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‘Tis a bit late for this post considering my day trip balik kampung was last Wednesday but oh well… anything to save this place from being truly dead.

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A brief history of Undang-dom in Rembau as told by my Uncle

A good 600-ish years ago circa 1200 – 1400 AD before the rise of the Malaccan Sultanate, a nobleman from Sumatra journeyed across the Straits of Malacca and landed where Rembau in Negeri Sembilan is today. Being horny, he married a fit local orang asli girl (who would probably be of the Jakun tribe) who’s clan was still in cawats (loincloths) with hooters gloriously swinging away in the hot sun. Bringing prosperity to the area, he declared himself Undang – the leader of the people in the state of which there are four in Negeri Sembilan.

His younger brother Sri Di-Raja was jealous of his elder brother’s “success” so to speak as he too wanted to become Undang, have land of his own and thus journeyed to Rembau. Elder brother said “no” at first because since the both of them were from the same family, the reign should pass by default to elder brother and should only pass to the younger brother either upon the death of himself and only if he had not procured an heir. But brothers are brothers and Elder Brother Lela Maharaja gave way to his younger brother’s wishes and thus declared that the title of Undang would be from that day forward be shared between the two suku (tribes) with a representative from each tribe taking turns one after the next.

I belong to the Biduanda Lela Maharaja suku who is in line for the title of Undang in 2 cycles.

But the cyclical ascent to Undang-ship has not always been without interruption. There was a time, I believe around 1800 or so when the Sultan of Johor wanted to pinang (ask for hand in marriage) a chun girl from the Lela Maharaja suku. The Johore Riau Sultanate was the most powerful Sultanate regime in the Malay States at the time after the exodus out of Malacca due to its fall to foreign rule. The advisors of the Undang who were from that suku at the time strongly opposed the marriage as in doing so, it would dilute the purity of Undang inheritance into the Johore Sultanate.

Naturally, the Sultan of Johore was murka (pissed off) as hell. And so the Undang Lela Maharaja apologized and punished his suku in that the Undang of Rembau would no longer be from his suku. The punishment lasted 4 generations.

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Note that the suku is passed by the matriachal side of the family in Negeri Sembilan according to Adat Perpatih (Perpatih custom) which favours the women’s side of the family. In Adat Perpatih, the women hold most of the family property and inheritance favours the youngest daughter of the family. This contrasts the custom is the other states in Malaysia where they practice Adat Temenggung which conversely favours the men’s side of the family.

This does not mean that Adat Perpatih is against Islamic Syariah which clearly states that the men’s side should be given priority. Syariah Law kicks in in situations of intestacy (dying without a will) whereas Adat Perpatih is usually adhered to in the division of property and family fortune in the lifetime of the property holder which is allowed in Islam.