ADAT AND DAULAT

18 APRIL 1967                                                                          9 MUHARRAM 1387

Public Holiday for the funeral of H.H. Tuanku Munawir.

Had early lunch at 11 am and proceeded to Sri Menanti, arriving there at 12 noon. Large number of people already gathered at the Istana, in black and bare-headed (latest adat dictum decided by royal decree). At 12.45 pm the S.S. (State Secretary) and I were called up by the Tengku Ampuan who enquired who the new Ruler selected by the Undangs was. I said I hadn’t been informed by the Undangs who had decided not to disclose the name until the actual announcement at 2.15pm. 2pm Ceremony began.

The Undang of Jelebu deputising for D.K. (Datuk Kelana) announced that T.J. (Tengku Jaafar) had been unanimously selected by the four Undangs as the new Ruler. There was a stunned silence following the announcement. Apparently everyone expected T. Muhriz would be selected. The “daulat Tuanku” response from the assembled people was therefore not over-enthusiastic. The orphaned children cried but not T. Muhriz.

The funeral at 4 pm was carried out without a hitch. A very large number of people attending the funeral.

 

19 APRIL 1967                                                                     10 MUHARRAM 1387

Handed to S.S. Undang Jelebu’s typed proclamation of T.J. as the newly elected Y.D.B. of N.S. ( Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan). The S.S. suggested that now the new Y.D.B. had been constitutionally elected there was no point in continuing to tell the white lie. So I rang up the Jelebu Undang and obtained his permission to disclose the whole secret to members of EXCO…

 

 

* entries in the diary of Tan Sri Datuk Dr Mohamad Said bin Mohamed ( M.B.N.S. – Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan, 1959-1969)