Royal Gallery Tuanku Ja’afar is focused on the former long time Negeri Sembilan Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Ja’afar (king or sultan) along with the history of the Negeri Sembilan. The state’s name means nine (sembilan) villages or nagari in the Minangkabau language as the state was settled by the Minangkabau, a people originally from West Sumatra (in present-day Indonesia) with each sembilan having ts own chieftain/king etc. However and over the years and into the colonial period, the former state of Naning was annexed to Malacca, Klang to Selangor, and Segamat to Johor. Unlike Malaysia‘s eight other Royal Malay states, the Ruler of Negeri Sembilan is elected to his office by the territorial chiefs or Ruling Chiefs of the state. Tuanku Ja’afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman GCB (19 July 1922 – 27 December 2008 – his mother was Dulcie Campbell, a Eurasian nurse who embraced Islam as Cik Maimunah) was the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (equivalent to King) of Malaysia from 26 April 1994 until 25 April 1999 and the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan. He modernized the state and being an avid sports enthusiast, had some international standard golf courses built. His portrait is still featured on the obverse of Malaysian Ringgit banknotes since the First series which was first issued in 1967.
