Abdullah of Pahang

Abdullah عبد الله‎
Abdullah in October 2019
Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia Sultan of Pahang
Preceded by	Muhammad V
Succeeded by	Nazrin Shah
Preceded by	Ahmad Shah
Succeeded by	Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah
Personal details
Born	30 July 1959(1959-07-30) Istana Mangga Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang, Malaya (now Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia)
Spouse(s)	Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah (m. 1986) Julia Rais (m. 1991)
Religion	Sunni Islam
Signature

|- bgcolor="#eeeeee" align=center ! colspan="3" | Polo

|- style="background-color:#eeeeee;" | style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;" colspan="3" class="adr" | Competitor for Malaysia

|- ! colspan="3" style="text-align:center; background-color:#cccccc;" | SEA Games

|- | style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;" | || style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;" | 1983 Singapore|| style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;" | Men's tournament Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah (Malay language: السلطان عبدالله رعاية الدين المصطفى بالله شاه الحاج ابن المرحوم سلطان حاج احمد شاه المستعين بالله; born 30 July 1959) is the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (monarch) of Malaysia and the sixth sultan of Pahang. He was proclaimed as Sultan on 15 January 2019, succeeding his father, Sultan Ahmad Shah, whose abdication was decided at a Royal Council meeting on 11 January.

On 24 January 2019, days after his accession to the throne of Pahang, he was elected as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, of Malaysia, and was sworn in on 31 January. He was also a member of the FIFA Council from 2015 to 2019.

Early life

Tengku Abdullah was born on 30 July 1959 at Istana Mangga Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang. He is the first son of Paduka Ayahanda Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang and Tengku Ampuan Afzan. He is the fourth child among eight siblings. His eldest sibling is Tengku Meriam. Tengku Abdullah received his primary education at Sekolah Ahmad, Pekan, St. Thomas Primary School, and St. Thomas Secondary School, both located in Kuantan. He went to Aldenham School, Elstree Hertfordshire – Advance School from 1975 until 1978 and Davis College, London – Advance School from 1978 to 1979. He also attended The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst from 1979 to 1980 as well as Worcester College Oxford and Queen Elizabeth College, receiving a Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy upon his graduation in 1981.

Tengku Mahkota and Regent of Pahang

Abdullah was appointed as the Tengku Mahkota, the crown prince of Pahang on 1 July 1975. He was formally installed on 23 October 1977 at Istana Abu Bakar, Pekan.

He was also appointed as the Regent of Pahang twice. The first time was when his father was elected as Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, where he became Regent for five years, starting from 26 April 1979 until 25 April 1984. When his father's health deteriorated in 2016, Abdullah served again as the Regent from 28 December 2016 until he ascended the throne and became the Sultan of Pahang in 2019.

Sultan of Pahang

On 15 January 2019, at the age of 59, Abdullah was proclaimed as the sixth Sultan of modern Pahang upon the abdication of his father due to ill health. The ceremony took place at Istana Abu Bakar, the official residence of the Sultan of Pahang. His reign was declared retroactively began on 11 January 2019, the day the Regency Council decided his succession.

Upon his accession to throne of Pahang, Abdullah took the regnal title "Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah". His royal consort, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, the Tengku Puan (Crown Princess) of Pahang has been proclaimed as the Her Royal Highness Tengku Ampuan (Queen consort) of Pahang on 29 January 2019.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Main article: Installation of Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI

On 24 January 2019 Thursday, the Conference of Rulers elected Sultan Abdullah as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia to replace Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan who abdicated weeks earlier. Sultan Abdullah was sworn in as the 16th King of Malaysia on 31 January 2019 in a public ceremony as he officially took up the residency of the Istana Negara, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim. The Conference of Rulers also elected Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah of Perak as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Regarding the regency of Pahang throughout Sultan Abdullah's tenure as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the duty of ruling the state was handed to Sultan Abdullah's son, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, who was proclaimed as the Tengku Mahkota and Regent of Pahang on 29 January 2019.

On the date of appointment, Tengku Hassanal was still pursuing his studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United Kingdom. He was assisted in carrying out his duties by the Majlis Jumaah Pangkuan Diraja Negeri Pahang ('Pahang Council of Regency') led by Sultan Abdullah's eldest younger brother who is also Tengku Hassanal's uncle, Tengku Abdul Rahman Ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, from 15 February 2019 until his graduation on 15 December 2019.

Sultan Abdullah ceremonial installation as King took place at the Throne Hall of the Istana Negara on 30 July 2019, seven months after his assumption of the throne on his 60th birthday.

