SERI PADUKA BAGINDA
YANG DI-PERTUAN AGONG XIV
Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku!
T
he G l o b a l i s t w o u l d like to
convey its highest esteem and
f e l i c i t a t i o n s to Seri Paduka
Baginda Al-Sultan Almu'tasimu
Billahi M u h i b b u d d i n T u a n k u
Alhaj Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Ibni
Almarhum Sultan Badlishah upon taking
the oath of office as the fourteenth
Yang di-Pertuan Agong or King on 13
December 2011.
His Majesty Tuanku Abdul Halim is a
revered and beloved ruler in his home
state of Kedah. Since ascending the throne
of Kedah in 1958 at the age of 31, His
Majesty has toured every district in the
state, meeting with his subjects, and
showing concern for their welfare. His
Majesty's frequent "walkabouts" among
his subjects, has endeared him to the
people. Thus when the Conference of
Rulers elected Tuanku Abdul Halim as
the Fourteenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong
or King, the people of Kedah rejoiced
as this is the second time that His
Majesty would be serving as King (see
accompanying story on The Malaysian
Monarchy).
6 L # B A L I S T . Dec 2011
His Majesty Tuanku Abdul Halim was
proclaimed Sultan of Kedah on 14 July
1958 and is the 27th Sultan of the
state. The Kedah Sultanate is one of the
oldest continuous line of monarchy in
the world, second to Japan. The Kedah
Sultanate is thus the oldest among the
Royal Houses in Malaysia. Throughout
His Majesty's long reign, he has made
many friends among the monarchs of
the world, among them Queen Elizabeth
of Britain, King Bhumipol of Thailand,
The Sultan of Brunei and late Emperor
Hirohito of Japan.
His Majesty is married to Sultanah Hajah
Haminah Hamidun, the Raja Permaisuri
Agong (Queen). He is blessed with three
daughters and five grandchildren. An avid
sportsman in his younger days, the King
now plays golf as a pastime.
A graduate of Wadham College, Oxford, His
Majesty is an experienced administrator as
he had served in the Kedah Civil Service
(KCS) upon his return from his studies
in 1955. His Majesty is the nephew of
the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, the
first Prime Minister, who stepped down
as premier the day after Tuanku Abdul
Halim took his oath of office as Yang
di-Pertuan Agong in 1970. The late Tun
Abdul Razak served as Prime Minister
throughout His Majesty's first term as
Yang di-Pertuan Agong. For his second
term Tun Razak's son, Dato' Seri Najib
is the current Prime Minister.
His Majesty was the youngest ruler to
serve as Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the
first time in 1970 when he was 42 years,
and is now the oldest ruler to be elected
for the second time at the age of 84.
May Allah bless His Majesty Tuanku Abdul
Halim Mu'adzam Shah with good health
and long may he reign.
Malaysia's Unique System Of Monarchy
Malaysia became independent in 1957,
Constitutional Monarchy was adopted
and formalised into'the Constitution. Out
of the thirteen states and three federal
territories that exist today, nine states
are with monarchy, while the Yang diPertuan Agong is the Supreme Head of
State of the Federation of Malaysia.
alaysia's first Prime
Minister, Tunku A b d u l
R a h m a n Putra A l - H a j
wrote that the country's
m o n a r c h i c a l system is
unique in the whole wide world. In
this system which has been practiced
in Malaysia since the country became
independent from the British in 1957,
the King, or the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
"ascends the throne for five years, at
the end of which he vacates for the
next senior Sultan to take over." The
current monarch, His Majesty Tuanku
Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Almarhum Sultan
Mahmud Shah will complete his term in
December 2011 and will be succeeded by
the Sultan of Kedah.
While Malaysians are proud of their
monarchy, not many are aware of its
origins and its historical development.
Kingship in Malaysia is part and parcel
of the Malay history, tradition and
culture that existed for hundreds of
years. Its existence and practice today
is a continuity of a civilisation that
has withstood the test of history and
political challenges. The most famous
of the Malay sultanates was the Malay
kingdom of Melaka, founded at the
turn of the 15th century by a prince
from the ancient line of Palembang and
Srivijaya kingdoms and considered to be
the political genesis of all other Malay
sultanates.
As a system of government in Malaysia,
monarchy was entrenched long before
the arrival of the British colonial rule in
the country. Under the British,
Malay
monarchies remained, not exiled or
abolished as was the fate in some
countries such as Vietnam who lost its
monarchy following French colonial rule.
Despite their interference in most aspects
of Malaya's political, economic and social
life, the British avoided interfering in the
affairs of Malay religion and custom.
This allowed the monarchy to continue
to play its role as the protector of
Malay traditions and religion. When
The concept of monarchy is accepted as a
stabilising factor in a multiethnic society
of Malaysia. According to Tunku, himself
a prince from the Kedah ruling house,
one of the oldest in the country, Malaysia
is better served by a monarchy than a
republic, for "in such a conglomeration
of religions and customs, a Constitutional
Monarchy is more benign as it has
advantages that nurture the spirit of
democracy". The Sultans are the Head
of State in their respective states of
the federation and in Tunku's view, have
more power in their own states than
the Agong has in the nation. In 1987,
former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad attempted to 'reform' the
monarchy by way of reducing some of
the powers of the King and creating a
mechanism to oversee the conduct of
the rulers. But this in no way diminished
the dignity of the monarchy and the
role it plays in nurturing the spirit of
democracy as referred to by the Tunku.
The relationship between the Malay
monarchy and the people remains a
special and cherished one.
