Negeri Sembilan ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir has been invited to the upcoming Conference of Rulers meeting, which begins tomorrow, in a development seen as recognition of his position amid the state’s six-month royal crisis, the Singapore Straits Times reports.
According to the report, Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah, who is scheduled to chair the meeting from tomorrow until Oct 15, invited Tuanku Muhriz to attend.
The invitation is seen as a sign that the Malay rulers recognise Tuanku Muhriz as the rightful Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, amid a dispute in which his cousin, Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar, was purportedly proclaimed the new ruler.
Tuanku Muhriz to attend pre-council meeting
The Straits Times reported that Nadzaruddin had repeatedly sought an invitation to the meeting, including through Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim.
However, Tuanku Muhriz reportedly said he would attend only the pre-council meeting scheduled for tomorrow.
The pre-council meeting does not involve the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, allowing matters concerning individual states to be discussed while preserving their interests.
Tuanku Muhriz is also scheduled to preside over the appointment of a new undang of Jelebu on Wednesday. A source said the appointment would give him a ‘clear majority’ in the state’s royal court, the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU).
Dispute over Negeri Sembilan’s ruler
The royal crisis began in April, when four purported undangs, or traditional chieftains, announced Tuanku Muhriz’s removal.
The same disputed undangs purportedly proclaimed Tunku Nadzaruddin as the ‘new’ Yang Dipertuan Besar in June at a five-star hotel in Melaka.
The dispute escalated in September when the Negeri Sembilan executive council issued a statement affirming Tuanku Muhriz’s removal. Ismail endorsed the statement despite initially rejecting the proclamation.
However, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the DKU subsequently affirmed that the executive council’s statement had no legal effect and that Tuanku Muhriz remained the rightful Yang Dipertuan Besar.
The development led to the revocation of the executive councillors’ appointments. Ismail’s administration has continued operating without replacements for the dismissed councillors so far.
