| Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia | |
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| Monarchy | |
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Arms of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia |
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| Incumbent: Abdul Halim the Sultan of Kedah |
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| Style: | His Majesty |
| First monarch: | Tuanku Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan |
| Formation: | 31 August 1957 |
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| Malaysia |
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The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) gained independence.
A literal English translation of the title is "He who is made Lord". However, common alternatives are "King", "Supreme Ruler", "Paramount Ruler", or "Supreme Head of State". Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with an elected monarch as head of state. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is one of the few elected monarchs in the world.
Since 1993, the full title in Malay has been, Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong (His Conqueror Majesty The Supreme Lord of the Federation). Prior to that, the honorific Ke Bawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia (The Dust Under The Feet Of His Majesty) was also used. The consort of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is called the Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen Lady Consort). The couple are addressed in English as "His Majesty" and "Her Majesty".
In Malaysia's constitutional monarchy, the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is largely ceremonial. The constitution specifies that the executive power of the Federal government is vested in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and is exercised by him on the advice of the federal Council of Ministers. The latter is headed by the Prime Minister, appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from among the elected members of Parliament.
The 14th and current Yang di-Pertuan Agong is Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah. His reign began on 13 December 2011 after his election by the Conference of Rulers. He previously served as the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1970-1975. He is the first ruler to hold the position twice, as well as the oldest elected to the office at 83 years old.[1]
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is formally elected to a five-year term by and from among the nine Rulers of the Malay states (nine of the thirteen states of Malaysia that have hereditary royal rulers), who form the Conference of Rulers (Majlis Raja-raja). The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may not be re-elected after his term has expired.
In the event of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's death in office, the Conference of Rulers elects a new Yang di-Pertuan Agong as if the previous term had expired. The new Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected for a full five-year term. After his term expires, the Conference holds a new election, in which the incumbent would not be re-elected.
The position de facto rotates among the nine Rulers. The selection of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong initially followed an order based on the seniority (calculated by length of reign) of each Ruler in 1957 at the Federation of Malaya's independence from the United Kingdom. The Conference of Rulers, which has the power to disqualify a candidate, has sometimes varied the original seniority order. Minors are automatically disqualified from office. After each of the nine Rulers of the states had served as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the order of seniority was based on the order of the states whose rulers have been elected the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The Conference of Rulers has met regularly since 1895. The membership of the council includes the four governors (Yang di-Pertua Negeri), but only royal rulers are allowed to vote and stand for election as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The Constitution provides that a Ruler is not eligible for election as Yang di-Pertuan Agong if:
The election is carried out by a secret ballot. The ballot papers used are not numbered, but marked with the same pen and ink, and are inserted into a ballot box. Only the Rulers participate in the election.
A Ruler may appoint another Ruler as his proxy to vote on his behalf if he is unable to attend the Election Meeting.
During the election process, the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal distributes the ballot with only one candidate (the most senior Ruler). Each Ruler is requested to indicate whether the most senior Ruler is suitable or not to be elected as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The most junior Ruler, who is not listed as nominee for the office of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is appointed to count the ballot papers together with the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal.
The nominee must have obtained a majority of five votes before the Ruler presiding over the Election Meeting offers him the office of Yang di-Pertuan Agong. If the successful nominee declines the offer or the nominated Ruler fails to secure the required majority votes, the voting process is repeated with the nomination of the second most senior Ruler in the Seniority List of Rulers.
The process is completed only after the Ruler has accepted the offer of the office of Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The Conference declares the Ruler as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to hold office for a term of five years. The ballot papers are destroyed in the presence of the Rulers as soon as the result of the election is announced.
On taking office as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, he appoints a regent for the duration of his five-year term for the state which he rules. Usually, but not always, the Regent is a close relative.
See also: Installation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for details of the installation ceremony
After the first cycle of nine Yang di-Pertuan Agong (1957–1994), the order among the eligible, all peninsular, state rulers has followed the order established by that cycle, namely:
Four of the states of Malaysia have no hereditary royal rulers. These are Penang and Malacca in Peninsular Malaysia, and Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. These four states, along with Malaysia's three federal territories, never supply the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
A Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong) is elected by the same process immediately after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong exercises the functions of the head of state during the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's absence, or inability to exercise functions owing to illness or infirmity.
The Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong does not automatically advance to become the Yang di-Pertuan Agong when a vacancy occurs in the office. The Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong acts as the head of state before the elections of the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong's role is that of a constitutional monarch. The Federal Constitution and Parliamentary Acts made in accordance with it define the extent of his powers as the Federal Head of State. The executive power of the federal government is vested in him.
The monarch's powers are basically divided into two broad categories:
The discretionary powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong pertain chiefly to appointing the Prime Minister, dissolving Parliament, and calling meetings with the Conference of Rulers "concerned solely with the privileges, position, honours and dignities of Their Royal Highnesses." Under the Westminster System, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is expected to appoint a Prime Minister who will command the confidence of a majority of the elected lower house of Parliament, the Dewan Rakyat. Should the Prime Minister be or become unacceptable, he may be forced out by a vote of no confidence, which would require the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to appoint someone else. Conventionally, the Prime Minister is the head of the party with a majority in Parliament. Since independence in 1957, this has been the Barisan Nasional (National Front, formerly known as the Alliance).
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong renews the appointment of a Prime Minister after every general election until the minister decides to step down. Whenever the Prime Minister chooses to dissolve Parliament, he calls for a general election. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may choose to refuse a Prime Minister's request to dissolve Parliament, as one of his discretionary powers.
The official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is Istana Negara (the National Palace) located in Jalan Duta in the federal capital Kuala Lumpur. It was completed in 2011. The old Istana Negara will be turned into a royal museum. Other residences include the royal retreat, Istana Melawati (Melawati Palace) in the federal administrative capital Putrajaya. It is also the venue of meetings of the Conference of Rulers (Malay: Majlis Raja-raja), which elects the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints numerous high-ranking office holders in the Federation under the terms of the Constitution and various Acts passed by Parliament. The constitution established procedures for such appointments.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints 44 members of the Dewan Negara, the Malaysian Senate.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governors), of the states of Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak, at his discretion, after considering the advice of the state's Chief Minister.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong also appoints the Mayor and City Council of Kuala Lumpur, which is a Federal Territory.
In addition, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the Head of Islam in the four states ruled by appointed Governors: the three Federal Territories, as well as in his own state. In this role, he is advised by the State Islamic Affairs Council in each of the States.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the Chairman and members of each council. He also appoints the State Mufti in each of these states. There is a single Islamic Affairs Council with jurisdiction for the three Federal Territories. This council is also appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
In accordance with Article 41 of the Federal Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is Commander-in-Chief of the Federation's Armed Forces. As such, he is the highest-ranking officer in the military chain of command.
As the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the Chief of the Armed Forces Staff, on the advice of the Armed Forces Council. He also appoints the service heads of each of the three branches of the military forces.
The first Saturday of June yearly is mandated by the Malaysian Constitution as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's official birthday.
Trooping the Colour in Malaysia, althrough inherted from the British, has tranformed into a more grander and more Malaysian celebration on the first Saturday of June annually live on Kuala Lumpur's Independence Square, which is both open to invited guests and the general public. As the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong takes the salute on this day together with the commanders of the three services of the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Joint Forces Command, Malaysia and the members of the Malaysian Armed Forces Council, of which he is the chairman.
Here are the features that make it truly Malaysian:
All three branches of the Armed Forces - the Malaysian Army (represented by the Royal Malay Regiment or other units), the Royal Malaysian Navy, and the Royal Malaysian Air Force - participate in the Trooping, in their No. 1 uniforms. The band in attendance is either the Central Band of the Armed Forces or the Band of the National Defence University.
The Colours Party and the Escort for(to) the Colours also reflect the three participant Armed Forces branches. The Colours Party is composed of Ensigns, Colour Sergeants and assistant soldiers making up three Colours Parties from the Army, and there is also a single Colour Party each from the Navy and the Air Force. The Escort for(to) the Colours is a composite company, comprising an Army platoon and a squad each from the Navy and Air Force ready to receive their respective colours during the ceremony. The Parade Field Officer, Brigade Major and Adjutant are also from all the Armed Forces branches, and so too are the Regimental Sergeants-Major and Colour Sergeants.
