Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah (Jawi: المرحوم سلطان حاج أحمد شاه المستعين بالله إبن المرحوم سلطان أبو بكر رعاية الدين المعظم شاه; 24 October 1930 – 22 May 2019) was Sultan of Pahang from 1974 until his abdication in 2019, and previously the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutional monarch of Malaysia from 1979 to 1984. His abdication as Sultan was decided by the Royal Council at an extraordinary meeting on 11 January 2019. A special amendment was passed on the state constitution that gave the body more power for this decision, citing the Sultan's incapability to rule due to his failing health.[2] The abdication announced the next day which was retroactively effective on the day of the Royal Council meeting, paving the way to his son, Abdullah to succeed him as Sultan immediately, and subsequently be elected as the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong later the same month.[3]

Ahmad Shah
أحمد شاه
Al-Musta'in Billah (He who seeks help from God)
Yang di-Pertuan Agong VII
Reign26 April 1979 – 25 April 1984
Installation10 July 1980
PredecessorYahya Petra
SuccessorIskandar
Sultan of Pahang
Reign7 May 1974 – 11 January 2019
Installation8 May 1975
PredecessorAbu Bakar
SuccessorAbdullah
8th President of AFC
In office
1 August 1994 – 1 August 2002
Preceded byHamzah Abu Samah
Succeeded byMohammed bin Hammam
Born(1930-10-24)24 October 1930
Istana Mangga Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang, Federated Malay States
Died22 May 2019(2019-05-22) (aged 88)
National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia[1]
Burial23 May 2019
Spouse
(m. 1954; died 1988)
(m. 1991)
Issue
Names
Tengku Ahmad Shah ibni Tengku Abu Bakar (as birth)

Tuanku Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah (as Yang di-Pertuan Agong)

Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah (as Sultan of Pahang)

Paduka Ayahanda Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah (as former Sultan of Pahang)
HouseBendahara
FatherSultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Mu’azzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Al-Mu’tassim Billah Shah
MotherTengku Ampuan Besar Raja Fatimah binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Shah Kaddasullah
ReligionSunni Islam

Biography edit

Born on at 12:00 pm. Friday 24 October 1930 at Istana Mangga Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang. he was the only son of Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Al-Mu’tassim Billah Shah (reigned 1932–died 1974) by his official and royal consort, Tengku Ampuan Besar Raja Fatimah binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Shah Kaddasullah (1910–1988), a princess of Perak royal family.

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

His election as the 7th 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. Twenty-two years earlier, his father Abu Bakar had failed five times to be elected as the first Agong.

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

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

Sultan Ahmad Shah is a keen sportsman and was the President of the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) from 1984 until 2014,[4] the President of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) until 2002[5] and Asean Football Federation (AFF) 2011 until 2019.

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 Abdullah (nee Anita), was designated as the Sultanah of Pahang in 1991. They then both had a child, Tengku Arif Temenggong Pahang Tengku Fahd Mua'adzam. [6]

Abdication and death edit

 
Flag of Pahang is flown at half-mast at the Chin Swee Caves Temple as a mark of respect to the late Sultan.

After being ill for some time, Sultan Ahmad Shah abdicated with effect from 11 January 2019 (when it was the turn of Pahang to provide the Agong) upon the amendment of the state's constitution. On 22 May 2019, Sultan Ahmad Shah died at 8:50 am at the National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur at aged 88. [7] He was laid to rest next to the grave of his late wife, Tengku Ampuan Afzan at the Pahang Royal Mausoleum near Abu Bakar Royal Mosque in Pekan, Pahang.[8] The state of Pahang observed 40 days of mourning, and Pahang flags across the state were flown at half-mast, while all entertainment events for the next 3 days were cancelled.[9]

Issue edit

Name Birth date Birth Place Death date Death place Marriage
Date
Spouse Their children Their grandchildren
Tengku Meriam (1955-04-01) 1 April 1955 (age 68) Istana Abu Bakar, Pekan, Pahang 24 April 1976 - Divorced Tengku Dato’ Sri Kamil Ismail bin Tengku Idris Shah (divorced),
Dato' Seri Mohamad Toufic Al-Ozeir
Y.M. Tengku Aidy Ahmad Shah
Y.M. Tengku Nurul Kamalia
Y.M. Tengku Madina Kamilia
Y.M Puteri Natasha
Y.M Puteri Noor Afzan
Y.M Tengku Abdullah Amir Ahmad Shah
Puteri Nadra Raniya
Puteri Shakira Nurjenna
Tengku Muhaini (1956-10-31) 31 October 1956 (age 67) Istana Manggal Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang 22 January 1981 - Divorced Tengku Dato’ Ibrahim Petra bin Tengku Indra Petra (divorced), Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Hj Affendi bin Hj Buang (Chief Of Defense Forces) Puteri Munawwarah Syammiyah
Tun Putera Abdul Mubin Shah
Tengku Aishah Marcella (1957-11-13) 13 November 1957 (age 66) Istana Manggal Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang 23 October 1980 - Divorced,
2 July 1987
Tunku Kamil Ikram bin Tunku Abdullah (divorced),
Dato’ Muhammad Johan bin Dato’ Muhammad Yusuf
Y.M. Tunku Shazwan Kaiyisha
Y.M Tun Putra Ahmad Aizuddin Shah
Y.M Putri Afzan Shakira Nabila
Tun Putra Shakeel Abdullah Shah
Tun Putera Khyrie Ahmad Shah
Puteri Khaira Layna

