Thesun 2009-10-26 Page11 A Ruler Of Substance

theSun

11

| MONDAY OCTOBER 26 2009

Installation of Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan

From Pagar Ruyong to Negri Sembilan THE position of rulers Yang di-Pertuan Besar (formerly Yam Tuan) in Negri Sembilan began in 1773, when the then council of leaders (Undang) left for Pagar Ruyong in Sumatera to find a prince from the Minangkabau society to be their ruler. They selected Raja Melewar who then became the first Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan. When Raja Melewar died in 1795, instead of selecting his son as the new leader, the same council once again set out on a journey to their ancestral land in search

for a new ruler, and Raja Hitam became their second Yang di-Pertuan Besar. This happened again after Raja Hitam’s death in 1808, when they invited Raja Lenggang to become the third ruler. Before he died in 1824, Raja Lenggang made known to the council that he wanted his son Tengku Radin to be his successor. Raja Radin, who became the fourth ruler, was the first hereditary leader of Negri Sembilan, which began the Negri Sembilan royal lineage.

» Princes from Pagar Ruyong, Sumatera: Raja Melewar – 1773-1795, Raja Hitam – 1795-1808, Raja Lenggang – 1808-1824 » Local Rulers: 4th – Raja Radin (Raja Lenggang’s son) - 1824-1861 5th – Yamtuan Imam (Raja Radin‘s brother) - 1861-1869 6th – Yamtuan Antah (Raja Radin’s son) - 1872-1888 7th – Tuanku Muhammad (Yamtuan Antah’s son) - 1888-1933 8th – Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Tuanku Muhammad’s son) - 1933-1960 9th – Tuanku Munawir (Tuanku Abdul Rahman’s son) - 1960-1967 10th – Tuanku Jaafar (Tuanku Mnawir’s brother) - 1967-2008 11th – Tuanku Muhriz (Tuanku Munawir’s son) - present

Tuanku Muhriz and his mother Tuanku Durah (seated centre) and sisters (clockwise from top right) Tunku Puan Bendahara Perlis Tunku Mudziah, Tunku Annie Dakhlah, Tunku Deanna and Tunku Deborah.

sity of Wales, Aberystwyth. While in the UK, Tuanku Muhriz who played the guitar, had his own band called The Prince and the Paupers. On his return, he began his career in an international bank in Malaysia 1973 and later became a director and shareholder of a company licensed as brokers in interbank foreign exchange and in the currency deposits market. He is married to Tengku Aishah Rohani Tengku Besar Mahmud and the couple have three children – Tunku Ali Redhauddin, 31, Tuanku Zain Al-’Abidin, 21, and Tunku Alif Hussein Saifuddin, 17. Tuanku Muhriz was also chairman and shareholder of a Malaysian joint venture with a worldwide advertising agency in 1981, as well as chairman of a joint venture company involved in the manufacturing of building products in 1995.

Until his recent ascension to the Negri Sembilan throne, he was a director and shareholder of a company engaged in electrical engineering and construction and was on the board of directors of Bangkok Bank from 2006. Having always kept a low profile, Tuanku Muhriz was largely unknown outside royal circles in Negri Sembilan. He had however, throughout his life, established and maintained strong ties with the Undangs, the general nobility, the lesser royalty and people of Negri Sembilan, more so since moving back to the state a few years ago. Following the death of Tuanku Jaafar on Dec 27 last year, the Council of Undang elected and proclaimed Tuanku Muhriz as the 11th Yang diPertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan on Dec 29, last year.