KUALA PILAH, Negeri Sembilan: Fresh from Johor’s Jul 11 state election which Barisan Nasional (BN) won by a landslide, Malaysia’s political coalitions will be reformulating their strategies for the next battle - the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan state election - starting with candidate nominations on Saturday (Jul 18).

But political analysts say another issue could take centrestage in the battle for Negeri Sembilan votes – a royal deadlock that has simmered for three months.

Contesting coalitions are likely to “weaponise” the royal impasse in the heat of the campaign, even though it is unlikely the election will help resolve it, the observers add.

The poll could, in fact, worsen uncertainty when a chief minister has to be appointed thereafter by the state ruler, the experts say.

This is because two men have unprecedentedly claimed the Negeri Sembilan throne.

On one side, the incumbent, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, remains the ruler recognised by the federal government and the state administration.

On the other, Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Jaafar also claims the throne after the state’s four undangs – or chieftains – held a ceremony on Jun 5, proclaiming him Tuanku Muhriz’s successor and the state’s 12th ruler, or Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

The undangs had on Apr 19 declared that Tuanku Muhriz had been removed from the throne following allegations of improper conduct. This came despite the apparent sacking of one of them - the undang of Sungei Ujong - two days earlier by the state’s highest authority on customary law.

The state government, which is ...