One of the most interesting and enduring
aspect of Malay monarchy is the bond
between the ruler and the subjects created
through a 'pact' as told in Malay history
about the beginning of the establishment
of kingship . According to this pact
the ruler will rule without shaming his
people, while the people will be loyal
and obedient to the ruler as long as
royal obligations were kept.
This idea of reciprocity in the relationship
between the ruler and his subjects
is reflected in many traditions and
customs of the Malays. Among others, it
is encapsulated in the concept of 'budi'
Dec 2011 • 6 L # B A L I S T
and 'berbakti', or the idea of recognition of
each other-a value so cherished in Malay
custom. The king provides protection to
the 'rakyat', they in return do something
good for the king and the country. The
king rewards those who excel, in the
form of 'anugerah' or reward. Over the
years, this is expressed in various forms
such as Orders, Medals and Decorations
conferred by the palace on those who
have performed meritorious service to
the nation.
But recognition from the King comes
with an obligation on the part of the
recipient to respect, honour and protect
the name of the King and that of the
recipient himself. In Malay custom, this
is a part of "menjaga nama" (literally
taking care of one's name), or upholding
one's integrity. Thus, those honoured
with awards from the King are expected
to behave properly and avoid tarnishing
his name. In modern day Malaysia, the
same principle of honourable behaviour
is expected from the recipients of royal
awards. In the past and in some states,
rulers have withdrawn awards following
abuses and undignified conduct committed
by the recipients.
What values does Malay kingship impart?
According to Dato' Dr Sharifah Zaleha
Syed Hassan, a scholar and keen observer
of Malay monarchy, it is the values of
generosity, care, interdependence, integrity,
trust, mutual respect and recognition of
each other's role that are considered as
enduring contribution to the society and
nation. Today these values are expressed
in various forms, but to the Malays, are
encapsulated in the concept of 'beradab
sopan'-civilised. They are also democratic
values which should be the basis for a
good and stable government.
What makes the monarchy appealing
to the Malay mind and subsequently
helped shaped the M a l a y s i a n mind
towards kingship? To the Malays, the King
embodies the concept of a charismatic
leader and the qualities attached to it
that endears the King to his people.
Islamic influence also injected the idea
of 'insan al kamil' (the perfect man) an
6 L # B A L I S T . Dec 2011
essential quality to be found in a leader,
a departure from the earlier conception
f o u n d in p r e - l s l a m i c tradition that
associated kingship with 'dewa-dewa'
(gods.) The Malays also believe in the
'aura' of their king and that royal regalia
must always be treated with respect and
looked after with reverence. Those who
do not will suffer a severe misfortune,
the 'tulah'. In the past, Malay kingship
was responsible for creating a state, or
'kerajaan', where this charismatic person,
the King, was the source of power and
authority. It was the task of the 'kerajaan'
to create 'orang berbahasa' (civilised
people), or a civilisation. Many of the
essential elements of Malay civilisation
find continuity in the palace traditions
and customs as seen in Malaysia today.
The Constitutional provision making the
King as Head of State and Head of Islamic
religion in Malaysia is an affirmation of
the position and role of Malay kingship
that have existed for centuries.
The operation of Constitutional Monarchy
in Malaysia and the values it imparts,
its role in connecting the country's past
and the present, provide continuity,
stability and pride in a young nation,
yet steeped in an old civilisation. In
Malaysia, the King is revered, therefore
his personality is not a subject of public
or media scrutiny.
The King is the Head of State and all
government acts are carried out in his
name, and by his authority. But the King
also performs other duties that relate
him directly to his people. As Head
of the Islamic religion for example, the
King is well placed to deliver the 'Hari
Raya' message to the nation on national
television, or the National Day message,
as he is above politics and is not aligned
to any political parties. It is the ruler
that personifies the sovereignty of the
nation and the well-being of its people.
This is the traditional role of the King
as cherished by the people, and not to
be eclipsed by others.
W h a t e v e r the c i r c u m s t a n c e s , the
relationship between the monarchy and
the government, both at federal and state
levels remain close. The Constitutional
M o n a r c h y and the p a r l i a m e n t a r y
democracy seem to work well in keeping
the pact between the ruler and the people,
based on each other's understanding
and respect for their respective roles.
The uniqueness of the relationship may
be illustrated in an account by the first
Prime Minister of Malaysia. In 1959 a
country in the Middle East took
Sultan Ismail
Nasiruddin Shah
Tuanku Abdul Halim
Mu'adzam Shah
Sultan Yahya Petra
Sultan Ahmad Shah
Al-Mustain Billah
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
janku Jaafar
Sultan Salahuddin
Abdul Aziz
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
Tuanku Mizan Zainal
Abidin
Tuanku Abdul Halim
Mu'adzam Shah
(New Agong)
(11)
(12)
iku Syed Putra
Jamalullail
(10)
(13)
List of Tang di-Pertuan Agong
at the government's delay in accepting
the offer for an exchange of diplomatic
relations. The country in question sent an
emissary to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
asking him to dismiss the Malaysian Prime
Minister at that time. The Malaysian
King replied that the Prime Minister
could dismiss him, but he could not
dismiss the Prime Minister! The foreign
envoy was astounded to find the whole
concept of kingship in Malaysia 'inimical
and entirely contradictory to that of his
own country.'
of political affiliations. In Malaysia,
Constitutional Monarchy will continue
to be the symbol of sovereignty and
unity of the nation.
The monarchy in Malaysia is a focal
point of unity for the people of various
ethnic origins and religious belief. The
values the kingship imparts are values
shared by all. The King is above politics,
respected and accepted by all irrespective
Dec 2011 • G L # B A L I S T