The installation on 30 July 2019 has yet another historical significance because Sultan Abdullah and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, are the children of sultans who have been elected as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

He holds the rank of Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force in his full constitutional duties as Commander-in-Chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces as well as the ranks of Field Marshal of the Malaysian Army and Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Malaysian Navy, in addition, he is the current Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, having taken over the duties since his assumption to the throne, previously he acted as his father's representative to RMAF events and ceremonies twice in his capacity as Regent.

He is also the chancellor of MARA University of Technology (UiTM) and National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) since 2019.^{[citation needed]}

On 25 October 2020, Sultan Abdullah of Pahang, in his capacity as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, rejected Prime Minister Muhyiddin's request for him to declare a state of emergency in response to a spike in COVID-19 cases throughout Malaysia.

Military career

Tengku Abdullah began his military career at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the United Kingdom in 1978 as Officer Cadet. There he met with his best friend, Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al Nahyan, who later became the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Zulkiple Kassim, his senior and later became the Chief of Army. He was commissioned as Second lieutenant by Queen Elizabeth II in 1979. In 1980, he was promoted to Captain and served as Cavalry officer in the Royal Armoured Corps. In 1987, he was promoted to Major, the Royal Armoured Corps.

In 1999, he was assigned to the Territorial Army Regiment (Malay: Rejimen Askar Wataniah) and in the same time was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and one year later, in 2000, he was promoted again to Colonel.

Tengku Abdullah then promoted to Brigadier general in 2004.

Family

He first married at the Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque, Johor Bahru, 6 March 1986 to the third daughter of Sultan Iskandar of Johor with his first wife, Enche' Besar Kalsom binti Abdullah (née Josephine Ruby Trevorrow), Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah binti Almarhum Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj. She has been created Tengku Puan (title for Crown Princess) in addition to her Johor title of Paduka Puteri in 1986. She is one of the sisters of the current Sultan Ibrahim Ismail of Johor. They have four sons and two daughters together.

He married, secondly, in 1991 Julia Rais (born at Kota Bharu, Kelantan, 19 February 1971(1971-02-19)), a former actress and daughter of Abdul Rais, in a private ceremony at Fraser's Hill. They have three daughters together.

Sons

• a) His Highness Tengku Ahmad Iskandar Shah, born and died on 24 July 1990(1990-07-24) (aged 0), son of Tunku Azizah
• b) His Royal Highness Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, the Crown Prince and Regent of Pahang, (shortly Tengku Hassanal) born at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital, Kuantan on 17 September 1995(1995-09-17), son of Tunku Azizah
• c) His Highness Tengku Muhammad Iskandar Riayatuddin Shah, the Tengku Arif Bendahara (shortly Tengku Muhammad), born on 3 August 1997(1997-08-03), son of Tunku Azizah
• d) His Highness Tengku Ahmad Ismail Muadzam Shah, the Tengku Panglima Muda (shortly Tengku Ahmad), born on 11 September 2000(2000-09-11), twin with his sister Tengku Afzan, son of Tunku Azizah

Daughters

• a) Her Highness Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan, daughter of Julia Abdul Rais (born on 11 November 1992(1992-11-11) at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur. On 24 August 2018, She married His Highness Tengku Abu Bakar Ahmad Bin Almarhum Tengku Arif Bendahara Tengku Abdullah. The couple's first child, a son named His Highness Tengku Zayn Edin Shah, was born on 23 July 2019.
• b) Her Highness Tengku Puteri Ilisha Ameera, daughter of Julia Abdul Rais (born on 1 October 1993(1993-10-01) Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
• c) Her Highness Tengku Puteri Ilyana, daughter of Julia Abdul Rais, (born on 20 April 1997(1997-04-20) at Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
• d) Her Highness Tengku Puteri Afzan Aminah Hafidzatu’llah (shortly Tengku Afzan), born on 11 September 2000(2000-09-11), twin with her brother Tengku Ahmad, daughter of Tunku Azizah.
• e) Her Highness Tengku Puteri Jihan Azizah Athiyatullah (shortly Tengku Jihan), born on 27 April 2002(2002-04-27), daughter of Tunku Azizah).

Adoptive sons

Al-Sultan Abdullah also adopted a son before the birth of his own:

• His Highness Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim Bin Almarhum Tengku Arif Bendahara Ibrahim, the Tengku Panglima Raja (shortly Tengku Amir), adopted in 1987. He was born on 25 August 1986(1986-08-25) as the youngest son of the late Tengku Arif Bendahara Ibrahim and his third wife, Czarina binti Abdullah.

His Highness Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim and Her Highness Puteri Suraiya Afzan Binti Mohamed Moiz married on 19 December 2013. The couple's first child, a son named His Highness Tengku Adam Ibrahim Shah, was born on 27 December 2015. Their second, a son named His Highness Tengku Sulaiman Abdullah Shah, was born 25 June 2018.

