sejarah
sungei Ujong

Ramai tertanya-tanya mengapa pemerintah Negeri Sembilan tidak sama dengan negeri Melayu lain yang memakai gelaran Sultan atau seperti Perlis memakai gelar Raja.

Sebaliknya memakai gelar YAM Tuan Besar atau Yang Dipertuan Besar. Perihal ini tidak pernah dinyatakan secara terbuka, namun puncanya terletak kepada latar sejarah membabitkan perjanjian, Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan Undang-undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan 1959.

Negeri Sembilan satu-satunya negeri Melayu yang ada enam pemerintah dan memerintah secara bersama (shared sovereign). Berbeza dengan lapan lagi negeri Melayu lain, pemerintahnya bersifat tunggal yakni Sultan atau Raja bagi Perlis.

Disebut dalam Undang-undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan 1959, segala gelaran, hak, keistimewaan YAM Tuan Besar terletak hak dan izin YTM Dato’ Undang Yang Empat. Ia termasuk pemakaian gelaran pemerintah.

Setakat ini YTM Dato’ Undang Yang Empat hanya membenarkan gelaran YAM Tuan Besar atau Yang Dipertuan Besar, dan ia dimaktubkan dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan, Undang-undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan, akta dan enakmen negeri.

YAM Tuan Besar hanya berkuasa sekitar istana Seri Menanti dan bukannya seluruh negeri. Itupun kuasa YAM Tuan Besar tertakluk kepada izin dan rundingan YTM Dato’ Undang mengikut perlembagaan negeri dan Persekutuan.

Tuanku Antah dilarang memakai gelaran sultan mengikut perjanjian pada 1876. Pada 1909 Tuanku Muhammad cuba menggunakan gelaran Sultan, namun tidak mendapat keizinan YTM Dato’ Undang Yang Empat. Perkara itu diakui pentadbir British termasuk Istana Buckingham.

Perihal ini dirakam dalam transkrip perbualan antara Setiausaha Tanah Jajahan Britain Sir John Anderson dengan YAM Tuan Besar Tuanku Muhammad pada 14 Ogos 1909 di Kuala Kangsar, Perak. Perincian perbualan itu ialah:-

Appendix: Two Items Pertaining to the Seals of the Yam Tuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, 1909 (National Archives PRO CO 273/351)CO 273/351, p. 65
A. John Anderson to the Secretary of State for the Colonies [the Earl of Crewe], 2 September 1909

5. As regards the seal said to have been provided for the Yam Tuan by Mr. Birch, when Resident of Negri Sembilan, the official papers show that he and Mr. Chevallier, the District Officer at Kuala Pilah, disapproved of the design with the title (of Sultan) on it, and approved of another design without that title, which was ordered to be sent to Mr. Dudley Harvey to have it engraved. It is quite inexplicable how the design that was not approved came to be the one actually engraved, and it is strange that the Yam Tuan, though it was in his possession, did not use it or make any claim to the title of Sultan until 1905. Mr. Birch told the Yam Tuan at the interview that if the title ‘Sultan’ had been used in the 1898 Agreement the other Chiefs would never have accepted it and it is impossible to re-open the matter now.

CO 273/351, pp. 67-71
B. Notes of a Meeting Held at Kuala Kangsar on Saturday, 14 August 1909

Present:

– His Excellency the High Commissioner (Sir John Anderson, G.C.M.G.) [HE]
– His Highness the Yang di Per Tuan Besar of Negri Sembilan (Tungku Mohamed, C.M.G.) [HH]
– Mr E. W. Birch, C.M.G., Resident of Perak
– Mr D. G. Campbell, Resident of Negri Sembilan
– Mr R. J. Wilkinson, Secretary to Resident, Perak
– The Tungku Besar
– The Tungku Laksamana
———————————————————————————————————————–
Mr R. J. Wilkinson did most of the interpretation, Mr Birch assisted, and read some of the Malay documents referred to.
———————————————————————————————————————–

HE: Your Highness has come here today because you wish to discuss one or two matters, which have arisen between you and the Resident. Such a discussion is not of a judicial character, but I am prepared to talk over these matters as between friends and we must see if we cannot come to an agreement.

HH: I reciprocate Your Excellency’s sentiments and I desire that the discussion shall be as you say.

HE: When friends have a difference of opinion, each should state his case so that the facts may become clear and it may be possible to see where the fault, if any, lies. I would like Your Highness now to tell us what you feel to be your grievances.

HH: I have come about two matters. My right to use the title of Sultan, which has been questioned by Mr. Campbell and the action taken by me in connection with the election of the Orang Kaya Bongsu in Sri Menanti. I am unable to see wherein lies the difficulty as regards the my* [*corrected in ink] assumption of the title Sultan. Mr. Birch had a seal made for me which was paid for out of Government funds and it bore the title of Sultan. I believe Mr. Birch was right in doing this because up to the time of Yam Tuan Janggut seals bearing the title of Sultan had been used. Raja Melewar used two – one designed on the lines of the seal of the Menangkabau Sultans and the other, copied from the seal of the Sultans of Johor. After the Civil War the supporters of Tungku Antah supplied him with a third seal also bearing the title ‘Sultan’.

