Abdullah
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| Al-Mustafa Billah (He who is chosen by God) | |||||||||
.jpg) Abdullah in 2019 | |||||||||
| King of Malaysia | |||||||||
| Reign | 31 January 2019 – 30 January 2024 | ||||||||
| Installation | 30 July 2019 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Muhammad V | ||||||||
| Successor | Ibrahim Iskandar | ||||||||
| Sultan of Pahang | |||||||||
| Reign | 11 January 2019 – present | ||||||||
| Proclamation | 15 January 2019 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Ahmad Shah | ||||||||
| Heir apparent | Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah | ||||||||
| Born | (1959-07-30)30 July 1959 (age 66) Istana Mangga Tunggal,Pekan, Pahang,Federation of Malaya | ||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||
| Issue |
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| House | Bendahara | ||||||||
| Father | Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah | ||||||||
| Mother | Tengku Ampuan Hajah Afzan Rahimahallah binti Almarhum Tengku Panglima Perang Tengku Muhammad | ||||||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||
| Education | |||||||||
| Military career | |||||||||
| Allegiance |  Malaysia | ||||||||
| Branch |  Malaysian Army | ||||||||
| Service years | 1978–present | ||||||||
| Rank |  Field marshal Admiral of the Fleet Marshal of the Air Force | ||||||||
| Unit | |||||||||
Che Puan Besar Kalsom, the Che Puan Besar and stepmother of the Sultan
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| Medal record | ||
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| Polo | ||
Representing Malaysia | ||
| SEA Games | ||
 | 1983 Singapore | Men's tournament[2][3] |
Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (Jawi:السلطان عبدﷲ رعايةالدين المصطفى بالله شاه ابن المرحوم سلطان حاج أحمد شاه;listenⓘ; born 30 July 1959) has been the sixthsultan of Pahang since ascending to the throne in 2019. He previously reigned as theKing of Malaysia from 2019 until 2024.
Abdullah was born during the reign of his grandfather,Sultan Abu Bakar, and becameheir apparent when his father,Sultan Ahmad Shah, acceded to the throne ofPahang in 1974. He was created Crown Prince of Pahang on 1 July 1975. He was educated atRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst and later pursued a Diploma inInternational Relations andDiplomacy atWorcester College, Oxford andQueen Elizabeth College in 1980 until 1981. In 1986, he marriedTunku Azizah Aminah. They had 10 children, notablyHassanal Ibrahim,Muhammad Iskandar andPuteri Iman Afzan, including one adopted son,Amir Nasser.
Abdullah became Sultan of Pahang upon his father'sabdication in January 2019 who later died in May 2019.[4]
On 31 January 2019, Abdullah was sworn in as the 16thKing of Malaysia from 2019 to 2024.[5] Abdullah played a prominent role in domestic politics, particularly during the2020–2022 Malaysian political crisis[6] and the intricate negotiations that followed the2022 general election, which resulted in ahung parliament. As a result of this, his reign saw themost prime ministers of any monarch in Malaysia.
Abdullah, born as Tengku Abdullah ibni Tengku Ahmad Shah on 30 July 1959, at the Istana Mangga Tunggal inPekan,Pahang. He is the eldest son of SultanAhmad Shah of Pahang andTengku Ampuan Afzan and is the fourth child among eight siblings, with his eldest sibling being Tengku Meriam.[7][8]
Abdullah's early education began in 1965 at Clifford School in Kuala Lipis. He continued his primary education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Ahmad in Pekan from 1966 to 1969, followed by St. Thomas Primary School. For his secondary education, he attended St. Thomas Secondary School from 1970 to 1974, both of which are inKuantan.
