Negeri Sembilan

Negeri Sembilan ("Nine States") is nominally a confederation of several (originally nine) states.


1773 Negeri Sembilan (a confederation of nine states)
established.
1876 State reduced and renamed Sri Menanti.
1888 British protectorate.
1 Jul 1896 Part of Federated Malay States.
1897 Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus re-established.
14 Jan 1942 - 12 Sep 1945 Occupied by Japan.
1 Apr 1946 Joins Malay Union
31-8-1957 State of independent Malaya
16 Sep 1963 State of Malaysia

Map of Negeri Sembilan

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Negeri Sembilan (Jawi: نڬري سمبيلن; Chinese: 森美兰; English: "the State of nine") , is one of the 13 states that constitutes the Federation of Malaysia. It is located on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and is bordered in the north by Selangor, in the east by Pahang and in the south by Malacca and Johor.

The name is believed to derive from the nine districts or negara (now known as luak) settled by the Minangkabau, a people originally from West Sumatra (present-day Indonesia). Minangkabau features are still visible today in traditional architecture and the dialect of Malay spoken.

Unlike the hereditary monarchs of the other royal Malay states, the ruler of Negeri Sembilan is known as Yang di-Pertuan Besar instead of Sultan. The election of the Ruler is also unique whereby he is selected by the council of Undangs who lead the four biggest districts of Sungai Ujong, Jelebu, Johol, and Rembau, making it one of the more democratic monarchies. The premier district (whose ruler substitutes during vacancies in the office of yang di-pertuan besar of Negeri Sembilan) is Sungai Ujong.

The capital of Negeri Sembilan is Seremban. The royal capital is Seri Menanti in the district of Kuala Pilah. Other important towns are Port Dickson and Nilai.

The Arabic honorific title of the state is Darul Khusus ("the Special Abode").

The ethnic composition in 2005 was:Malay (497,896 or 54.96%), Chinese (220,141 or 24.3%), Indian (137,588 or 15.18%), Other (50,267 or 5.54%).

History

The Minangkabaus from Sumatra settled in Negeri Sembilan in the 15th century under the protection of the Malacca Sultanate, and later under the protection of its successor, the Sultanate of Johor. As Johor weakened in the 18th century, attacks by the Bugis forced the Minangkabaus to seek protection from their homeland. The Minangkabau ruler, Sultan Abdul Jalil, obliged by sending his near relative, Raja Melewar. When he arrived, he found that another royalty, Raja Khatib had already established himself as ruler. He declared war against Raja Khatib and became the ruler of Negeri Sembilan. The Sultan of Johor confirmed his position by granting the title Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan (He Who is Highest Lord of the Nine States) in 1773. After Raja Melewar's death, a series of disputes arose over the succession. For a considerable period, the local nobles applied to the Minangkabau ruler in Sumatra for a ruler. However, competing interests supported different candidates, often resulting in instability and civil war.

The original 9 states are:

* Jelai (Inas)
* Jelebu
* Johol
* Kelang (a district in Selangor)
* Naning (a district in Malacca)
* Rembau
* Segamat and Pasir Besar (Segamat is now in Johor State and Pasir Besar is in Tampin)
* Sungai Ujong
* Alu Panah (now divided between Jelebu and Pahang State)

Jelabu & Sungai Ujong
In 1873, the British intervened militarily in a civil war in Sungai Ujong to preserve British economic interests, and placed the country under the control of a British Resident. Jelebu followed in 1886, and the remaining states in 1895. In 1897, when the Federated Malay States (FMS) was established, Sungai Ujong and Jelebu were reunited to the confederation of small states and the whole, under the old name of the Negeri Sembilan, was placed under a single Resident and became a member of the FMS.

The number of states within Negeri Sembilan has fluctuated over the years, the federation now consists of six states(Ujong, Jelebu, Johol, and Rembau) and a number of sub-states under their suzerainty. The former state of Naning was annexed to Malacca, Kelang to Selangor, and Segamat to Johor.

Current states and sub-states of Negeri Sembilan

* Jelai (Inas)
* Jelebu
o Jempol
* Johol
o Ulu Muar
* Rembau
o Gunung Pasir
* Sungai Ujong/Seremban
o Teraci
* Tampin


Negeri Sembilan endured Japanese occupation in World War II between 1941 and 1945, and joined the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and became a state of Malaysia in 1963

Selection of Ruler

The official constitutional title of the Ruler of the state is Duli Yang Maha Mulia Yang di-Pertua Besar Negeri Sembilan and he holds office for life. The state's constitution proclaims the Yang di-Pertuan Besar is vested with the Executive Power of the state, is the Head of the Religion of Islam in the state and is the fountain of all honour and dignity for the state. The current Yang di-Pertua Besar is His Royal Highness Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir. His Royal Highness replaces Almarhum Tuanku Jaafar Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman who died on 27 December 2008.