(The Yam Tuan produces impressions of four seals. Seal A has the impression reversed. It is the one said to have been given by the then Sultan of Johor to the Raja Melewar recognising him as a Sultan. It bears the title ‘Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah’, the title he took. Seal B is Raja Melewar’s own seal after becoming Sultan. It bears the title Sultan. Seal C is the seal of Raja Melewar’s son. It also bears the title Sultan. These three seals, according to His Highness, were in use up to the time of Yam Tuan Antah. Seal D is the seal made by Tungku Antah for himself and bears the title Sultan Antah. It was only recognised by one Undang (Lawgiver) and was given up when Tungku Antah became Yam Tuan Besar of Sri Menanti.)

Mr. Wilkinson: The seal A, the writing of which comes out the wrong way round when impressed, was used by the first Yam Tuan Besar. The other three seals are historic ones and were used up to the time of the agreement with the Datohs. The seal with the title of Sultan was dropped in the time of Yam Tuan Antah and now that His Highness has been made Yang di Per Tuan Besar of Negri Sembilan he claims that he can use the seal again.

HE: I understand that Your Highness claims that you can now use the seal which Mr.Birch had made and which bears the title of Sultan. As regards the historic seals the fact that they were dropped by Your Highness’ predecessor means that they cannot be revived and it does not help your case.

HH: I do not now use the old seals. I have claimed the title of Sultan ever since I had the Chop with Sultan on it. There is no difference between the titles Yam Tuan and Sultan. One is Malay and the other Arabic.

HE: *I would point out to Your Highness that your position as Yam Tuan was arranged by the Agreement of 1898 in connection with other Chiefs of the Negri Sembilan*. If you now desire to take the title of Sultan, not only would the sanction of the King be necessary, but also that of the other parties to the Agreement. The title of Sultan has a certain meaning to us. It means that the holder of the title is the absolute lawgiver in the place from which he takes the title and the King’s permission to use the title in this country is based on that difference.

HH: In the Treaty of Federation which Sir F. A. Swettenham brought round for signature the expression Yang di-Pertuan was used in all four cases of Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Negri Sembilan.

HE: But Your Highness will see that in the English version of the Treaty of Federation the wording is ‘the Sultan of Perak, the Sultan of Selangor, the Sultan of Pahang and *the Chiefs of the States which form the territory known as the Negri Sembilan*’. If you claimed the title from 1898 why did you not use the title until 1905.

HH: I have always had the chop and the title of Sultan has been used in letters to me from the High Commissioner and Messrs Rodger, Birch and Campbell.

HE: Whatever may have been written by myself or Messrs Birch and Campbell the title Sultan can only be given by the King himself.

HH: By the Agreement of 1898 I was made Raja of Negri Sembilan and references to the old custom entitle me to go back to the title of Sultan. (Mr. Wilkinson translates the Malay Section 7 of the Agreement of 1898.) I have read many books and I find that the terms Yam Tuan and Sultan are the same.

HE: The terms are not the same in English. Sultan has a definite meaning, namely, an absolute ruler. I think Your Highness is making too much of this matter. You got along very well without the title of Sultan till the end of 1905. *If you were given the title it would in no respect increase your powers, which are strictly limited by the Agreement with the Chiefs. You must understand clearly that the British Government cannot recognise the title of Sultan unless you are the absolute ruler of the country. If Your Highness can state that the other Chiefs have handed over their rights to you, and the lawgivers and the people wish you to be Sultan, the matter could be brought to the notice of the King.*

HH: Cannot it be inferred from the Agreement of 1898.

HE: It is the opposite of the Agreement of 1898 because therein the people reserve their rights. This matter is closed

Nota 1: Pemerintah Negeri Sembilan ialah YTM Dato’ Klana Petra Undang Sungei Ujong; YTM Dato’ Mendika Menteri Akhirzaman Undang Jelebu; YTM Dato’ Johan Pahlawan Lela Perkasa Sitiawan Undang Johol; YTM Dato’ Lela Maharaja atau Dato’ Sedia Raja Undang Rembau; YTM Tunku Besar Tampin dan YAM Tuan Besar.

Nota 2: Istilah betul merujuk bentuk pemerintahan Negeri Sembilan ialah KEDATUAN atau bahasa Inggeris ‘CHIEFDOM’. Ia merujuk pemerintahan Dato’ Undang Yang Empat dan Tunku Besar Tampin serta Yang Dipertuan Besar (Orang yang dijadikan Tuan Besar). Ia berbeza dengan negeri Melayu lain yang menggunakan istilah KESULTANAN (SULTNANATE) kerana pemerintah tunggalnya ialah SULTAN. Manakala Perlis pula KERAJAAN (KINGDOM) kerana pemerintahnya ialah RAJA.

Sumber penceritaan:
1) JMBRAS Vol 86, Part 2, Seals as Sources for the History of Negeri Sembilan oleh Annabell Teh Gallop, 2013.
2) Old Treaties & Documents of Malaysia, 1791-1965, Institut Terjemahan Buku Negara Malaysia, 2008.
3) Treaties and Engagements Affecting the Malay States and Borneo suntingan Sir William George Maxwell dan William Sumner Gibson, 1924
4) Perlembagaan Persekutuan
5) Undang-undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan 1959