In pursuit of further education, Abdullah attendedAldenham School inElstree,Hertfordshire,UK, from 1975 to 1977. Subsequently, he enrolled at theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK, where he studied from 1978 to 1979. He also pursued higher education atWorcester College,Oxford, andQueen Elizabeth College, United Kingdom from 1980 to 1981, graduating with a Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy.[7]
Abdullah embarked on his military career at theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1978, where he initially served as anofficer cadet. During his time at Sandhurst, he formed friendships with several individuals, includingSheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who would later become thePresident of the United Arab Emirates andRuler of Abu Dhabi, as well asZulkiple Kassim, who was his senior and later became theChief of Army.[9][10]
In 1979, Abdullah was commissioned as asecond lieutenant by QueenElizabeth II. His service led to his promotion to the rank of captain in 1980, where he served as acavalry officer in theRoyal Armoured Corps.[11]
In 1987, Abdullah achieved the rank ofmajor within the Royal Armoured Corps.[12] Later, he was appointed captain of the Malaysian Royal Cavalry Corps and on 1 May 1999, he was assigned to the 505 Territorial Army Regiment. During the same period, he received a promotion to the rank oflieutenant colonel of the 505 Territorial Army Regiment. On 1 June 2000, he further advanced in rank tocolonel of the 505 Territorial Army Regiment.[12]
Abdullah's dedication to his military career saw him rise to the rank ofbrigadier general of the 505 Territorial Army Regiment on 1 April 2004, marking a significant milestone in his military service.[12]
Abdullah assumed the role of Tengku Mahkota of Pahang (crown prince of Pahang), on 1 July 1975. His formal installation took place on 23 October 1977, at the Istana Abu Bakar in Pekan.[7]
Additionally, Abdullah was appointed as the Regent of Pahang on two occasions. The first appointment occurred when his father was elected as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong. During this period, he served as Regent for a duration of five years, starting on 26 April 1979, and concluding on 25 April 1984.
The second time Abdullah assumed the role of regent was in 2016 when his father's health began to deteriorate. He served as regent once again from 28 December 2016, until his ascension to the throne in 2019.[7]
On 15 January 2019, at the age of 59, Abdullah was officially proclaimed as the sixth sultan of modern Pahang. This proclamation came about due to his father's abdication from the throne, which was prompted by his ill health. The ceremony marking Abdullah's ascension to the throne was held at the Istana Abu Bakar, the official residence of the sultan. His reign was retroactively declared to have commenced on 11 January 2019, the day the Regency Council decided on his succession.[4][13]
Upon becoming the Sultan of Pahang, Abdullah adopted the regnal title "Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah."[14]
Furthermore, his royal consort,Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, who held the title of Tengku Puan of Pahang (crown princess), was proclaimed as the Tengku Ampuan (Queen consort) of Pahang on 29 January 2019.[15]
As per his duties as Sultan of Pahang, he serves currently as Chancellor ofUniversity of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), andUniversiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA).
On 24 January 2019, theConference of Rulers elected Abdullah as the 16thYang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia), replacing SultanMuhammad V ofKelantan, who had abdicated a few weeks earlier.[5] Abdullah was officially sworn in on 31 January 2019, in a public ceremony, taking up residence at theIstana Negara, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim.[16] During this time, the Conference of Rulers also elected SultanNazrin Muizzuddin Shah ofPerak as theDeputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong.[5] Abdullah became the secondYang di-Pertuan Agong to reign while his father was still alive and the only one whose father was a former Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Whilst Abdullah was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the responsibility of ruling the Pahang was handed to Abdullah's son,Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, who was proclaimed as the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang and Regent of Pahang on 29 January 2019.[15] At the time of his appointment, Hassanal was still pursuing his studies at theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. He was assisted in carrying out his duties byMajlis Jumaah Pangkuan Diraja Negeri Pahang (Pahang Council of Regency) led by Abdullah's eldest younger brother, Tengku Abdul Rahman, from 15 February 2019, until Hassanal's graduation on 15 December 2019.[17]
Abdullah'sceremonial installation as Yang di-Pertuan Agong took place at the Throne Hall of the Istana Negara on 30 July 2019, seven months after his assumption of the throne, which coincided with his 60th birthday.[18] This installation was historically significant because both Abdullah and theRaja Permaisuri Agong (Queen of Malaysia),Tunku Azizah, are the children of sultans who had previously been elected as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
In his role as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Abdullah held the rank ofmarshal of theRoyal Malaysian Air Force, which was part of his constitutional duties as theCommander-in-Chief of theMalaysian Armed Forces. He also held the ranks offield marshal of theMalaysian Army andAdmiral of the Fleet of theRoyal Malaysian Navy. Additionally, he served as thecolonel-in-chief of theRoyal Malaysian Air Force.
Abdullah also held the position of Chancellor ofUniversiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) andNational Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) during his term as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.[19][20]
Abdullah's reign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong coincided with a politically challenging period in Malaysian history. During this time, there were significant political changes and challenges, including the fall of thePakatan Harapan (PH) administration and the appointment of a new prime minister. Abdullah played a crucial role in ensuring political stability during these times, including appointingMahathir Mohamad as interim prime minister and later appointingMuhyiddin Yassin as the new prime minister.
