Negeri Sembilan royal dispute: Sungei Ujong Undang says Tuanku Muhriz removal bid invalid despite purported MB sign-off

Sungei Ujong Undang Dato' Klana Petra Muhammad Faris Johari Meor Ngah has declared a declaration purportedly signed by Negeri Sembilan's Chief Minister invalid. The declaration, which sought to remove the Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz, was deemed ineffective by the Negeri Sembilan Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) because it did not comply with the state constitution's requirements.

Muhammad Faris emphasized that the April 19 declaration lacked legal standing due to its failure to meet the necessary constitutional standards. He also argued that three of the four individuals involved in the attempt to remove Tuanku Muhriz had lost their authority as ruling chiefs since relinquishing their customary positions within their respective luak.

The dispute arose after a separate group of traditional leaders claimed that Chief Minister Datuk Ismail Lasim had signed the proclamation at Istana Laguna Biru in Port Dickson on August 3, following the April 19 declaration. This group, consisting of the Undang Yang Empat, Tunku Besar Tampin, and Datuk Shahbandar Sungei Ujong, demanded immediate enforcement of the proclamation.

Chief Minister Ismail, who took office before Tuanku Muhriz on August 2, reaffirmed his loyalty to the ruler on September 6 but did not confirm whether he had signed the document in question. The conflict's origins can be traced back to April when four individuals claiming to be the Undangs announced Tuanku Muhriz's removal and appointed Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as the new ruler, an action rejected by the state government at the time.