Azlan Shah of Perak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Azlan Shah ازلن شاه‎
Al-Maghfur-Lah (The Forgiven One) Yang di-Pertuan Agong IX
Sultan in 2008
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Reign	26 April 1989 – 25 April 1994
Installation	18 September 1989
Predecessor	Iskandar of Johor
Successor	Ja'afar of Negeri Sembilan
Prime Minister	Mahathir Mohamad
Sultan of Perak
Reign	3 February 1984 – 28 May 2014
Installation	9 December 1985
Predecessor	Idris Shah II
Successor	Nazrin Shah
Chief Ministers	See list Ramli Ngah Talib Tajol Rosli Mohd Ghazali Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin Zambry Abdul Kadir
Born	(1928-04-19)19 April 1928 Kampung Manggis, Batu Gajah, Perak, Federated Malay States, British Malaya
Died	28 May 2014(2014-05-28) (aged 86) National Heart Institute Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Burial	29 May 2014 Al-Ghufran Royal Mausoleum, Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia
Spouse	Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun ​ (m. 1955)​
Issue	Raja Nazrin Shah Raja Azureen Raja Ashman Shah Raja Eleena Raja Yong Sofia
Full name Raja Azlan Shah ibni Raja Yussuff Shah Regnal name Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-lah Posthumous name Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-lah
House	House of Siak-Perak
Father	Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Jalil Karamatullah Nasiruddin Mukhtaram Shah Radziallah Hu'an-hu
Mother	Toh Puan Besar Hatijah binti Toh Indera Wangsa Ahmad
Religion	Sunni Islam

Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah (born April 19, 1928 – died May 28, 2014) was a very important leader in Malaysia. He was the 34th Sultan of Perak, a state in Malaysia. He also served as the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, which is like being the King of the whole country. He held this role from 1989 to 1994.

Sultan Azlan Shah was born into a royal family but was raised by his mother outside the main royal circles. He loved field hockey from a young age and even played for his state team. He studied law in the United Kingdom and became a judge when he returned to Malaysia. He quickly moved up the ranks in the legal system, becoming the youngest person ever appointed to the High Court of Malaya in 1965. Later, in 1982, he became the youngest Lord President of the Federal Court, which is the highest judge position in Malaysia.

He became the Sultan of Perak in 1984 after his cousin, Sultan Idris Shah II, passed away. Then, in 1989, he was chosen to be the King of Malaysia for five years. After his term as King ended, he went back to being the Sultan of Perak until his death in 2014. He was also known as the "Father of Malaysian Hockey" because he did so much to help the sport grow in Malaysia and around the world.

Early Life and Education

Sultan Azlan Shah was born on April 19, 1928, in a place called Kampung Manggis, Batu Gajah, Perak. He was the youngest son of Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah, who was Sultan from 1948 to 1963. His mother was Toh Puan Besar Hatijah binti Toh Indera Wangsa Ahmad. He grew up with his mother, away from the main royal family.

He started his schooling at the Government English School in Batu Gajah. For high school, he went to the famous Malay College Kuala Kangsar. After that, he traveled to the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom to study law. He earned his law degree in 1953. While he was a student, he developed a strong passion for field hockey. He played for his school teams and later for the Perak state team.

Legal Career and Rise to Power

After finishing his law studies, Raja Azlan Shah became a lawyer in England in 1954. He then returned to Malaysia and began working in the government. He joined the Judicial and Legal Service, which meant he worked as a judge and legal advisor. He quickly became the President of the Sessions Court.

He continued to advance rapidly in his legal career. He served as a Federal Counsel, a Deputy Public Prosecutor, and a Legal Adviser for the state of Pahang. He also held important roles in the High Court and Federal Court of Malaysia.

In 1965, at just 37 years old, Raja Azlan Shah made history. He became the youngest judge ever appointed to the High Court of Malaya. In 1973, he was appointed to the Federal Court. By 1979, he was the Chief Justice of the High Court of Malaya. Finally, on November 12, 1982, he reached the highest judicial position in Malaysia, becoming the youngest ever Lord President of the Federal Court.

Becoming Sultan and King

Sultan Azlan Shah's journey to becoming Sultan of Perak began in 1962. His father made him Raja Kechil Bongsu, which placed him sixth in line to the throne. After his father passed away the next year, he moved up in the royal line.

Over the years, he continued to move closer to the throne as other royal family members passed away. In 1983, he was officially named Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Perak by the then-Sultan, Sultan Idris Almutawakkil Alallahi Shah II. This happened because his older brother, Raja Baharom Shah, chose not to take the role of Crown Prince.

Just six months later, Sultan Idris passed away. On February 3, 1984, Azlan Shah became the 34th Sultan of Perak. He was officially installed in a special ceremony on December 9, 1985. In 1989, Sultan Azlan Shah was chosen to be the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. This is because the Ruler of Perak was the last of the nine Malay Rulers who had not yet served as the King of Malaysia in the first rotation. After serving a five-year term as King, he returned to his role as Sultan of Perak in 1994.

Sultan Azlan Shah reigned as Sultan for over 30 years. This was the longest reign for a Sultan of Perak since Malaysia became independent.

Perak Constitutional Event (2009)

In 2009, there was a political situation in the state of Perak. A political group called Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had a small majority of seats in the state assembly. However, three members of this group decided to leave and join another group, the BN coalition.

