The Negeri Sembilan royal saga has taken a fresh twist, as the disputed Sungei Ujong chieftain claimed that the nobles who sought his removal had themselves been dismissed earlier over alleged corruption.
According to the office of Undang Luak Sungei Ujong, two of the nobles have already lost their status as Dato' Lembaga Adat since December 2024, invalidating their decision to sack Mubarak Thahak as chieftain last year.
"Effective Dec 1, 2024, two of the nobles have ceased to hold the status of ‘Orang Bergelar’ (titled persons) in the territory of Sungei Ujong, and any opinions expressed by them are no longer valid," the chieftain's office said in a statement, published on its official Facebook account.
The statement came amid a controversial power struggle in Negeri Sembilan, where the state's four territorial chieftains invoked their authority to sack Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as ruler and replace him with another member of the Negeri Sembilan royal family.
It came in response to a decision by the Negeri Sembilan Council of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the Ruling Chiefs (Dewan Keadilan dan Undang), which Tuanku Muhriz chaired, authorising the disputed Sungei Ujong nobles' decision to sack Mubarak.
Mubarak's office claimed the nobles involved were implicated in alleged corruption and power abuse involving government funds, which led to their dismissal.
The nobles, whose names are being withheld pending their response, had allegedly formed a Council of Dato' Lembaga Adat for Sungei Ujong without Mubarak's knowledge and permission, which they then allegedly used as a vehicle to seek funding.
The funds allegedly include over RM160,000 from the Negeri Sembilan Museum Board, disbursed between 2019 and 2024, and RM10,000 from the office of Seremban MP and Chennah assemblyperson Anthony Loke in 2023.
Financial report request
According to Mubarak's office, the matter only came into the chieftain's knowledge after they were contacted by Loke's aide seeking a financial report to justify the RM10,000 fund.
"The Undang Luak's office did not have any bank account before July 1, 2024, and hence, it was impossible for it to receive any money.
"So, the request came as a surprise to us, especially since it involves a huge amount.
"Later, the Undang Luak's office was also contacted by the Negeri Sembilan state museum seeking confirmation, whether the funds they channelled over the years - totalling in the hundreds of thousands - had really reached our office," it claimed.
Police reports
An aide to Mubarak told Malaysiakini that the office then launched an investigation and discovered the nobles' alleged abuse of power, leading to their dismissal.
It was learned that two police reports have since been lodged regarding the matter, including one by Loke's political secretary Ho Weng Wah on Nov 15, 2024.
When contacted, Ho confirmed the matter.
The second report was lodged by the chieftain's office on March 19 this year, urging police to investigate the museum funds, which they said never reached the Undang Luak's office.
Malaysiakini has reached out to Negeri Sembilan police for comment.
‘Invalid dismissal’
In a response, one of the disputed Sungei Ujong nobles, Zainol Ariffin Ibrahim, refuted the allegations made by the chieftain.
In a statement, he claimed that their dismissal in 2024 was also invalid as Mubarak's office allegedly did not follow procedures, which were supposed to include an arbitration process, among others.
According to Zainol, who held the title of Dato Andulika Mandalika, such a decision must also be supported by “Ibu Soko” (female elders) and “Anak Waris Negeri” (clan heirs) to pass.
He also denied the allegation of funds misappropriation, claiming that the police have investigated the claim since 2024 and never found any wrongdoing.
Mubarak was also aware of their move to establish the Council of Dato' Lembaga Adat in Sungei Ujong, Zainol claimed.
"All the Dato Lembaga involved have signed a letter of consent to establish the council.
"In fact, Mubarak was aware of it and even contributed funds to the council through a cheque from the Pertubuhan Klana Petra Mubarak Al-Haj," Zainol said. - Mkini
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