On 25 October 2020, Abdullah rejected Muhyiddin's request to declare a state of emergency in response to a spike in COVID-19 cases throughout Malaysia.[21]
However, on 12 January 2021, Abdullah issued a nationwideProclamation of Emergency until 1 August 2021, to address the ongoing spread ofCOVID-19 and apolitical crisis involving Muhyiddin's government. This emergency suspended parliament and elections, allowing the Malaysian government to introduce laws without parliamentary scrutiny.[22][23]
The decision on the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the suspension of parliament led to various public reactions, including protests and calls for political change.[24][25][26][27][28]
On 16 August 2021, following a loss of majority support,[29][30] Muhyiddin and his cabinet resigned, and Abdullah appointedIsmail Sabri Yaakob as the 9th Prime Minister of Malaysia.[31][32]
On 10 October 2022, Abdullah approved Ismail Sabri's request to dissolve the Malaysian parliament,[33] leading to Malaysia's15th general election, which produced a hung parliament.[34][35] Abdullah ultimately namedAnwar Ibrahim as the prime minister,[36] marking the fourth prime minister of his reign and making him the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who had the most prime ministers since independence. Sultan Abdullah is also the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who has appointed the most prime ministers since Malaysia's independence, with Anwar being the third consecutive prime minister appointed by Abdullah.
His tenure as Yang di-Pertuan Agong ended on 30 January 2024, with theConference of Rulers during their 263rd (special) meeting on 27 October 2023, had elected the Sultan of Johor and his brother-in-law, SultanIbrahim Iskandar as his successor.[37]
Tengku Abdullah is active in sports. Amongst his favourite sports are polo, football and hockey. He participates in local as well as international tournaments. He led the Pahang Royal Polo team in an international tournament at the Windsor Polo Club, England. He has also participated in tournaments in Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Argentina, the United States, Spain, Belgium and Thailand. He won a gold medal at the 12thSEA Games Singapore in 1983.[38]
He is a vice-president of theAsian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee and president of theAsian Hockey Federation. He is also the Honorary Member ofInternational Hockey Federation (FIH).Beyond his royal responsibilities, Abdullah was actively engaged in international sports governance, serving as a distinguished member of theFIFA Council from 2015 to 2019.[39]
Malaysia
Malaysian Army[11]
Royal Malaysian Air Force
Malaysian Armed Forces
His first marriage was toTunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah binti Almarhum Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj, at theSultan Abu Bakar State Mosque,Johor Bahru, on 6 March 1986. She is the third daughter ofSultan Iskandar of Johor by his first wife, Enche' Besar Khalsom binti Abdullah (née Josephine Ruby Trevorrow). Tunku Azizah has now thus been titledTengku Ampuan of Pahang (Queen consort of Pahang). She is the younger sister of the current Sultan of Johor,Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar. They have four sons and two daughters together.
His second marriage was toChe Puan Julia Abdul Rais (born at Kota Bharu, Kelantan), (1971-02-19)19 February 1971 (age 54), a former actress and daughter of Abdul Rais, in a private ceremony atFraser's Hill in 1991.[41] They have three daughters together.
Abdullah also adopted a son before the birth of his own:
Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim Shah and Puteri Suraiya Afzan Binti Mohamed Moiz, theChe Puan Panglima married on 19 December 2013. The couple's first child, a son named Tengku Adam Ibrahim Shah was born on 27 December 2015. Their second child, a son named Tengku Sulaiman Abdullah Shah was born 25 June 2018. Their third child, a son named Tengku Nuh Muhammad Shah was born on 31 January 2022.