The leader of the PR group asked the Sultan to dissolve the state assembly, which would mean new elections. Sultan Azlan Shah decided not to agree to this request. Instead, he asked the PR leader and his team to step down so that the BN leaders could take over.

This decision was challenged in court. The first court ruled that the Sultan could not dismiss the leader. However, a higher court later overturned this decision. It said that the Perak State Constitution gave the Sultan the full power to decide on dissolving the assembly. This ruling was later confirmed by the highest court in Malaysia.

Recognitions and Achievements

Sultan Azlan Shah was highly respected and received many honors. He was involved in education for a long time. He served as the Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia and later as the Chancellor of the University of Malaya until his death. He also chaired the Higher Education Advisory Council.

Many universities, both in Malaysia and other countries, gave him honorary doctorates for his contributions. These included the University of Nottingham (where he studied), Universitas Gajah Mada in Indonesia, and Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. He also became an Honorary Fellow of several Royal Colleges of Surgeons in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Sports and Patronage

Sultan Azlan Shah was a huge fan and supporter of field hockey throughout his life. Because of his great efforts to promote the sport, he was known as the "Father of Malaysian Hockey." He was the President of the Malaysian Hockey Federation for many years and also led the Asian Hockey Federation. He was also a vice-president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Under his leadership, Malaysia hosted the Hockey World Cup twice, in 1975 and 2002. In 1983, he started the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which is an annual international hockey tournament held in Ipoh, Malaysia. Besides hockey, Sultan Azlan also enjoyed playing golf.

He was also a patron (a supporter or sponsor) of many different organizations and clubs, showing his support for various community activities. Some of these included:

• The Academy of Medicine of Malaysia
• The British Graduates Association of Malaysia
• The Malaysian Nature Society
• St. John Ambulance of Malaysia (Perak)
• Various Rotary and Lions Clubs

Royal Family

Sultan Azlan Shah married Bainun binti Mohd Ali on December 9, 1955. She is known as Her Royal Highness The Raja Permaisuri (Queen Consort) of Perak, Tuanku Bainun Binti Mohd. Ali.

They had five children together: two sons and three daughters. Their eldest child is Raja Nazrin Shah, who is now the current Sultan of Perak. Their other children are Raja Azureen, Raja Ashman Shah, Raja Eleena, and Raja Yong Sofia. Sadly, their second son, Raja Ashman Shah, passed away in 2012 due to an asthma attack.

Death and Legacy

Sultan Azlan Shah passed away on May 28, 2014, at 1:30 pm, at the National Heart Institute of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. He was 86 years old. After his death, he was given the special title Marhum Al-Maghfur-Lah.

He was laid to rest the next day, May 29, 2014, at the Al-Ghufran Royal Mausoleum in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. A public holiday was announced in Perak so that people could pay their respects. The Malaysian flag was flown at half-mast for 7 days, and the Perak flag for 100 days, as a sign of mourning.

Many places and institutions were named after Sultan Azlan Shah to honor his memory and contributions. These include:

• Several schools and colleges, such as SMK Sultan Azlan Shah and Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah.
• Important buildings like the Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery and the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh.
• The Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium, which shows his love for hockey.
• Major roads in cities like Ipoh and George Town, Penang, are named Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah.
• The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, the international hockey tournament he founded.

His legacy lives on through his family, his contributions to the legal system, his dedication to education, and his passion for sports, especially hockey.

Issue

Honours and Awards

Sultan Azlan Shah received many honors and awards throughout his life, both from Malaysia and from other countries. These awards recognized his important roles and contributions.

Perak Honours

• Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Perak (DK)
• Founding Grand Master of the Perak Family Order of Sultan Azlan Shah
• Founding Grand Master of the Azlanii Royal Family Order
• Grand Knight and Grand Master of the Order of the Cura Si Manja Kini
• Knight Grand Commander and Grand Master of the Order of Taming Sari
• Knight Grand Commander and Grand Master of the Order of the Perak State Crown

Malaysian Honours

• Recipient of the Malaysian Commemorative Medal (Silver) (P.P.M.)
• Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (P.S.M.) – Tan Sri
• Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (P.M.N.) – Tan Sri
• Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (S.S.M.) – Tun
• Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (D.M.N.)
• Recipient of the Order of the Royal House of Malaysia (D.K.M.)

Foreign Honours (Examples)

•  Austria : Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
•  Brunei : Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei (DKMB)
•  Japan : Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
•  United Kingdom : Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)

Images for kids

• 

  Royal Family Order of Perak

• 

  Perak Family Order of Sultan Azlan Shah

• 

  Azlanii Royal Family Order

• 

  Order of the Cura Si Manja Kini

• 

  Order of Taming Sari

• 

  Order of the Perak State Crown

• 

  Malaysian Commemorative Medal

• 

  Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM)

• 

  Order of the Defender of the Realm

• 

  Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM)

• 

  Order of the Crown of the Realm

• 

  Order of the Royal House of Malaysia

• 

  Order of Merit of Malaysia

• 

  Order of the Royal Household of Malaysia

• 

  Royal Family Order of Kedah

• 

  Royal Family Order (Kelantan)

• 

  Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan

• 

  Order of the Crown of Pahang

• 

  Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang

• 

  Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail

• 

  Royal Family Order of Selangor

• 

  Family Order of Terengganu