Negeri Sembilan ruler Tuanku Ja'afar Tuanku Abdul Rahman, who served as the nation's 10th Agong from 1994 to 1999, died at about 11.45 this morning. He was 86 years old.

Tuanku Ja'afar Tuanku Abdul Rahman State secretary Norzam Mohd Nor confirmed news of the death in a press conference at the Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital.

According to him, Tuanku Ja'afar had earlier complained of dizziness and chest discomfort and was rushed to the hospital.

"Tuanku Jaafar was still conscious when two doctors reached the palace. He was rushed to the hospital's intensive care unit," the secretary said.

Norzam said he was was given emergency treatment and several attempts were made to revive him, but he was pronounced dead about three hours later.

Tuanku Jaafar, a keen sportsman, ruled Negri Sembilan for 41 years. Cricket was said to be his number one passion.

He took over state throne after his brother Tuanku Munawir's death in 1967.

He leaves behind wife Tuanku Najihah Tunku Besar Burhanuddin, three sons and three daughters.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has ordered for flags to be flown at half mast when the late ruler is laid to rest on Monday.

Tuanku Ja'afar, who was born in 1922, studied at Malay College Kuala Kangsar before graduating from the University of Nottingham. He then attended Balliol College in Oxford University.

During the Japanese occupation, he served at the Seremban Land Office and as Rembau district officer from 1946 to 1947. Upon his return from Britain in 1952, he held several posts in the civil service.

In 1957, he took a special course in diplomatic services in London and was appointed charge d'affaires in Washington DC.

Soon after, he was made first secretary at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, and later consular and deputy high commissioner of Malaysia in London.

Tuanku Ja'afar was later appointed Malaysian ambassador to Egypt and high commissioner to Nigeria and Ghana.

He was recalled by the Negeri Sembilan state government after the death of his brother, Tuanku Munawir and was appointed ruler in 1967.

Tuanku Ja'afar was the 10th Agong, serving the five-year term from 1994 to 1999.

Ordered to pay US$1 mil debt

The Negri Sembilan royal family head by Tuanku Ja’afar has huge stakes in a number of companies, including Antah Holdings, a conglomerate with interests in financial services, the oil and gas industry and manufacturing.

Tuanku Ja’afar’s demise came in the heels of a landmark decision by the Special Court - which was set up to hear cases involving royalty - ordering him to pay US$1 million (RM3.4 million) debt to Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad (SCBMB).

The court also dismissed his counter-suit against the bank for a declaration that SCBMB was not entitled to use his fixed deposit to settle the US$1 million debt.

The suit arose after Tuanku Ja'afar, on or about Feb 12, 1999, established through SCBMB a standby letter of credit valued at US$1 million made in favour of the Connecticut Bank of Commerce in the United States for credit facilities to be extended to a US company, Texas Encore LLC.

According to the bank's counsel, Robert Lazar, the bank was entitled to withdraw the said amount from Tuanku Ja'afar’s fixed deposit.