Tunku Nadzaruddin

Royal family of Negeri Sembilan
Tuanku Muhriz, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Aishah Rohani, the Tunku Ampuan Besar Tunku Ali Redhauddin, the Tunku Besar Seri Menanti Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin, the Tunku Panglima Besar
Muhriz's sisters Yang di-Pertuan Besar's sisters: Tunku Anne Dakhlah YBhg. Dato’ Abdul Malik Siti Mazeera Shazmi Izzam Siti Mazlina Siti Mazlynda Tunku Deborah YBhg. Dato' Ahmad Fuad Tunku Deannah YM Tengku Datuk Amran of Jelebu Tengku Amera Nafisah of Jelebu Tengku Nadia Azrina of Jelebu Tengku Dahira Azirah of Jelebu
Jaafar's family Tunku Naquiah, the Tunku Dara Tunku Mudzaffar, the Tunku Kecil Besar Tunku Nadzimuddin Sarimah Ibrahim Tunku Sofia Najihah Tunku Myra Madihah Dato' James Iskandar Jaafar-Greaves Putera Ryan Puteri Tahlia Tunku Nasaifuddin Claire Rania Moore Tunku Arthur Idris Tunku Gabriella Amiera Tunku Nasruan Adil Nor Jeslina binti Khairuddin Mohamed Hashim Tunku Naquiyuddin, the Tunku Laxamana Tunku Nurul Hayati of Kedah, the Tunku Puan Muda Tunku Mohamed Alauddin Tengku A'liaa Muna of Kelantan Tunku Alaynna Puteri Tunku Azalea Puteri Tunku Alia Nadira Lorance Cheikh El Haddadin Tunku Nadia Sahiya Tunku Khairul Zaim Marisa Soraya Tunku Imran, the Tunku Muda Serting Che Engku Puan Sri Nora Marzuki Tunku Khairil Imran Tunku Tarrant Tunku Abdul Rahman Aminu'llah Tunku Jawahir, the Tunku Puteri and Tengku Puan Panglima Besar of Pahang Tengku Azlan, the Tengku Panglima Besar of Pahang Tengku Asra Jehan Juzailah of Pahang Tariq Ismail Tengku Aslahuddin Jaafar of Pahang Raja Heidi Tengku Muhammad Ayden Saladin of Pahang Tengku A'zran Abdul Jawaad of Pahang Nina Karina Tunku Irinah, the Tengku Puan Panglima Raja of Selangor Tengku Ahmad Shah, the Tengku Panglima Raja of Selangor Tengku Alam Shah Amiruddin of Selangor Tengku Alana Iman Shahirah of Selangor Faiz Dhiyaulhaq Tunku Nadzaruddin Tunku Mimi Wahida Tunku Muhammad Hazim Shah Raden Tunku Muhammad Mish’al Raden Tunku Ines Najihah Raden Tunku Iesha Mia Helena Raden

Tunku Dato' Seri Nadzaruddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar (born 26 October 1959) is a member of Negeri Sembilan royal family and a pretender to the Negeri Sembilan throne since April 2026. He is the youngest son of Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, who was also the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia). He was the Tunku Panglima Besar of Negeri Sembilan from 2008 to 2026.

Early life and education

Tunku Nadzaruddin was born in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor on 26 October 1959 as the youngest of six siblings and the third son of Tuanku Ja'afar and Tunku Ampuan Najihah.

Tunku Nadzaruddin was educated at St. Paul's Institution and King George V School in Seremban and later at Cheltenham College in England. He obtained a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Mathematics from Middlesex University, England.^[1]

2026 Negeri Sembilan constitutional crisis

On 19 April 2026 at the Balai Undang Luak Sungei Ujong, a declaration issued in the name of the Undang Yang Empat announced the removal of Tuanku Muhriz as Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan on grounds of alleged misconduct, and named Tunku Nadzaruddin as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar. The declaration was read by Dato' Mubarak Dohak, whose removal as Undang of Sungei Ujong by his luak, effective 13 May 2025 over 33 alleged offences against custom, had been accepted by the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) two days earlier.^[2] The Telaga Undang of Sungei Ujong said the declaration was invalid,^[3] and the Pakatan Harapan-led state government refused to recognise it.^[4]

In early June 2026, Tuanku Muhriz consented to the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly, leading to a snap state election on 1 August in which Barisan Nasional won 18 of the 36 seats.^[5] On 5 June, Nadzaruddin was proclaimed as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar in a ceremony held at a hotel in Alor Gajah, Malacca. The proclamation was read by Dato' Maarof Mat Rashad, who claimed to act on behalf of the Undang Yang Empat.^[6] On the same day, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the federal government continued to recognise Tuanku Muhriz as the ruler.^[7] On 9 June, the Comptroller of the Royal Household of the Negeri Sembilan Palace, Dato' Azizi Mohamad Ali, said that the proclamation was invalid and not recognised under the Constitution, laws and customs of Negeri Sembilan, and that by attempting to accept the title Nadzaruddin had relinquished the hereditary title of Tunku Panglima Besar of Negeri Sembilan.^[8] On 31 July, the DKU decided that Maarof had been removed by his luak with effect from 31 May 2023 and declared the office of Undang of Jelebu vacant.^[9]

On 16 September, members of the Negeri Sembilan State Executive Council announced that the proclamation removing Tuanku Muhriz was complete and recognised Nadzaruddin as the ruler.^[10] The DKU rejected the move as unconstitutional and void,^[11] having stated on 14 September that Tuanku Muhriz remained the lawful Yang di-Pertuan Besar.^[12] The Attorney General's Chambers said the executive council had no power to vacate the throne and that the move was unconstitutional,^[13] and the state secretary's office refused to gazette or act on the proclamation.^[14]

On 20 September, Tuanku Muhriz revoked the appointments of all ten state executive councillors,^[15] a decision disputed by Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim.^[16] The revocation was gazetted on 24 September,^[17] and the Attorney-General said on 26 September that it was valid under the state constitution.^[18] On 25 September, the disputed Undangs announced that the Conference of Rulers (Majlis Raja-Raja) was informed of Tunku Nadzaruddin ascension to the throne.^[19] Ismail Lasim had an audience with Tuanku Muhriz on 29 September.^[20]

On 4 October, the DKU issued a 17-page statement reaffirming that Tuanku Muhriz remained the lawful Yang di-Pertuan Besar, stating that it did not recognise any other person as holding the office, rejecting two letters dated 30 September issued in Tunku Nadzaruddin's name to the Chief Secretary to the Government and the Attorney-General, and urging the police and the Attorney General's Chambers to investigate.^[21][22] On 20 October, Tunku Nadzaruddin issued his first public statement since his alleged ascension to the throne in a joint statement with the disputed Undangs, declaring that the issue of the customs and the throne was settled with the removal of Tuanku Muhriz according to the Negeri Sembilan constitution. They also declare that Tuanku Muhriz's decree of revoking the ten state executive councillors were invalid and unconstitutional.^[23]

Personal life

Tunku Nadzaruddin is married to Tunku Mimi Wahida binti Tunku Abdullah Wahman, a former newsreader.^[24] They have two sons and one daughter:

• Tunku Muhammad Hazim Shah Raden bin Tunku Nadzaruddin (born 23 September 1999)
• Tunku Muhammad Mish'al Raden bin Tunku Nadzaruddin (born 30 April 2001)
• Tunku Ines Najihah Raden binti Tunku Nadzaruddin (born 23 September 2003)

Honours

References