Monday December 29, 2008
Decision today on new Negri Sembilan ruler
By SARBAN SINGH
SEREMBAN: The new Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan will not be known until later today because the Ruling Council had not come to a decision until late last night.
The council, consisting of the four main chieftains or Undangs, met at the Mentri Besar’s official residence from 5.30pm but no decision was made until press time.
Half mast: Staff of Tuanku Jaafar General Hospital putting up the national and state flags as a mark of mourning over the passing of Tuanku Jaafar. - Bernama State Secretary Datuk Norzam Mohd Nor said the official announcement would be made at 2.30pm today.
Under the Laws and Constitution of Negri Sembilan 1959, the new Yang di-Pertuan Besar can only be decided by the four chieftains — the Undang Sungai Ujong, the Undang Rembau, the Undang Jelebu and the Undang Johol.
The four Undangs are Datuk Klana Putra Datuk Mubarak Dohak (Sungai Ujong), Datuk Lela Maharaja Datuk Muhamad Sharif Othman (Rembau), Datuk Mendika Menteri Akhirul Zaman Datuk Musa Wahab (Jelebu) and Datuk Johan Pahlawan Lela Perkasa Setiawan Datuk Mohd Jan Abdul Ghani (Johol).
According to an adat practitioner, it was urgent for the council to decide on the new ruler before the funeral because “tradition demands it”.
Even then, the one chosen must be one of the four-titled princes (Putera Yang Empat), three of whom are sons of Tuanku Jaafar Tuanku Abdul Rahman, who passed away at age 86 on Saturday.
They are Tunku Laxamana Tunku Naquiyuddin, 61, Tunku Muda of Serting Tunku Imran, 58, and Tunku Panglima Besar Tunku Nadzaruddin, 49.
The fourth is Tunku Besar Seri Menanti Tunku Mukhriz, 59, who is the son of Tunku Munawir, the second post-independence Yang di-Pertuan Besar.
Istana Besar Seri Menanti senior official Datuk Seri Maharaja Khalid Bonget said any of the four titled princes could be appointed to be the ruler.
“The decision of the four Undangs is final and cannot be challenged,” said Khalid, who is also an authority on adat perpatih, which forms the basis for the state’s laws and customs.
Three others who also sit in the council are Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Norzam and the Tunku Besar of Tampin Tunku Razaman Tunku Syed Idrus.
However, they are ex-officio members of the council and cannot vote on who should be the new ruler although they can offer their opinions.
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