Unlike Malaysia's eight other Royal Malay states, the Ruler of Negeri Sembilan is elected to his office by the territorial chiefs of the state. These chiefs are titled Undang. Only four of the Undangs have the right to vote in the election for the Ruler of the State. They are:

* The Undang of Sungai Ujong
* The Undang of Jelebu
* The Undang of Johol
* The Undang of Rembau

The Undang themselves cannot stand for election and their choice of ruler is limited to a male Muslim who is Malay and also a "lawfully begotten descendant of Raja Radin ibni Raja Lenggang".

Current administrative districts of Negeri Sembilan

* Jelebu
* Jempol
* Kuala Pilah
* Port Dickson
* Rembau
* Seremban
* Tampin


The Minangkabaus influence

(to be continue)....


Rulers, with the title Yang Di-Pertuan Besar¹

1773 - 1795 Sultan Mahmud ibni Sultan (d. 1795)
Abdul Jalil
1795 - 1808 Raja Hitam (b. 17.. - d. 1808)
1808 - 1824 Raja Lenggang Laut (d. 1824)
1824 Raja Radin ibni Raja (b. c.1823 - d. 1861)
Lenggang Laut (1st time)
1824 - 1826 Raja Kerjan -Regent (d. 1844)
1826 - 30 Nov 1831 Yamtuan Sati
30 Nov 1831 - 1833 Raja Radin ibni Raja (s.a.)
Lenggang Laut (2nd time)
1833 - 1836 Raja Ali bin Daeng Alampaki (d. 1850)
1836 - 1861 Raja Radin ibni Raja (s.a.)
Lenggang Laut (3rd time)
1861 - 1869 Yamtuan Ulin (d. 1869)
1869 - 22 Oct 1888 Tengku Antah ibni Yamtuan Radin (d. 1888)
1869 - 1872 Tuanku Ampuan Intan (f) -Regent
22 Oct 1888 - 1 Aug 1933 Tuanku Muhammad ibni al-Marhum (b. 1865 - d. 1933)
Yamtuan Antah
3 Aug 1933 - 1 Apr 1960 Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni (b. 1895 - d. 1960)
al-Marhum Yamtuan Muhammad
31 Aug 1957 - 1 Apr 1960 Tuanku Munawir -Regent (b. 1922 - d. 1967)
5 Apr 1960 - 14 Apr 1967 Tuanku Laksman Munawir ibni (s.a.)
al-Marhum Yamtuan Abdul Rahman
19 Apr 1967 - 27 Dec 2008 Tuanku Jaafar ibni al-Marhum (b. 1922 - d. 2008)
Yamtuan Abdul Rahman
26 Apr 1994 - 25 Apr 1999 Tuanku Naquiyuddin -Regent (b. 1947)
29 Dec 2008 - Tuanku Mukhriz ibni al-Marhum (b. 1948)
Tuanku Munawir

¹Full style of the ruler: Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negri Sembilan ("He who is the Highest Lord of Negri Sembilan").


British Residents
(excluding Sungai Ujong and Jelebu until 1 Jan 1895)