| Styles of Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | His Royal Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Royal Highness |
| Alternative style | Tuanku |
The full title and style of Al-Sultan Abdullah is:
His Royal HighnessAl-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, D.K.P., D.K.M., D.K., D.M.N., S.A.A.S., S.S.A.P., S.I.M.P., D.K. (Terengganu)., D.K. (Johor)., S.P.M.J., D.K.M.B. (Brunei)., D.K. (Kedah)., D.K.(Perlis)., D.K. (Perak)., D.K. (Selangor)., D.K. (Kelantan)., Order of The State of The Republic of Turkiye, Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles (Monaco), The Sultan and Sovereign Ruler of the State of Pahang Darul Makmur and all its Subjugated Colonies
Grand Master and Member of theRoyal Family Order of Pahang (DKP, since 11 January 2019)
Grand Master (since 11 January 2019) and Member 1st class of theFamily Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang (DK I, 23 October 1977)[44]
Founding Grand Master and Grand Knight of the Order of Sri Setia Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SAAS, since 30 July 2024)
Grand Master of theGrand Royal Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (since 11 January 2019)
Grand Master (since 11 January 2019) and Grand Knight of theOrder of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP, 24 October 1977)[44]
Grand Master and Grand Knight of theOrder of the Crown of Pahang (SIMP, since 11 January 2019)
Recipient of the Sultan Ahmad Shah Installation Medal (8 May 1975)
Recipient of the Sultan Ahmad Shah Silver Jubilee Medal (1999)Malaysia
Grand Master (31 January 2019 – 30 January 2024) and Recipient of theOrder of the Royal Family of Malaysia (DKM, 11 July 2019)[45]_-_DMN.svg)
Grand Master (31 January 2019 – 30 January 2024) and Recipient of theOrder of the Crown of the Realm (DMN, 14 February 2019)[46]_-_SMN.svg)
Grand Master of theOrder of the Defender of the Realm (31 January 2019 – 30 January 2024)
Grand Master of theOrder of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (31 January 2019 – 30 January 2024)
Grand Master of theOrder of Merit of Malaysia (31 January 2019 – 30 January 2024)
Grand Master of theOrder of Meritorious Service (31 January 2019 – 30 January 2024)
Grand Master of theOrder of Loyalty to the Royal Family of Malaysia (31 January 2019 – 30 January 2024).png)
Warrior of theMost Gallant Order of Military Service (PAT)
Recipient of the16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (30 July 2019)
Recipient of the15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (24 April 2017)
Recipient of the14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (11 April 2012)
Recipient of the12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (25 April 2002)
Recipient of the10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (22 September 1994)
Recipient of the9th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (18 September 1989)
Recipient of the8th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (15 November 1984)
Recipient of the7th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (10 July 1980)
Johor
First Class of theRoyal Family Order of Johor (DK I, 8 December 2023)[47] Second Class of theRoyal Family Order of Johor (DK II, 15 April 1996)[48]
Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ) –Dato'
Kedah.svg)
Member of theRoyal Family Order of Kedah (DK, 5 September 2019)[49]
Recipient of the Sultan Sallehuddin Installation Medal (22 October 2018)
Kelantan
Recipient of theRoyal Family Order of Kelantan (DK, 20 December 2023)[50][51]
Recipient of the Sultan Muhammad V Proclamation Medal (13 September 2010)
Negeri Sembilan
Recipient of the Tuanku Muhriz Installation Medal (26 October 2009)
Perak
Recipient of theRoyal Family Order of Perak (DK, 28 November 2019)[52]
Recipient of the Sultan Azlan Shah Installation Medal (9 December 1985)
Recipient of the Sultan Azlan Shah Silver Jubilee Medal (2009)
Recipient of the Sultan Nazrin Shah Installation Medal (6 May 2015)
Perlis
Member of thePerlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail (DK, 28 October 2019)[53]
Recipient of the Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail Installation Medal (7 May 2001)
Selangor
First Class of theRoyal Family Order of Selangor (DK I, 11 December 2020)[54][55]
Recipient of the Sultan Sharafuddin Coronation Medal (8 March 2003)
Recipient of theSultan Salahuddin Silver Jubilee Medal (1985)
Terengganu
Member second class of theFamily Order of Terengganu (DK II, 22 October 1977)[56]
Recipient of the Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Coronation Medal (21 March 1981)
Recipient of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Coronation Medal (4 March 1999)
Brunei.svg)
Recipient ofRoyal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei (DKMB, 19 August 2019)[57]
Sultan of Brunei Golden Jubilee Medal (5 October 2017)[58]
Monaco
Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Saint-Charles (27 November 2023)[59]
Turkey
Collar of theOrder of the State of Republic of Turkey (16 August 2022)[60]
United Kingdom
Recipient of theSandhurst Medal
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Sultan of Pahang 11 January 2019 – present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Yang di-Pertuan Agong 31 January 2019 – 30 January 2024 | Succeeded by |
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