KUALA LUMPUR: On Jan 24, it was announced that the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah would be the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
His Majesty was elected by the Conference of Rulers which convened in its 251st special meeting chaired by the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin. Sultan Abdullah would be the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a five-year reign beginning Jan 31, 2019.
Meanwhile, the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah was re-elected as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the same period.
Their Majesties are known for their tremendous charisma and strong leadership qualities, in addition to their unwavering commitment towards safeguarding the welfare of the rakyat.
Sultan Abdullah had just ascended the throne on Jan 12 but has 44 years of experience as the Pahang Crown Prince. This will undoubtedly aid His Majesty in carrying out his vast responsibilities as the head of the state in the five years to come.
His Majesty was appointed as the Regent of Pahang twice while in the position of the Crown Prince. The first time was when he was 20 years old when his father Sultan Ahmad Shah was elected as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (1979-1984). He served as Regent again in 2016, when his father’s health deteriorated.
Sultan Nazrin, who has served as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong since 2016, will continue to serve in the position.
Proven Leadership
Sultan Abdullah practices a leadership style that makes him approachable to the people. This is a quality that the previous generations of Pahang sultans were also known for.
His Majesty’s lengthy experience as the Crown Prince availed him the opportunity to mingle with the people without being subjected to the protocols of a ruler, said Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Zainal Kling, Chairholder of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM)’s Chair of Institution of Malay Rulers.
“His Majesty can engage with the rakyat with ease and join them in various activities such as sports, which he is particularly active in. Such activities provide him with fantastic opportunities to strengthen his bond with the people,” said Zainal.
While serving as Regent, said Zainal, Sultan Abdullah carried out the duties of a ruler and advised the state government when necessary to ensure that the needs and issues of the people were promptly and effectively dealt with.
A researcher of the history of Malay sultanates Raja Yusuf Izzudin Raja Datuk Pahlawan Lope Ahmad described Sultan Abdullah as a very reasonable person.
His Majesty was always open to hearing the perspective of others and willing to discuss an issue in depth despite having differing opinions on the matter.
“His father Sultan Ahmad Shah has the same admirable attitude and enjoyed engaging with the people without being bounded by protocols. Her Majesty Tengku Ampuan Pahang, Tunku Azizah Maimunah Iskandariah Almarhum Sultan Iskandar is known for her closeness with the rakyat, particularly during times of distress such as natural disasters,” he said.
An Intellect
As for Sultan Nazrin, said Zainal, it was his great intellect that puts him in good standing with the rakyat.
“When we listen to the intelligent points that His Majesty makes when he speaks, we will come to understand the importance of protecting our monarchy. In addition to that, he has keen understanding and concern of the issues faced by the rakyat.
“This will not only build a stronger relationship between a ruler and his people but develop a loyalty to the monarchy. That is the kind of loyalty that we really need right now,” said Zainal.
In addition to that, Sultan Nazrin also has a deep love for knowledge, said Raja Yusuf. His Majesty can often be seen frequenting bookstores such as the Kinokuniya Book Store in KLCC and even has his own personal library.
Sultan Nazrin also enjoys mingling with the intellects and is also acknowledged by the local and international community as an intellect himself.
Firm When Necessary
Their Majesties are known for having strong principles and adhering to them when carrying out their royal duties.
This can be seen by their practice of openly advising and reprimanding certain quarters of various issues involving the welfare of the people.
On Feb 21, 2018, Sultan Abdullah, who at the time was serving as the Regent of Pahang, said that the royal institution was entitled to give advice, comment and reprimand the government on issues of interest to the rakyat.
His Majesty described this as “constructive patriotism” and said that constructive, patriotic people would question and criticise to improve the country.
“This is contrary to the concept of blind patriotism, where they refuse to criticise and be criticised. They believe that all their policies, rules and actions are good, accurate and are faultless.
“These blind patriots will only bring problems to the country, because this kind of thinking is the basis of an authoritarian government, and I call on all to emulate a constitutional monarch that practises constructive patriotism,” he had said.
Sultan Nazrin also displays the same firm adherence to principles. In 2016, he reprimanded developers that were only building houses that the rakyat could only “afford to look at”.
His Majesty also called out individuals and institutions that allowed their officers to insult, mistreat and humiliate others under the guise of protecting Islam when in fact, they were sullying the image of the religion.
Zainal said that even though Malaysia is a democracy, it is still has an Agong as the head of state. This allowed the country to refer to a supreme power within the nation should there be issues with the system of democracy.
The importance of this role has become all the more evident after the 2008 general election when the constitutional crisis involving the appointment of the Perlis, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu Mentris Besar were resolved through the credibility and discretion of the rulers.
“Sultan Ahmad and Sultan Nazrin are rulers with strong, unwavering principles and are not hesitant to correct any wrongdoing that catches their attention,” said Raja Yusuf, who is also the founder of SembangKuala, a portal in which he writes articles about the Perak Malay sultanate.
A 21st Century Sultanate
“Rulers in the 21st century are no longer the kind who live in seclusion, bounded by the confines of their palaces and only concerned about their standing. The rulers of this century are close to their people and always concerned about them and involved in their activities,” Zainal added.
He said this change was highly necessary as a ruler who only stays in his palace and is difficult to approach would only drive the rakyat away and become a symbol of dysfunction.
“The analogy of the relationship between the Malay Rulers and the people can be described as that of a tree. The tree depends on the roots and the roots need the tree. The ruler is the tree and the people are the roots. A tree cannot live long without its roots, and roots cannot survive long without a tree,” he explained.
Zainal hoped that Sultan Abdullah could use his experience and influence in the sporting arena to forge a strong relationship between the state and federal governments through visits to each state.
He said such visits would allow for more opportunities for the ruler to interact with the rakyat and inculcate in them deeper love and loyalty.
Perak Senator Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini echoed the sentiment and said that the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong could utilise sports as an instrument of unity.
He said that Sultan Abdullah actively engaged in sports like football, polo and hockey and could thus use the sports as a platform to engage with the people. – Bernama
