DESPITE numerous statements and legal endorsements of Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as the ruler of Negeri Sembilan, a desperate Tunku Nadzaruddin has once again made a claim to being the ruler since the time he and former Undangs held a ceremony in a hotel in the neighbouring state of Melaka.
At the time, it attracted ridicule and was compared to the ceremonies at hotels in Melaka arranged by the "Sultan of Melaka" who was selling titles.
This time, in a letter dated Sept 30, which has since gone viral, he has asked the Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to intervene over a state gazette issued in the name of Tuanku Muhriz.
Nadzaruddin claimed HRH Tuanku Muhriz ceased to hold the position of Yang di-Pertuan Besar on April 19 and maintained that he was subsequently proclaimed the state’s 12th ruler.
He has asked the Attorney-General to ‘recognise his position’ and advise the relevant federal authorities not to give effect to the Sept 24 state gazette revoking the appointments of 10 members of the state executive council.
He resorted to such actions despite the Attorney-General’s Chambers having clearly stated that the Menteri Besar and state executive council had no authority to declare the office of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar vacant.
The State Secretary’s Office also stated this and declined to gazette or recognise the April proclamation removing Tuanku Muhriz, saying it would be unlawful and unconstitutional.
The Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) has clearly maintained that Tuanku Muhriz remains Yang di-Pertuan Besar, while Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stated unequivocally that the Federal Government recognises him as the ruler.
The Attorney-General has since said the revocation of the 10 Exco appointments was valid under Article XXXVIII(5) of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution.
And now increasing chatter is about when, not if, the Exco members will be charged with treason under the Sedition Act.
The bigger question is whether Nadzaruddin will also be charged.
Nadzaruddin went a step further and asked that future federal gazettes issued in the name of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar or Raja Negeri Sembilan be published ‘only after confirmation from him’ and the state’s ruling chiefs.
The letter was signed by the Undang of Johol and three other former Undangs and the Tunku Besar Tampin.
It should be pointed out that none of the former Undangs has to date challenged the removal and replacement either in court or at the DKU - the highest authority in the state of customs and traditions of Negeri Sembilan.
All sitting Undangs have formally proclaimed their loyalty to Tuanku Muhriz.
Nadzaruddin’s latest move is a clear contravention of a series of decisions and statements already made by the state and federal authorities.
Sources familiar with the dispute said there was growing frustration over the continued baseless allegations from Nadzaruddin, particularly as the dispute has affected the administration of the state.
Calls for action to be taken
Calls from the people in Negeri Sembilan for action to be taken against Nadzaruddin and those out to remove Tuanku Muhriz are also growing.
They point out that Nadzaruddin has committed blatant treason and fraud.
Calling for the deposition of a Ruler is a serious crime in Malaysia.
It is the crime of treason. Under Section 121 B of the Penal Code, the act of treason is punishable with mandatory imprisonment for a minimum of 30 years and not more than 40 years.
It is also a crime of sedition under Section 4 of the Sedition Act of 1948.
Sources also revealed that there was growing frustration with Nadzaruddin claiming he had been wrongly advised by Rais Yatim, a former MB of Negeri Sembilan and federal minister, recently charged with sedition.
Sultan Nazrin’s warning
The development comes days after Sultan Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah warned that Malays and Muslims were facing a “crisis of manners”, with differences of opinion increasingly turning into hostility and unverified information being circulated without regard for the dignity and reputation of others.
Speaking at the 75th meeting of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia on Sept 29, Sultan Nazrin said disagreements should be managed with knowledge, patience and respect, rather than insults, humiliation or defamation.
He also called for the culture of syura, or consultation, to be strengthened when dealing with differences.
Sultan Nazrin was not referring specifically to the Negeri Sembilan dispute.
But his remarks come as the controversy continues to play out in public, with competing claims over the state’s highest traditional institution and increasingly sharp exchanges between those on opposing sides.
For now, the latest letter means the noise over the Negeri Sembilan throne remains. Sources within UMNO in NS are now getting increasingly worried that the party is losing support daily because of their role in what they term a "blatant grab for power". – October 3, 2026
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