| Ismail Nasiruddin Shah | |
|---|---|
| Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia (King of Malaysia) and Sultan of Terengganu | |
| Reign | 1945-1979 |
| Coronation | 1945 |
| Born | 1906/1907 |
| Birthplace | Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu |
| Died | 1979 |
| Place of death | Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu |
| Predecessor | Sultan Ali Shah |
| Yang di-Pertuan Muda | Tengku Mahmud |
| Successor | Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah |
| Consort | Tengku Intan Zaharah |
| Offspring | Tengku Mahmud |
| Father | Sultan Zainal Abidin III |
| Mother | Cik Maimunah binti Abdullah |
In full, Almarhum Sultan Sir Ismail Nasiruddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Zainal Abidin III KCMG (died September 20, 1979) was the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (roughly equivalent to King) of Malaysia, and the fifteenth Sultan of Terengganu.
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The date of his birth has been given as either March 16, 1906[1] or as January 24, 1907,[2] the latter being the one more often used. Born in Kuala Terengganu, he was the fifth, but third surviving, son of Sultan Zainal Abidin III ibni Almarhum Sultan Ahmad II (reigned 1881–1918). His mother was a Thai Muslim convert, Cik Maimunah binti Abdullah, who died in 1918.[3]
Educated at the Kuala Terengganu Malay School, he then went to the Malay College. In 1929, he entered the Terengganu administrative service. In 1934, he was appointed Assistant Collector of Land Revenue in Kuala Terengganu.
In 1935, he became aide-de-camp to his elder half brother Sultan Sulaiman, accompanying him to the coronation of King George VI on May 12, 1937. In 1939, he became Registrar of the High Court and the Court of Appeal. He also served as the Land Court Registrar. In 1940, he was appointed a minister of the Terengganu state cabinet, having been made Tengku Paduka Raja. In 1941, he became First Class Magistrate and was promoted Terengganu State Secretary on November 15, 1941.[4]
Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah of Terengganu died on September 25, 1942 of blood poisoning. The Japanese Military Administration, which occupied Malaya at that time, proclaimed his son as the fourteenth Sultan of Terengganu bearing the title Sultan Ali Shah. On October 18, 1943, the Thai government under prime minister Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram took over the administration of Terengganu from the Japanese and continued to recognise Sultan Ali Shah.[5]
When the British returned after the end of World War II, they declined to recognise Sultan Ali Shah. Allegedly, Sultan Ali was too much in debt and had been too close to the Japanese during their occupation.[6] According to Sultan Ali, the British Military Administration wanted him removed for his refusal to sign the Malayan Union treaty.[7]
The British Military Administration also disapproved of Sultan Ali's character, where he was said to have repudiated his official consort (the daughter of Sultan Abu Bakar of Pahang) and had contracted an unsuitable second marriage to a former prostitute.[8]
On November 5, 1945 the Terengganu State Council of thirteen members announced the dismissal of Sultan Ali and the appointment of Tengku Ismail as the fifteenth Sultan of Terengganu. Tengku Ismail became known as Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah and was installed on June 6, 1949 at Istana Maziah, Kuala Terengganu.[9] Sultan Ismail's descendants have since ruled Terengganu.
Sultan Ali continued to dispute his dismissal until his death on May 17, 1996.[10]
Sultan Ismail served as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong between September 21, 1960 to September 20, 1965.
Sultan Ismail was elected the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and served in that office from September 21, 1965 until September 20, 1970.
Sultan Ismail's reign coincided with many visits by important world and South East Asian leaders, including US President Lyndon B Johnson, West German President Lubke, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Shah of Iran, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, General Ne Win of Burma and Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky of South Vietnam. The security of the country was more secure during his reign as the Konfrontasi with Indonesia ended and the Philippines sought normal relations (after its claim of Sabah) with Malaysia. Due to health reasons he wanted to resign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 1969, but was persuaded by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman not to do so as the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong would be Tunku Abdul Rahman's nephew (Tuanku Abdul Halim of Kedah) and the Tunku felt it was not right for him to continue in office during that time.[11] In his farewell speech at the end of his and Sultan Ismail's term as Yang Di Pertuan Agong, Tunku Abdul Rahman declared that the event signified "the end of the first chapter of Malaysia's history"[12].
Sultan Ismail was reigning as Yang di-Pertuan Agong when the May 13 incident sparked racial riots in Kuala Lumpur and parliament was suspended. Despite this unfortunate event Tunku Abdul Rahman described Sultan Ismail's reign as "a most eventful and glorious one". [13]. Sultan Ismail launched the Rukun Negara, the Malaysian declaration of national philosophy on 31 August 1970.
Sultan Ismail died in Kuala Terengganu on September 20, 1979 and was buried a day later at the Royal Mausoleum near Abidin Mosque, Kuala Terengganu.[14] He was succeeded by Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah, his eldest son.
Sultan Ismail married four times:
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tuanku Syed Putra (Raja of Perlis) |
Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) |
Succeeded by Tuanku Abdul Halim (Sultan of Kedah) |
| Preceded by Sultan Ali Shah |
Sultan of Terengganu 1945-1979 |
Succeeded by Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah |