| Keeper of the Rulers' Seal |
|
|---|---|
|
Incumbent
Syed Danial Syed Ahmad since January 2011 |
|
| Appointer | Conference of Rulers |
| Inaugural holder | Raja Ayob Raja Bot |
| Formation | 1948 |
| Website | www.majlisraja-raja.gov.my |
The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal (Malay: Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja-raja) is the officer in Malaysia charged with custody and use of the Rulers' Seal of Malaysia on behalf of the Conference of Rulers. The Rulers' Seal is the symbol of the traditional authority of the royal institutions in Malaysia, namely the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Paramount Ruler) and the hereditary rulers of the states of Malaysia.[1] The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal is the secretary to the Conference of Rulers and convenes the Conference three times a year, or at the request of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He is appointed by the Conference as specified in the Constitution of Malaysia.[2]
His most publicly visible role is to announce the beginning of fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the dates of the Muslim religious holidays, Aidilfitri and Aidiladha, in Malaysia.[3]
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The office of the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal was established in preparation for the first meeting of the Conference of Rulers on February 18, 1948.[4] Prior to independence, the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal was a senior government position, equal in stature to the most senior Menteri Besar among the states in the Federation of Malaya. This changed after independence in 1957, when all the rulers became constitutional monarchs under the federal and state constitutions.[5]
The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal's primary administrative responsibility is to convene the Conference of Rulers by serving notices to the nine hereditary rulers and four non-hereditary Yang di-Pertua Negeri (governors). His office is responsible for arranging the transportation of the rulers and governors from their respective states to the meeting venue.[6] During special meetings of the Conference to elect a new Yang di-Pertuan Agong, he is responsible for distributing and then counting the ballot papers, which are kept secret.[7]
The second highest position in the Office of the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal is the Assistant Secretary of the Conference of Rulers, who assists in managing the Conference's meetings and elections.[7][8]
Listed below are Keepers of the Rulers' Seal from 1948 to present:[9]
| Holder | Keeper of the Rulers' Seal | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ayob Raja Bot | February 1948 | May 1948 |
| 2 | Muda Abdullah Nordin | June 1948 | December 1949 |
| 3 | Raja Shahar Shah Raja Haron | April 1949 | December 1949 |
| 4 | Tengku Husin Tengku Yahaya | January 1950 | May 1950 |
| 5 | Tunku Ya'acob Sultan Abdul Hamid | February 1954 | December 1955 |
| 6 | Mustafa Al-Bakri Hasan | January 1956 | August 1957 |
| 7 | Abdul Rahim Abdul Rauf | September 1957 | May 1963 |
| Acting | Tunku Shahriman Tunku Sulaiman | June 1963 | August 1963 |
| Acting | Aziz Zakaria | October 1963 | September 1963 |
| 8 | Ahmad Husin | October 1963 | September 1980 |
| 9 | Ahmad Zainal Abidin Muhammad Yusof | October 1980 | September 1988 |
| Acting | A. Rahim Kassim | October 1988 | December 1988 |
| 10 | Engku Ibrahim Engku Ngah | January 1989 | January 2011 |
| 11 | Syed Danial Syed Ahmad[10] | January 2011 | present |