RTM broadcasts this unique ceremony live, with the telecast starting at 7:30 in the morning with a nationwide simulcast.
In November 2006, the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong awarded, for the first time, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship to ten outstanding students to pursue postgraduate studies at high-ranking world universities. The award of scholarships was held at the Istana Negara in conjunction with the Independence Day celebrations and Council of Rulers Conference.[2]
In 1993, an amendment to the Malaysian constitution removed the legal immunity of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the rulers in their personal capacity. A Special Court (Makhamah Khas Raja-raja) is established where civil and criminal proceedings can be made against a ruler with the approval of the Attorney General. The right to sue a ruler is limited to Malaysian citizens following a precedent. The Special Court also have jurisdiction where a ruler initiates legal actions against any party.
When a ruler is charged with an offence in the Special Court, he is required to stop exercising the functions of a ruler. In the event of a ruler being sentenced to imprisonment, he will cease to be a ruler unless a free pardon is granted. [3]
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong or any ruler cannot pardon himself or his immediate family. In such case, they may request clemency from the Conference of Rulers.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong cannot be sued in court for his actions while carrying out his official duties. Any claims can be made against the federal government.
In August 1957, having rejected the suggested title of Yang di-Pertuan Besar in favour of Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Council of Rulers met to elect the first occupant of the throne. By seniority, the 84-year old major general Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan of Johor since 1895, was first in line, but he declined due to old age. The next in line, Sultan Abu Bakar, Sultan of Pahang since 1932, was rejected five times by his fellow electors. Tuanku Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan, having succeeded to his state throne in 1933, was elected by eight votes to one.
The first Council of Rulers were:
The following Rulers have served as Yang di-Pertuan Agong:
| No. | Name | State | Reign | Birth | Death |
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| 1 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Negeri Sembilan | 31 August 1957 – 1 April 1960 | 24 August 1895 | 1 April 1960 |
| 2 | Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah | Selangor | 14 April 1960 – 1 September 1960 | 13 May 1898 | 1 September 1960 |
| 3 | Tuanku Syed Putra | Perlis | 21 September 1960 – 20 September 1965 | 25 November 1920 | 16 April 2000 |
| 4 | Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah | Terengganu | 21 September 1965 – 20 September 1970 | 24 January 1907 | 20 September 1979 |
| 5 | Tuanku Abdul Halim | Kedah | 21 September 1970 – 20 September 1975 | 28 November 1927 | |
| 6 | Sultan Yahya Petra | Kelantan | 21 September 1975 – 29 March 1979 | 10 December 1917 | 29 March 1979 |
| 7 | Sultan Ahmad Shah Al-Mustain Billah | Pahang | 29 March 1979 – 25 April 1984 | 24 October 1930 | |
| 8 | Sultan Iskandar | Johor | 26 April 1984 – 25 April 1989 | 8 April 1932 | 22 January 2010 |
| 9 | Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah | Perak | 26 April 1989 – 25 April 1994 | 19 April 1928 | |
| 10 | Tuanku Jaafar | Negeri Sembilan | 26 April 1994 – 25 April 1999 | 19 July 1922 | 27 December 2008 |
| 11 | Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz | Selangor | 26 April 1999 – 21 November 2001 | 8 March 1926 | 21 November 2001 |
| 12 | Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin | Perlis | 13 December 2001 – 12 December 2006 | 17 May 1943 | |
| 13 | Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin | Terengganu | 13 December 2006 – 12 December 2011 | 22 January 1962 | |
| 14 | Tuanku Abdul Halim1 | Kedah | 13 December 2011 – present | 28 November 1927 |
The Royal Standard of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is royal yellow with the Coat of arms of Malaysia in the center, surrounded by a rice paddy wreath. The same goes for the Royal Standards of the Raja Permaisuri Agong and the Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong, but the designs are different. The Queen's Standard is green in color, with the coat of arms at the center surrounded by the paddy wreath. The Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong's standard is bicolored, yellow at the top and light blue at the bottom, with the coat of arms at the center (without the paddy) and below that is the office bearer's title.
| Monarchical styles of The Yang di-Pertuan Agong |
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| Reference style | His Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
| Alternative style | Tuanku |
Formal address to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is taken seriously in Malaysia. There are two ways of addressing the Yang di-Pertuan Agong:
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