Puteri Sofia Khadijah Aishah

Tengku Abdullah (1959-07-30) 30 July 1959 (age 64) Istana Manggal Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang 6 March 1986, 1991 Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah binti Almarhum Baginda Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj,
Che Puan Julia binti Abdul Rais
Y.A.M Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim (Adopted)
Almarhum Y.A.M Tengku Ahmad Iskandar Shah (Died 24 July 1990)
K.D.Y.M.M Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah
Y.A.M Tengku Muhammad Iskandar Ri'ayatuddin Shah
Y.A.M Tengku Ahmad Ismail Shah
Y.A.M Tengku Puteri Afzan Aminah Hafizatullah
Y.A.M Tengku Puteri Jihan Azizah Athiyatullah
Y.A.M Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan
Y.A.M Tengku Puteri Ilisha Ameera
Y.A.M Tengku Ilyana
Y.M Tengku Adam Ibrahim Shah
Y.M Tengku Sulaiman Abdullah Shah
Y.M Tengku Zayn Edin Shah
Y.M Tengku Nuh Muhammad Shah
Y.M Tengku Aleya Norlini
Tengku Abdul Rahman (1960-08-23) 23 August 1960 (age 63) Istana Manggal Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang 27 July 2002,
2012
Che Puan Muda Julita Aishah binti Abdul Latif,
Che Puan Nur Bahiyah binti Mohd Akip
Y.M Tengku Eddie Akasya
Y.M Tengku Ahmad Firhan Shah
Y.M Tengku Ameera Asya
Y.M Tengku Armaan Alam Shah
Tengku Nong Fatimah (1962-09-04) 4 September 1962 (age 61) Dato’ Haji Muhammad Moiz Y.M Puteri Suraiya Afzan
Tun Putera Yasir Ahmad Shah
Y.M Tengku Adam Ibrahim Shah
Y.M Tengku Sulaiman Abdullah Shah
Y.M Tengku Nuh Muhammad Shah
Tengku Shahariah (1964-09-12) 12 September 1964 (age 59) Dato' Baharim Puteri Amida Afsha Afzan
Puteri Ameera Azwa Asyrah
Tengku Fahad Mua'adzam Shah (1994-02-10) 10 February 1994 (age 30)

Awards and recognitions edit

Honours edit

 
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.[10]

Until he stepped down in 2019 he was the RMAF's Colonel in Chief and appeared at official RMAF ceremonies.

Honours of Pahang edit

National edit

Foreign edit

Named after him edit

Ancestry edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ "Agong's father, former Pahang Sultan, dies at age 88". The Star Online. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Tengku Muda: Pahang constitution amended to pave way for new Sultan".
  3. ^ "Tengku Abdullah to be proclaimed Pahang sultan on Jan 15". Malaysiakini. 12 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  4. ^ Samuel, Eric. "Football: High noon at FAM Congress as TM Pahang takes over - The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  5. ^ Asian football mourns passing of legendary figure. Goal at Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  6. ^ "King's father, former Pahang Sultan, dies at age 88". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Agong's father, former Pahang Sultan, dies at age 88". The Star Online. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Sultan Ahmad Shah laid to rest at Pekan Royal Mausoleum". The Star Online. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  9. ^ Alagesh, T. N. (22 May 2019). "Pahang declares Thursday (May 23) a holiday to mark Sultan Ahmad Shah's death". New Straits Times. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  10. ^ Alagappa, pg 267
  11. ^ Ministers head Sultan's awards list. New Straits Times. 16 November 1972.
  12. ^ "SPCM 1970". pingat.perak.gov.my. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  13. ^ "Awards for Sultan". The Straits Times. 5 May 1975. p. 9.
  14. ^ "DK I 1987". awards.selangor.gov.my. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  15. ^ "SAIJ". www.saij.gob.ar. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  16. ^ Brunei award for the king. New Straits Times. 10 July 1980.
  17. ^ "Pahang". Archived from the original on 2014-07-03. Retrieved 2014-05-23.

References edit

  • 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 edit

Regnal titles
Preceded by
Sultan Yahya Petra
(Sultan of Kelantan)
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
(King of Malaysia)

1979–1984
Succeeded by
Sultan Iskandar
(Sultan of Johor)
Preceded by Sultan of Pahang
1974–2019
Succeeded by
Civic offices
Preceded by President of Asian Football Confederation
1994–2002
Succeeded by