Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-lah (Jawi: سلطان ازلن محب الدين شاه ابن المرحوم سلطان يوسف عز الدين شاه غفر ﷲ له; 19 April 1928 – 28 May 2014) was Sultan of Perak from 1984 until his death in 2014, and previously reigned as the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutional monarch of Malaysia, from 1989 to 1994.
The child of a royal father and a commoner mother, he grew up in Perak, Malaysia. During school he played field hockey, subsequently playing for the Perak team. He trained to be a lawyer in the United Kingdom. Upon returning to Malaysia, he soon became a judge and quickly rose through the legal ranks. In 1965, he became the youngest person appointed to the High Court of Malaya, and in 1982 he became the youngest ever Lord President of the Federal Court, the country's highest judicial rank.
He succeeded as Sultan of Perak after Sultan Idris Shah II, his first cousin once removed, died in 1984. Subsequently, he was elected to be the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia in 1989, serving a five-year term before returning to his post as Sultan of Perak. In 2009, he exercised his royal authority to prevent the dissolution of the Perak State Legislative Assembly, sparking a constitutional crisis. Ultimately, the legal system ruled Sultan Azlan had acted properly.
During his career, Sultan Azlan Shah was awarded more than 3 dozen Malaysian and foreign honours. Dozens of buildings and other projects were named after him, including a genus of insects. He was known as the "Father of Malaysian Hockey" for furthering field hockey at home and abroad and was the patron of dozens of organisations. With his wife Tuanku Bainun Binti Mohd Ali, Sultan Azlan had five children.
Raja Azlan Shah was admitted to the English Bar on 23 November 1954. He returned to Malaysia, becoming the Assistant State Secretary of Perak. He joined the Judicial and Legal Service of the Federation of Malaya and soon became the President of the Sessions Court. He continued to rise quickly through the legal ranks, serving as Federal Counsel and Deputy Public Prosecutor, Legal Adviser of the State of Pahang, Registrar of the High Court of Malaya, and Chief Registrar of the Federal Court of Malaysia.[2]
In 1965, Raja Azlan Shah, aged 37, became the youngest judge ever appointed to the High Court of Malaya. He was appointed to the Federal Court in 1973. In 1979, he was appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of Malaya.[2] Finally, on 12 November 1982 he became the youngest ever Lord President of the Federal Court, the highest judicial post in Malaysia.[1][2]
Becoming Sultan
His path to becoming the Sultan of Perak started when his father appointed him as Raja Kechil Bongsu on 19 August 1962, which makes him the 6th and last in line to the throne. Due to the death of his father in the following year, he moved up a rank to become the Raja Kechil Tengah. On 1 January 1978, he moved up to Raja Kechil Sulong and later that year, on 1 August, he moved up to Raja Kechil Besar.
Raja Azlan Shah was installed Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Perak by the then-Sultan of Perak, Sultan Idris Almutawakkil Alallahi Shah II on 1 July 1983.[2] During the long reign of Idris Shah, most of Raja Azlan Shah's elder brothers had died. His only surviving elder brother, Raja Baharom Shah, refused the office of Crown Prince and Raja Azlan Shah was suddenly heir to the throne.
Within six months, Sultan Idris died and Azlan Shah succeeded to the throne of Perak on 3 February 1984. He was officially installed as the 34th Sultan of Perak on 9 December 1985. In 1989, Sultan Azlan Shah was elected as the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, as the Ruler of Perak was the last of the nine Malay Rulers of Malaysia who has not served as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for its first cycle. After the five-year term ended, he returned to his post as Sultan of Perak in 1994.[2]
Sultan Azlan Shah reigned for a total of 30 years and 114 days, the longest reign for a Sultan of Perak post-independence day, and the second longest reign in the history of the Sultanate, only behind the 11th Sultan, Sultan Mahmud Iskandar Shah.
