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Yang di-Pertuan Agong

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Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a Malay title usually translated as "Supreme Ruler" or "Paramount Ruler", is the official title of the constitutional head of state of the federation of Malaysia. The position is often categorized as "King" in English, since from a Western political science perspective, Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with a 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. Prior to that the honorific Ke Bawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia was also used. The consort of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is called the Raja Permaisuri Agong. They are referred to in English as "His Majesty" and "Her Majesty".

The official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is Istana Negara (the 'National Palace') located in Jalan Syed Putra in the federal capital Kuala Lumpur. There are also other residences, such as Istana Melawati in the federal administrative capital Putrajaya which is the royal retreat or 'istana hinggap' for Yang di-Pertuan Agong and his family, as well as being the venue of meetings of the Conference of Rulers (Malay: Majlis Raja-raja), which elects the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is largely ceremonial in Malaysia's constitutional monarchy. The constitution specifies that executive power, theoretically vested in the head of state, is exercised by (or on the advice of) the Cabinet which is headed by the Prime Minister, who is responsible to Parliament.

The 13th and current Yang di-Pertuan Agong is Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, the Sultan of Terengganu. His reign began on 13 December 2006 after his election by the Conference of Rulers. He was formally enthroned on April 26, 2007.

Election of Yang di-Pertuan Agong

A system of elective monarchy is rare and some of the few extant cases in a sovereign state are: the President elected by the Emirs of the UAE (where in fact the same member state always supplied the monarch, as the Austrian archducal Habsburg did for centuries in the Holy Roman Empire; the second-most influential UAE state gets the position of Prime Minister); the Vatican City, where the Pope is elected by the College of Cardinals; and Andorra, one of whose two monarchs is the democratically-elected President of France.

In a feature unique to the Malaysian monarchy, the position is de facto rotated every five years between the nine Rulers of the Malay states. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is formally elected by and from among the nine Rulers, who form the Conference of 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 drawn up at the then Malaya's independence from the UK in 1957. The original order has at times been varied by the Council of Rulers, which can vote to disqualify a candidate. Minors are automatically disqualified. After all nine Rulers of the states had served as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the order of seniority is based on the order of the states whose rulers have been elected as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

In the event that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong dies, an election will be held as if the previous term has expired. The new Yang di-Pertuan Agong will hold the office for a full term. After his term expires, an election will be held and he may not be reelected.

The Conference of Rulers has met regularly since 1895. The membership of the council includes the governors or Yang di-Pertua Negeri, but only royal rulers are allowed to vote and stand for election as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Qualifications

  • Only a Ruler may be elected.
  • Only the Rulers may vote.
  • Rulers are elected in turns.

The Constitution provides that a Ruler is not eligible for election as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong if:

  • The Ruler is a minor.
  • The Ruler has notified the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal that he does not wish to be elected.
  • The Conference of Rulers by a secret ballot resolves that the Ruler is unsuitable by reason of infirmity of mind or body or for any other cause to exercise the functions of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The resolution shall only be carried if at least five members of the Conference have voted in favour of it.

Election proceedings

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, the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal and the Assistant Secretary of the Conference of Rulers are involved in the election proceedings.

A Ruler may appoint another Ruler as his proxy to vote on his behalf in the event that he is unable to be present at the Election Meeting.

During the process of the election, the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal will distribute the ballot papers with only one candidate (the most senior Ruler), and each Ruler will be requested to indicate whether the most senior Ruler is suitable or not to be elected as the 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 the majority of five votes before the Ruler presiding over the Election Meeting offers the office of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to him. If the successful nominee declines the offer or the Ruler fails to secure the required majority votes, the voting process will be repeated with the nomination of the second most senior Ruler in the Seniority List of Rulers.

The process will only be completed after the Ruler has accepted the offer of the office of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The Conference will then declare the Ruler as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who will hold office for a term of five years. The ballot papers will be destroyed in the presence of the Rulers as soon as the result of the election result is announced.

On taking office as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the ruler appoints a regent for the state of which he is the ruler, usually, but not always, a close relative, for the duration of his 5-year term.

Order of seniority of states

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:

  1. the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan (itself an elective monarchy)
  2. the Sultan of Selangor
  3. the Raja of Perlis
  4. the Sultan of Terengganu
  5. the Sultan of Kedah
  6. the Sultan of Kelantan
  7. the Sultan of Pahang
  8. the Sultan of Johor
  9. the Sultan of Perak

Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong

A Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong) is also elected in the same process immediately after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected. The purpose of having a Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong is to exercise the functions of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong during the king’s absence or inability to exercise his functions owing to illness or infirmity.

The Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong does not automatically become the new 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 election of the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Roles

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong's role is that of a constitutional monarch under the Constitution of Malaysia. As the Federal Head of State the extent and limitation of his powers are outlined by the Federal Constitution and Parliamentary Acts made in accordance with it. The executive power of the federal government is vested in him. The monarch's powers are basically divided into two broad categories:

  • the powers that he exercises on the advice of the Prime Minister, a Minister, the Cabinet, the Conference of Rulers or some other officer or institution; and
  • the powers that he exercises at his discretion (without the consent of any other authority).