Patron

He is a vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee and president of the Asian Hockey Federation.

Titles and Styles

Styles of Abdullah
File:Flag of the Supreme Head of Malaysia.svg
Reference style	His Majesty
Spoken style	Your Majesty
Alternative style	Tuanku

• 30 July 1959 – 8 May 1974: His Highness (Yang Mulia) Tengku Abdullah ibni Tengku Ahmad Shah
• 8 May 1974 – 1 July 1975: His Highness (Yang Amat Mulia) Tengku Abdullah ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah
• 1 July 1975 – 28 April 1979: His Royal Highness (Kebawah Duli Yang Teramat Mulia) Tengku Abdullah ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, The Crown Prince of Pahang
• 28 April 1979 – 25 April 1984: His Royal Highness (Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia) Tengku Abdullah ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, The Regent and Crown Prince of Pahang
• 25 April 1984 – 28 December 2016: His Royal Highness (Kebawah Duli Yang Teramat Mulia) Tengku Abdullah ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, The Crown Prince of Pahang
• 28 December 2016 – 11 January 2019: His Royal Highness (Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia) Tengku Abdullah ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, The Regent and Crown Prince of Pahang
• 11 January 2019 – 31 January 2019: His Royal Highness (Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia) Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Paduka Ayahanda Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, The Sultan of Pahang
• 31 January 2019 – 22 May 2019: His Majesty (Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda) Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Paduka Ayahanda Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
• 22 May 2019 – present: His Majesty (Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda) Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia

Honours

Military ranks

Malaysia

• Malaysia Army
  • 1978: Officer cadet
  • 1979: Leftenan Muda ('Second lieutenant') (short service commission)
  • 1979: Leftenan ('Lieutenant')
  • 1980: Kapten ('Captain'), The Royal Armoured Corps
  • 1987: Mejar ('Major'), The Royal Armoured Corps
  • 1999: Leftenan Kolonel ('Lieutenant colonel'), The 505th Territorial Army Regiment
  • 2000: Kolonel ('Colonel'), The 505th Territorial Army Regiment
  • 2004: Brigedier Jeneral ('Brigadier general'), The 505th Territorial Army Regiment
• Royal Malaysian Air Force
  • 2019: Kolonel Yang Di-Pertua ('Colonel-in-chief'), Royal Malaysian Air Force
• Malaysian Armed Forces
  • 2019: Pemerintah Tertinggi ('Commander-in-Chief'), Malaysian Armed Forces

Awards and recognitions

See also: List of honours of the Pahang Royal Family by country

He has been awarded :^{[citation needed]}

Honours of Pahang

• Pahang :
  • Grand Master and Member of the Royal Family Order of Pahang (DKP)
  • Grand Master and Member 1st class of the Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang (DK I)
  • Grand Master and Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP, 24 October 1980)
  • Grand Master and Grand Knight of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (SIMP)

Malaysia and its other states

• Malaysia:
  • Recipient (DKM, 11 July 2019) and Grand Master of the Order of the Royal Family of Malaysia (31 January 2019)
  • Recipient (DMN, 14 February 2019) and Grand Master of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (31 January 2019)
  • Grand Master of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (31 January 2019)
  • Grand Master of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (31 January 2019)
  • Grand Master of the Order of Merit of Malaysia (31 January 2019)
  • Grand Master of the Order for Important Services (31 January 2019)
  • Grand Master of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal Family of Malaysia (31 January 2019)
  • Order of Military Service of Malaysia (PAT)
• Johor :
  • First Class of the Royal Family Order of Johor (DK I)
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ)
• Terengganu :
  • Member first class of the Family Order of Terengganu (DK I)
• Kedah :
  • Member of the Royal Family Order of Kedah (DK)
• Perlis :
  • Recipient of the Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail (DK)
• Perak :
  • Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Perak (DK, 28 November 2019)
• Selangor :
  • First Class of the Royal Family Order of Selangor (DK I, 11 December 2020)

Foreign honours

• Brunei:
  • Recipient of Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei (DKMB, 19 August 2019)
  • Sultan of Brunei Golden Jubilee Medal (5 October 2017)

Places named after him

Several places were named after him, including:

• Al-Sultan Abdullah Mosque in Masjid Tanah, Malacca
• Tengku Mahkota Abdullah Mosque in Jerantut, Pahang
• Tengku Mahkota Abdullah Mosque in Rompin, Pahang
• Tengku Abdullah Al-Haj Mosque in Balok, Pahang
• Tengku Abdullah Science School (SEMESTA Raub), a secondary school in Raub, Pahang

Ancestry

See also: Family tree of Pahang monarchs