Jaafar of Negeri Sembilan
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 | |
Father | Tuanku Abdul Rahman |
Mother | Che' Engku Maimuna binti Abdullah |
Born | Klang, Selangor, Federated Malay States, British Malaya | 19 July 1922
Died | 27 December 2008 86) Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia | (aged
Burial | 29 December 2008 Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia |
Negeri Sembilan Royal Family |
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HRH The Yang di-Pertuan Besar<br/ >HRH The Tunku Ampuan Besar Muhriz's sisters
Jaafar's family
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Jaafar ibni 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.
Early life and education
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.[4]
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.
Early career
State Officer
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.
Diplomat
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.
Yang di-Pertuan Besar
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.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
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. He also worked on Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, the Petronas Twin Towers, the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) and the new administrative capital of Putrajaya.
Personal life
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:-
Sons
- Tunku Naquiyuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar;
- Tunku Imran ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar;
- Tunku Nadzaruddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar
Daughters
- Tunku Naquiah binti Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar;
- Tunku Jawahir binti Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar;
- Tunku Irinah binti Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar
Tuanku Ja' afar is also the first reigning royalty in Malaysia to have a judgement made against him in a court of law.
Contributions
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.
Education
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).
Personal Interests
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 was 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.
Death
Tuanku Ja'afar died on 27 December 2008 at Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban.[5] His younger brother, Tunku Panglima Besar Tunku Tan Sri Abdullah had died 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.
Honours
Tuanku Ja'afar held the rank of Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
Honours of Negeri Sembilan
As Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan (8 April 1967 – 27 December 2008), he was:[6]
- Founding Grand Master and Member of the Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan (DKNS, 24 May 1979 – 27 December 2008)
- Founding Grand Master of the Order of Negeri Sembilan (24 May 1979 – 27 December 2008)
- Founding Grand Master of the Royal Family Order of Yam Tuan Radin Sunnah (24 May 1979 – 27 December 2008)
- Founding Grand Master of the Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan (24 May 1979 – 27 December 2008)
- Founding Grand Master of the Grand Order of Tuanku Ja’afar (Negeri Sembilan) (18 July 1984 – 27 December 2008)
Honours of Malaysia
- Malaysia (as Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1994 to 25 April 1999) : [6]
- Recipient & Grand Master of Order of the Royal House of Malaysia (DKM, 27.5.1994)
- Grand Master of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (earlier recipient 3.4.1968)
- Grand Master of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (earlier Grand Commander)
- Grand Master of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
- Grand Master of the Order of Merit of Malaysia
- Founding Grand Master of the Order for Important Services (Malaysia) (2 May 1995 – 21 November 2001)
- Grand Master of the Order of the Royal Household of Malaysia
- Johor :
- First Class of the Royal Family Order of Johor (DK I)
- Kedah :
- Member of the Royal Family Order of Kedah (DK)
- Kelantan :
- Recipient of the Royal Family Order or Star of Yunus (DK)
- Pahang :
- Member 1st class of the Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang (DK I)
- Perak :
- Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Perak (DK, ) -- currently :
- Perlis :
- Recipient of the Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail (DK)
- Selangor :
- First Class of the Royal Family Order of Selangor (DK I)
- Terengganu :
- Member first class of the Family Order of Terengganu (DK I)
Foreign Honours
He received many foreign awards during his years of royal service. These are:[6]
- Brazil : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross (18.12.1995)
- Brunei :
- Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei (DKMB, 10.9.1996)
- Senior of the Family Order of Brunei (DK, 5.8.1968)
- Cambodia : Grand Collar of the Order of Independence of Cambodia
- Chile : Grand Collar of the Order of Merit (Chile) (27.9.1995)
- Djibouti : Grand Star of Djibouti
- Finland : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (25.1.1995)
- Germany : Special Order of the Grand Cross of the Bundesverdienstkreuz - 1996
- Philippines : Raja of the Order of Sikatuna (21.6.1995)
- South Korea : Grand Order of Mugunghwa
- Spain : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Civil Merit (4.4.1995)
- Sweden : Knight with Collar of the Order of the Seraphim (22.2.1996)
- Uruguay : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Uruguay (3.7.1996)
- United Kingdom : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) - 1998
Recognition
Many places and landmarks were named after him. These are:
- The Tuanku Ja'afar Power Station at Port Dickson
- Sekolah Menengah Sains Tuanku Jaafar, Kuala Pilah
- Kolej Tuanku Ja'afar at Mantin
- Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar in Seremban
- Sekolah Menengah Teknik Tuanku Jaafar[STTJ],Ampangan,Seremban
Notes
- ↑ The Royal Ark, Kelantan genealogical details p.7
- ↑ The Royal Ark, Perlis genealogical details p.4
- ↑ The Royal Ark, Jelebu genealogical details p.2
- ↑ Halim (1998), p. 24, 26
- ↑ "Yang Dipertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan mangkat". Utusan Malaysia. 27 December 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Royal Ark, Negeri Sembilan 7
Bibliography
- Halim, Tunku Abdullah, A Passion for Life, All-Media Publications, 1998, ISBN 983-99449-0-8
Regnal titles | ||
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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 |