(New users only) It's tax relief season! Get up to RM300 when you save with Versa! Plus, enjoy an additional FREE RM10 when you sign up using code VERSAMM10 with a min. cash-in of RM100 today. T&Cs apply. Friday, 05 Jun 2026 1:23 PM MYT JUNE 5 — In “Checks and balances in Negeri Sembilan State Constitution safeguard against abuse of power”, I wrote that the state of Negeri Sembilan is unique.The State Constitution — the Laws of the Constitution of Negeri Sembilan, 1959 — is in two parts. The First Part “constitutionalises” the adat perpatih on the customary ruling structure. A general view of the Negeri Sembilan’s State Legislative Assembly building in Seremban April 23, 2026. — Picture by Yusof Isa There is no First Part in the other state constitutions.Chapter 3 is on the Yang Di-Pertuan Besar, the Ruler of the State. Upon being elected to the throne by the the Undangs of Sungai Ujong, Jelebu, Johol and Rembau, His Highness may voluntarily abdicate and relinquish His prerogatives rights and power and privileges if He so desires — Article 9 (IX).Otherwise, the Undangs may call upon His Highness (a) to withdraw from performing His duties for a period to be determined by the Undangs; or (b) to abdicate and relinquish His prerogatives, rights, powers and privileges.However, such a call can only be made if “it is considered and determined after full and complete enquiry by the Undangs that His Highness … has developed any great and serious defect derogatory to the qualities of a Yang di-Pertuan Besar such as insanity, blindness, dumbness or has become possessed of any base quality on account of which He would not be permitted by the Hukum Syarak to be Yang di-Pertuan Besar or that His Highness has done any overt act detrimental to the sanctity, honour and dignity of a Yang di-Pertuan Besar or has deliberately disregarded provisions of [the State] Constitution” — Article 10 (X).So, whatever may be the adat on removing the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, the State Constitution is clear and explicit that there must be a “full and complete enquiry by the Undangs” and that there must be the concurrence of the Menteri Besar for a proclamation that His Highness “cease to exercise the functions and powers of Ruler of the State”.I considered the full and complete enquiry by the Undangs and the concurrence of the Menteri Besar as checks and balances on the power of the Undangs to remove the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.If His Highness shall not deliberately disregard provisions of the State Constitution, so too the Undangs, or any person for that matter.That’s the essence of a constitutional monarchy.The State Constitution is also unique in one other aspect, which can be seen in Chapter 8.Article 28 (XXVIII) says that the expression Ruler wherever it occurs in the Second Part of the Constitution “shall mean His Highness and the Ruling Chiefs who are available and holding office at the material time”.The Article further says that for the purpose of Article 40(2) in the Second Part of the Constitution the expression Ruler “shall mean His Highness and at least three of the four Undangs or, if there be only three Undangs holding office at the time of the exercise of such discretion, at least two of them”.Article 40(2) allows His Highness to act in his discretion, and not on advice, in the performance of the functions enumerated in paragraphs (a) — (g), which include the withholding of consent to a request for the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly (SLA).No other state constitution has provision in pari materia (similar to) Article 28 above.In other words, if it takes two to dissolve the other SLAs, as in the recent dissolution of the Johor SLA, it takes more than two to dissolve the Negeri Sembilan SLA.The gist is this: the supremacy of the Constitution — State and Federal — must be upheld. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.