cannot be exercised by men who themselves stand under unanswered questions of corruption, procedural irregularity, and in one case, prior removal from office.
Yang lurus ditarah, yang bengkok diluruskan: what is straight is smoothed, what is bent must be straightened.
In Adat, authority flows upward from consent. Without it, a title is just a name on a letterhead.
Read Next: What Are the Corruption Allegations Against the Undang of Jelebu?
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Sources:
Rahim Takes Oath as New Undang Luak Rembau (Malaysiakini, 22 August 2024)
Tuanku Muhriz Opens Negeri Sembilan State Assembly Amid Dispute (The Edge Malaysia, 23 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.