1887 - 24 Feb 1897 Martin Lister (b. 1857 - d. 1897)
(superintendant to 1 Jan 1895)
1894 - 1895 Robert Norman Bland (b. 1859 - d. 1948)
(acting for Lister)
24 Feb 1897 - 7 Apr 1901 Ernest Woodford Birch (b. 1857 - d. 1929)
(from 1900, Sir Ernest Woodford Birch)
(acting to 4 Jun 1897)
8 Apr 1901 - 17 Aug 1902 Henry Conway Belfield (b. 1855 - d. 1923)
5 Apr 1901 - 28 Oct 1901 D.H. Wise (acting for Belfield)
29 Oct 1901 - 1 Jan 1902 Harvey Chevallier
(acting for Belfield)
2 Jan 1902 - 6 Feb 1902 D.H. Wise (acting for Belfield)
7 Feb 1902 - 22 May 1902 D.H. Wise (acting for Belfield)
23 May 1902 - 17 Aug 1902 D.H. Wise (acting for Belfield)
18 Aug 1902 - 26 Feb 1904 Walter Egerton (b. 1858 - d. 1947)
28 Nov 1903 - 18 May 1905 F.J. Weld
(acting for Egerton, then Campbell)
27 Feb 1904 - 31 Dec 1909 Douglas Graham Campbell (b. 1867 - d. 1918)
17 Nov 1906 - 20 Apr 1908 R.C. Grey (acting for Campbell)
1 Jan 1910 - 31 Jan 1911 Edward Lewis Brockman (b. 1865 - d. 1943)
1 Feb 1911 - 1912 Richard James Wilkinson (b. 1867 - d. 1941)
(from 1912, Sir Richard James Wilkinson)
9 Sep 1911 - 1912 C.W.C. Parr (acting for Lemon)
25 Apr 1912 - 1919 Arthur Henry Lemon (b. 1864 - d. 1933)
(from 1918, Sir Arthur Henry Lemon)
30 Aug 1917 - 1 Oct 1917 C.W. Harrison (acting for Lemon)
1 Jul 1919 - 21 May 1920 J.R.O. Aldworth
(acting to 2 Sep 1919)
22 Feb 1920 - 20 Jun 1920 W.J.P. Hume
(acting [for Aldworth to 21 May 1920])
29 Jun 1920 - 3 Feb 1922 V. Hill (acting to 13 Feb 1921)
5 Feb 1921 - 11 Apr 1921 A.B. Voules (acting for Hill)
4 Feb 1922 - 1924 Edward Shaw Hose (b. 1871 - d. 1946)
7 May 1923 - 24 Oct 1923 R. Scott (acting for Hose)
18 Jul 1924 - 1928 Ernest Charteris Holford Wolff (b. 1875 - d. 1946)
1928 - 1932 James William Simmons (b. 1877 - d. 19..)
1932 - 1936 John Whitehouse Ward Hughes (b. 1883 - d. 19..)
Dec 1936 - 1939 Gordon Lupton Ham (b. 1885 - d. 1965)
1939 - 1941 John Vincent Cowgill (b. 1888 - d. 1959)

Japanese governor
194. - 194. Hatta Saburo

British Resident Commissioners

13 Sep 1945 - 1946 James Calder
(senior civil affairs officer to 1 Apr 1946)
1946 - May 1949 William Alexander Gordon-Hall (b. 1894 - d. 19..)
Jun 1947 - Dec 1947 Ernest Edgar Pengilley (b. 1897 - d. ....)
(acting for Gordon-Hall)
May 1949 - Nov 1950 Hugh Patterson Croix de Guerre (b. 1898 - d. 1977)
Bryson
Nov 1950 - Sep 1951 A. Hyde
1 Oct 1951 - 1955 Mervyn Cecil Sheppard (b. 1905)
British Advisers
1955 - Jul 1956 Mervyn Cecil Sheppard (s.a.)
Jul 1956 - 1957 Vacant


Chief ministers (title Menteri Besar)

1 Feb 1948 - 11 Aug 1950 Abdul Malek bin Yusuf (1st time)
11 Aug 1950 - 1 Jan 1951 Mohamad Salleh bin Sulaiman
1 Jan 1951 - 15 Apr 1952 Abdul Malek bin Yusuf (2nd time)
15 Apr 1952 - 1 Oct 1952 Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Majid
1 Oct 1952 - 1 Oct 1953 Abdul Malek bin Yusuf (3rd time)
1 Oct 1953 - 31 Jan 1959 Shamsuddin bin Nain
1 Apr 1959 - 23 Jun 1959 Mohamad Shariff bin Abdul Samad
23 Jun 1959 - 10 May 1969 Mohamad Said bin Mohamad (d. 1996)
10 May 1969 - 12 Jul 1978 Mansor Othman (b. 1923? - d. 1999) PKN
12 Jul 1978 - 29 Apr 1982 Dato' Rais Yatim (b. 1942) UMNO/BN
29 Apr 1982 - 25 Mar 2004 Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad (b. 1949) UMNO/BN
(from 14 Jun 1982, Dato' Mohamed Isa Abdul
Samad; from 5 Jun 1991, Tan Sri
Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad)
25 Mar 2004 - Datuk Mohamad Hasan (b. 1956) UMNO/BN
(from 19 Jul 2004, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan)