Negeri Sembilan ruler formalises appointment of 22nd undang of Luak Rembau

PETALING JAYA: The Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, formalised the installation of the 22nd undang (chieftain) of Luak Rembau, Hassan Ab Hamid, this evening.

The installation of Hassan, 67, with the title Datuk Sedia Raja, followed a similar ceremony at Istana Besar Seri Menanti this morning, where Muhammad Faris Johari was installed as the 11th undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, Bernama reported.

Faris, 28, was conferred the title Datuk Klana Petra.

The morning ceremony began with the Orang Empat Istana seeking royal consent to commence the proceedings, before the newly appointed undang of Sungei Ujong paid homage and pledged allegiance to the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

In his address, Tuanku Muhriz expressed hope that the pledges made would always be upheld with sincerity, integrity, and a strong sense of responsibility.

“I remind my Orang Kaya to remain loyal to the institution of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan and to maintain a close and respectful relationship with me and the palace,” he said at the installation ceremony.

The afternoon ceremony continued with the installation of Hassan as the new undang of Luak Rembau.

Earlier, Hassan and his wife, Asmah Yaakob, were escorted to the palace in a procession of about 300 people, before the Orang Empat Istana presented ceremonial offerings to seek royal consent to begin the ceremony.

The new Rembau undang then paid homage and pledged allegiance to the ruler.

In his royal address, Tuanku Muhriz described the appointment as a significant trust arising from adat consensus, which must be carried out with sincerity, wisdom, and responsibility to safeguard tradition and ensure the welfare of the people in Rembau.

He said any disputes should be managed with wisdom, diplomacy, and a spirit of consensus.

Hassan, born on Jan 11, 1959 in Rembau and from the Biduanda Sedia Raja clan of Kampung Tanjung, is a retired teacher. He began his career in 1984 and later served in several schools before retiring in 2017 as senior assistant for student affairs at SK Astana Raja.

The ceremonies reflect the enduring role of traditional institutions in Negeri Sembilan’s governance system, which blends monarchy, adat and community consensus, Bernama reported.