| Ja'afar | |
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| Reign | 26 April 1994 – 25 April 1999 |
| Predecessor | Azlan Shah of Perak |
| Successor | Salahuddin Abdul Aziz of Selangor |
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| Reign | 8 April 1967 – 27 December 2008 |
| Predecessor | Tuanku Munawir |
| Successor | Tuanku Muhriz |
| Spouse | Tuanku Najihah binti Almarhum Tunku Besar Burhanuddin |
| Issue | |
| Tunku Dara Naquiah Tunku Naquiyuddin Tunku Imran Tunku Jawahir Tunku Irinah Tunku Nadzaruddin |
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| Father | Tuanku Abdul Rahman |
| Mother | Che' Engku Maimuna binti Abdullah |
| Born | 19 July 1922 Klang, Selangor, Federated Malay States, British Malaya |
| Died | 27 December 2008 (aged 86) Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia |
| Burial | 29 December 2008 Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia |
Duli Yang Maha Mulia Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, GCB (19 July 1922 – 27 December 2008) was the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (equivalent to King) of Malaysia from 26 April 1994 until 25 April 1999 and the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of modern Negeri Sembilan.
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The second son of Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad, he was the first of four children by his commoner wife, Eurasian nurse Dulcie Campbell or better known as Che' Engku Maimunah binti Abdullah. The couple subsequently divorced.[1]
Having studied at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, he graduated from the University of Nottingham before attending Balliol College, Oxford and the LSE. Tunku Ja'afar then joined the civil and diplomatic service of the Malaysia.
During the Japanese occupation of Malaya, Tuanku Ja’afar served at the Land Office of Seremban and as District Officer of Rembau from 1946 to 1947. Upon his return from the United Kingdom in 1952, Tuanku Ja’afar held several posts in the civil service including Assistant State Secretary of Perak, Assistant District Officer of Parit, Perak, and District Officer of Tampin.
Tuanku Ja’afar’s diplomatic career began in 1957. He took up a special course for diplomatic services in London for one year. His first appointment was as Charge d’ Affaires in Washington D.C., United States of America followed by First Secretary with the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, Consular and Deputy High Commissioner at the High Commission of Malaya in London. Tuanku Ja’afar was later appointed as the Malaysian Ambassador to Egypt and then as High Commissioner to Nigeria and Ghana.
Tuanku Ja’afar was to have left for Japan to serve as the Malaysian Ambassador to that country but was recalled by the State Government of Negeri Sembilan following the demise of his half brother HRH Tuanku Munawir, the then ruler of Negeri Sembilan, in 1967.
All four Undang (Territorial Chiefs) had unanimously elected Tuanku Ja’afar as the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan to succeed HRH Tuanku Munawir. The election was controversial as the heir presumptive to the throne, Tuanku Munawir's son Tunku Muhriz was by-passed. It has been suggested that the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, instructed the council not to choose Tunku Muhriz on account of his youth (he was then eighteen).
Tuanku Ja’afar ascended the throne as the 10th Ruler of Negeri Sembilan on 18 April 1967.
Tuanku Ja’afar was the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1994 until 25 April 1999 succeeding Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak.
Malaysia achieved many milestones while he was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, among them Malaysia's successful hosting of the 16th Commonwealth Games and APEC Summit, both in 1998.
Besides this, other projects that became the pride of Malaysians were launched under his reign including the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, the Petronas Twin Towers, the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) and the new administrative capital of Putrajaya.
Tuanku Ja’afar married Tuanku Najihah binti Almarhum Tunku Besar Burhanuddin of Negeri Sembilan who also served as his Raja Permaisuri Agong between 1994 and 1999. The royal couple are blessed with three sons and three daughters whose names are:-
Tuanku Ja' afar is also the first reigning royalty in Malaysia to have a judgement made against him in a court of law.
During his reign as the ruler of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Ja’afar focused his attention on the problems of the people and the administration of the state. In handling the socio-economic affairs of the state, Tuanku Ja’afar directed his attention to the industry and public housing sectors so as to improve the living standard of the people. As a result, several new housing areas were developed among which is Taman Tuanku Ja’afar which includes an industrial area and a golf course of international standard, Taman Tuanku Ampuan Najihah in Sungai Gadut and the Mambau housing project.
Tuanku Ja’afar became the Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on 16 April 1976. Tuanku Ja’afar had always urged for the improvement of the standard of education in Malaysia. He was awarded Honorary Doctorate of Law by several universities namely the University of the Philippines (27 July 1990), University of Nottingham (21 July 1995), University of Santiago, Chile (28 September 1995) and University of Brunei Darussalam (11 September 1996).
Tuanku Ja’afar and the royal family of Negeri Sembilan are known as the “Royal Family of Sports”. He and his family have shown great interest in cricket, tennis, badminton, squash, hockey and golf within and outside Malaysia. His son HH Tunku Imran has been the President of World Squash for seven years.
As a golf enthusiast, Tuanku Ja’afar is a regular participant in golf tournaments within and outside the country. He has also improved the standard of sports in Negeri Sembilan by upgrading the golf courses and facilities especially those of the International Golf Club of Seremban. Tuanku Ja’afar also participates in the annual Malaysian Open Golf Pro-Am from the time it was first held.
Tuanku Ja'afar died on 27 December 2008 at Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban.[2] His younger brother, Tunku Panglima Besar Tunku Tan Sri Abdullah had passed away four months earlier. Before Tuanku Ja'afar's death, he was admitted to the hospital after feeling dizziness. He was buried at the Seri Menanti Royal Mausoleum at Seri Menanti on 29 December 2008.
Tuanku Ja'afar held the rank of Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
He received many foreign awards during his years of royal service. These are:
Many places and landmarks were named after him. These are:
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sultan Azlan Shah (Sultan of Perak) |
Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) 1994-1999 |
Succeeded by Sultan Salahuddin (Sultan of Selangor) |
| Preceded by Tuanku Munawir |
Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan 1967-2008 |
Succeeded by Tunku Muhriz |