The discretionary powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong mainly pertain to the Prime Minister's appointment, the dissolution of Parliament, and meetings of 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 unacceptable, he may be forced out by a vote of no confidence, which would force the King to appoint someone else. Conventionally, the Prime Minister is the head of the party with a majority in Parliament, which has been the Barisan Nasional (National Front, formerly known as the Alliance) since independence in 1957. A Prime Minister's appointment is renewed after every general election until he decides to step down. A general election is called whenever the Prime Minister chooses to dissolve Parliament. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may choose to refuse a request to dissolve Parliament, as this is one of his discretionary powers.

Appointments

One of the most frequent duties of the King is his role in the appointing of high ranking office holders of the Federation under the terms of the Constitution and various Act's passed by Parliament. The appointments procedures are laid down in the constitution.

The Council of Ministers (cabinet )

  • Ministers and Deputy Ministers (the second in command of a Ministry ) of the cabinet on the advice of the Prime Minister.
  • Directors (in charge of the different sections ) in the various Ministries on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Commissions and Committees

  • The Election Commission on the advice of the Conference of Rulers.

Judges

Senators

The King appoints 44 members of the Malaysian Senate.

State Governors

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, or Governors, of the states of Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak after having considering the advice of the states Chief Minister.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong also appoints the Mayor 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 his own state.

As the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints Chief of the Armed Forces on the advice of the Armed Forces Council.

By convention the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's birthday is officially celebrated on the first Saturday of June, regardless of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's actual birthday. On that day, an honours list is published and distinguished members of the public are conferred titles by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

In November, 2006, the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong awarded for the first time, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship (Malaysian Ruler's Scholarship) to ten outstanding students to pursue postgraduate studies at prestigious universities in the world. The event was held at the Istana Negara in conjunction with the Council of Rulers Conference.

History

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 vote the first occupant of the throne. By seniority, the 84-year old major general Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan of Johor since 1895, was the most senior, but he declined election due to old age. The next in line, Sultan Abu Bakar, Sultan of Pahang since 1932, also declined nomination. The next in line Tuanku Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan, having succeeded to his state throne in 1933, was accordingly elected.

Those present at the first election were:

  1. Sultan Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al-Muadzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Al-Mutassim Billah Shah (Sultan of Pahang; 1932–1974)
  2. Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad (Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan; 1933–1960)
  3. Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah (Sultan of Selangor; 1938–1942, 1945–1960)
  4. Sultan Badlishah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah (Sultan of Kedah; 1943–1958)
  5. Sultan Ibrahim Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Muhammad IV (Al-Sultan of Kelantan; 1944–1960)
  6. Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail (Raja of Perlis; 1945–2000)
  7. Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Zainal Abidin III (Sultan of Terengganu; 1945–1979)
  8. Sultan Yusuf Izzudin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Jalil Nasruddin shah (Sultan of Perak; 1948–1963)
  9. Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim (Crown Prince or Tunku Mahkota of Johor; later Sultan 1959–1981)

List of Yang di-Pertuan Agong

The following Rulers have served as Yang di-Pertuan Agong:
No. Name State Reign Birth Death
1 Tuanku Abdul Rahman Negeri Sembilan August 31, 1957 – April 1, 1960

 August 24, 1895 April 1, 1960
2 Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Selangor April 14, 1960 – September 1, 1960

 May 13, 1898 September 1, 1960
3 Tuanku Syed Putra Perlis September 21, 1960 – September 20, 1965 November 25, 1920 April 16, 2000
4 Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Terengganu September 21, 1965 – September 20, 1970 1906 or 1907 September 20, 1979
5 Tuanku Abdul Halim Kedah September 21, 1970 – September 20, 1975 November 28, 1927
6 Yahya Petra Kelantan September 21, 1975 – March 29, 1979 December 10, 1917 March 29, 1979
7 Ahmad Shah Al-Mustain Billah Pahang March 29, 1979 – April 25, 1984 October 24, 1930
8 Iskandar Johor April 26, 1984 – April 25, 1989 April 8, 1932
9 Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Perak April 26, 1989 – April 25,1994 April 19, 1928
10 Jaafar Negeri Sembilan April 26, 1994 – April 25, 1999 July 19, 1922
11 Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Selangor April 26, 1999 – November 21, 2001 March 8, 1926 November 21, 2001
12 Syed Sirajuddin Perlis December 13, 2001 – December 12, 2006 May 17,1943
13 Mizan Zainal Abidin Terengganu December 13, 2006 – present January 22,1962

See also

References

Literature

  • Sinnadurai, Visu His Majesty Sultan Azlan Shah: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong IX Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: The Supreme Court Journal. ISSN 0128-066X. (Special issue of the Supreme Court Journal to commemorate the installation of His Majesty Sultan Azlan Shah as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong IX Malaysia, with a large description of the functions of the office)

External links



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