The Negeri Sembilan palace has stripped former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor of their honorific Datuk Seri titles with immediate effect.

In a statement this afternoon, the state's registrar of titles Razali Ab Malik said the palace has revoked Najib's Darjah Seri Utama Negeri Sembilan title and Rosmah's Darjah Seri Paduka Tuanku Ja'afar Yang Amat Terpuji title.

According to him, this was done to "protect the stature and dignity of Negeri Sembilan's royal institution".