Ahmad Shah of Pahang

Pahang Royal Family
HRH Sultan Ahmad Shah, The Sultan HRH Sultanah Kalsom, The Sultanah HH Tengku Abdullah, The Crown Prince HH Tunku Azizah Amina Maimuna Iskandariah of Johor, The Crown Princess Tengku Hassanal Tengku Muhammad Tengku Ahmad Ismail Tengku Putri Nur Jihan Tengku Putri Afzan Amina HH Che Puan Julia Rais Tengku Puteri 'Iman Afzan Tengku Ilisha Ameera Tengku Ilyana HH Tengku Abdul Rahman, Tengku Muda HH Che Puan Julita Aisha Tengku Eddie Akasya Tengku Ahmad Firhan Shah Tengku Armaan Tengku Ameera Asya HH Tengku Abdul Fahd Muadzam, Tengku Arif Temenggong HH Tengku Meriam, Tengku Putri Sri Lela Wangsa HH Tengku Muhaini, Tengku Putri Sri Teja HH Tengku Aishah Marcella, Tengku Putri Sri Kamala HH Tengku Nong Fatimah, Tengku Putri Sri Setia Bakti HH Tengku Shahariah, Tengku Putri Sri Bongsu

Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al-Mu'adzam Shah^[1] is the fifth Sultan of Pahang, and also served as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1979 to 25 April 1984.

Biography

Born 24 October 1930 at Istana Mangga Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang. he was the only son of Sultan Sir Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al-Muadzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Al-Mutassimu Billah Shah (reigned 1932–1974) by his official and royal consort, Tengku Ampuan Besar Fatimah binti Almarhum Sultan Sir Alang Iskandar Shah II Kaddasullah.

A student of the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, he received diplomas in public administration from Worcester College, Oxford and Exeter University. He succeeded his father as sultan in 1974.

His election as Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 1979 was marked with controversy as he was said to be at odds with the incoming prime minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. However, the rumours proved to be untrue and he proved to be a keen admirer of the prime minister.

A controversial, headstrong personality, he has often forced his chief ministers to resign over minor differences.

His favourite hobby was playing football, golf, polo, and equestrian.

Sultan Ahmad Shah is a keen sportsman and was the President of the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) from 1984 until 2014,^[2] the President of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) until 2002 and Asean Football Federation (AFF) 2011.

His official and royal consort, Tengku Ampuan Afzan binti Tengku Panglima Perang Muhammad, a member of the Terengganu royal family, served as his Raja Permaisuri Agong but died of cancer on her return to Pahang on 29 June 1988. Sultan Ahmad Shah's second wife Kalsom binti Abdullah (nee Anita), was designated as the Sultanah of Pahang in 1991.

Honours

Building of the Sultan Ahmad Shah Mosque in Kuantan, Pahang

As the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1979 to 1984, Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah was automatically designated under constitutional provisions as the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, holding the rank of the Field Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Admiral of the Royal Malaysian Navy and Field Marshal of the Army.^[3]

He is today the RMAF's Colonel in Chief and appears in RMAF ceremonies.

He has been awarded :^[4]

Honours of Pahang

•  Pahang  :
  • Founding Grand Master and Member (DKP) of the Royal Family Order of Pahang (since 24 October 1977)
  • Grand Master and Member 1st class (DK I) of the Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang (since 1974)
  • Founding Grand Master of the Grand Royal Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SDSA, since 23 October 2010)
  • Founding Grand Master and Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP, since 24 October 1977)
  • Knight Companion (DIMP), Grand Knight (SIMP) and Grand Master of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (since 1974)

National and Sultanal Honours

•  Malaysia (as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, 29 March 1979 – 25 April 1984) :
  • Recipient of Order of the Royal House of Malaysia (DKM)
  • Recipient (DMN) and Grand Master (1979-1984) of the Order of the Crown of the Realm
  • Grand Master (1979-1984) of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
  • Grand Master (1979-1984) of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
  • Grand Master (1979-1984) of the Order of Merit of Malaysia
  • Grand Master (1979-1984) of the Order of the Royal Household of Malaysia
  • Pahang Silver Jubilee medal (1957)
•  Johor :
  • First Class of the Royal Family Order of Johor (DK I)
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ)
  • Sultan Ismail of Johore Coron Medal (1960)
•  Kedah :
  • Member of the Royal Family Order of Kedah (DK)
•  Kelantan :
  • Recipient of the Royal Family Order or Star of Yunus (DK)
•  Negeri Sembilan :
  • Member of the Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan (DKNS)
•  Perak :
  • Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Perak (DK, 6.5.1975) -- currently :
  • Grand Knight of the Order of Cura Si Manja Kini (the Perak Sword of State, SPCM, ) with title Dato' Sri—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, 16.7.1987)
•  Terengganu :
  • Member first class of the Family Order of Terengganu (DK I)

Foreign Honours

•  Argentina : Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín^[5]
•  Brunei :
  • Recipient of Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei (DKMB)
  • Senior (Laila Utama) of the Family Order of Brunei (DK)
•  Kuwait : Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great^[6]
•  Romania : Star of the Socialist Republic of Romania 1st class (25.11.1982)
•  Saudi Arabia : Badr Chain (1982)
•  South Korea : Grand Order of Mugunghwa
•  United Kingdom : Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1953)

Legacy

Several projects and institutions were named after the Sultan, including:

Educational institutions

• Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Campus (Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) branch campus), Bandar Muadzam Shah
• Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Science Secondary School Kuantan (SEMSAS)
• Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang Islamic College (Kolej Islam Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah, or KIPSAS)

Buildings, Bridges and Roads

• Sultan Ahmad Shah State Mosque at Kuantan
• Sultan Ahmad Shah Bridge (Temerloh Bridge) on Federal Route at Temerloh
• Sultan Ahmad Shah II Bridge (Semantan Bridge) on East Coast Expressway at Semantan
• Sultan Ahmad Shah III Bridge (Chenor Bridge) at Chenor
• Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (formerly Northam Road) in George Town, Penang
• Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Temerloh (formerly Hospital Temerloh) in Maran Road, Temerloh, Pahang

Others

• Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Cup (Charity Shield Malaysia)
• Pusat Kokurikulum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri Pahang

Ancestry

Notes

References

• Coercion and Governance: The Declining Political Role of the Military in Asia, Muthiah Alagappa, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-4227-8
• Information Malaysia, Published by Berita Publ. Sdn. Bhd., 1989
• The Europa Year Book, Europa Publications Limited, 1984, ISBN 0-905118-96-0

External links

• PAHANG, HRH , Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Mustain Billah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’Ayatuddin Al-Muadzam Shah International Who's Who. accessed 1 September 2006.