In 2009, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) political group held a narrow majority in the Perak state assembly with 32 of the 59 seats. Three members of the party decided to leave and allied themselves with the rival BN coalition. PR leader Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin requested to dissolve the state assembly. Sultan Azlan refused the request, citing royal discretion, and instead demanded Mohammad Nizar and the rest of the leadership resign their posts to make way for BN leaders.[4]
The decision was challenged and the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the Sultan was not constitutionally permitted to dismiss the menteri besar. However, upon appeal, the decision was reversed by the Court of Appeal which ruled that the Perak State Constitution gives absolute discretionary power for the Sultan to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly. The Court also directed Nizar to resign. The decision was subsequently upheld unanimously by the five-man Bench of the Federal Court in February 2010.[4]
Recognitions
Sultan Azlan was the Pro-Chancellor of the Universiti Sains Malaysia from October 1971 to February 1981 and the Chancellor of the University of Malaya from February 1983 until his death. He also served as the Chairman of the Higher Education Advisory Council from 1974 to 1976. The University of Malaya awarded him an honorary doctorate in June 1979 and the University of Science of Malaysia awarded him one the following June.[2]
Sultan Azlan was recognised by several foreign universities, including:[2]
Sultan Azlan was an avid supporter of field hockey throughout his life. Due to his significant contributions to the sport, he was known as the "Father of Malaysian Hockey."[3] Azlan was President of the Malaysian Hockey Federation until 2005, and was the elected President of the Asian Hockey Federation from 1997 until his death.[5] He was an Executive Board member of FIH (International Hockey Federation), serving as vice-president for two terms starting in 1992.[6] Under Azlan Shah's leadership, Malaysia twice hosted the World Cup, in 1975 and 2002. In 1983, the sultan founded the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, an annual hockey tournament played in Ipoh.[3]
Sultan Azlan enjoyed golfing in his spare time.[2]
Patron
Sultan Azlan was a patron of the following institutions:[2]
The Academy of Medicine of Malaysia
The British Graduates Association of Malaysia
The Iskandar Polo Club
The Kuala Kangsar Golf Club
The Lions Clubs
The Malaysian Law Society in Great Britain and Éire
The Malaysian Nature Society
The Perak Veteran Hockey Association.
The Rotary Clubs
The Royal Ipoh Club and The Royal Perak Golf Club
St. John Ambulance of Malaysia, State of Perak Darul Ridzuan
Sharifah Nur Alara Budriah Jamalullail Syed Azlan Salahuddin Putra Jamalullail Sharifah Nur Zahra Hatijah Jamalullail Sharifah Nur Ilana Bainunsafia Jamalullail
Sinnadurai, Visu (1988). "His Majesty Sultan Azlan Shah: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong IX Malaysia". The Supreme Court Reports. Kuala Lumpur: The Supreme Court Journal. ISSN0128-066X. (Special issue of the Supreme Court Journal to commemorate the installation of His Majesty Sultan Azlan Shah as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong IX Malaysia)
At the 1982 Perak Domestic Tourism Exposition, the orchid that won the best plant award was named after Azlan Shah, "Doritinopsis Sultan Azlan Shah". The insect genus Azlania was named in honour of him by The Malaysia Nature Society.[2]
Several building projects and institutions were named after the Sultan, including:
Educational institutions
SMK Sultan Azlan Shah, a secondary school in Lenggong, Perak
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Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Abdullah Al-Mu’tassim Billah Shah, was the fourth modern Sultan of Pahang.
Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakil Alallahi Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Shah Kaddasullah, CMG was the 33rd Sultan of Perak from 5 January 1963 until his death on 31 January 1984. He was the son of Sultan Iskandar Shah.
The Sultan of Perak is one of the oldest hereditary seats among the Malay states.
This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1993, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians. The deadliest structural failure in Malaysian history occurred when an apartment block in Selangor collapsed, killing 48 people on 11 December.
Raja Azureen binti Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah is the eldest daughter of Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak. She was born in Penang, Malaya on 9 December 1957.
Raja Ashman Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-lah was a member of the Perak Royal Family, the second son of the late Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-lah. He was the fourth in line to the throne of the Perak Sultanate when he was the Raja Kecil Sulong of Perak from 2010 until his death in 2012.
Raja Yong Sofia binti Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah is the fifth child of the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah. She holds a master's degree in Administration from International University in London. She worked for Bank Bumiputra.
Raja Eleena binti Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah is the fourth child of the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah.
Ramli bin Ngah Talib is a Malaysian politician who was active in the United Malays National Organisation. He served as the 8th Menteri Besar of Perak from 1982 to 1999 and was the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat of the Malaysian Parliament from 2004 to 2008.
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Al-Haj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj is the Sultan of Selangor since ascending to the throne in November 2001.
Raja Zarith Sofiah binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah is the Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of Malaysia and the Permaisuri (Queen) of Johor as a wife of Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar. She was born as a member of the Perak royal family. While still attending Somerville College, Oxford, she married the heir to the throne of Johor. Now a mother of six, she participates in the work of non-governmental organisations and universities, and writes a periodical column for a newspaper.
Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah is the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia since December 2016 and the 35th Sultan of Perak since ascending to the throne in May 2014.
The Al-Ghufran Royal Mausoleum is a Royal Mausoleum of Perak located near Ubudiah Mosque at Bukit Chandan in Jalan Istana, Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia. The first Sultan of Perak buried here was Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah I in 1916.
Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain ibni Almarhum Sultan Idris A’fifullah Shah is a member of the Perak Royal Family who is the current Raja Di-Hilir of Perak. He is currently the second in the line of succession to the throne of the Malaysian state of Perak since 20 June 2014.
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