Ja'afar of Negeri Sembilan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ja’afarجعفر |
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| Yang di-Pertuan Agong X | |||||||||
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| Yang di-Pertuan Agong | |||||||||
| Reign | 26 April 1994 – 25 April 1999 | ||||||||
| Installation | 22 September 1994 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Azlan Shah of Perak | ||||||||
| Successor | Salahuddin of Selangor | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | Mahathir Mohamad | ||||||||
| Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan | |||||||||
| Reign | 18 April 1967 – 27 December 2008 | ||||||||
| Installation | 8 April 1968 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Munawir | ||||||||
| Successor | Muhriz | ||||||||
| Menteri Besar | Mohamed Said Muhammad Mansor Othman Rais Yatim Mohd Isa Abdul Samad Mohamad Hasan |
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| Born | 19 July 1922 Klang, Selangor, Federated Malay States, British Malaya |
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| Died | 27 December 2008 (aged 86) Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia |
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| Burial | 29 December 2008 Seri Menanti Royal Mausoleum, Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia |
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| Spouse |
Tuanku Najihah binti Almarhum Tunku Besar Burhanuddin
(m. 1942) |
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| Issue | Tunku Dara Negeri Sembilan Tunku Tan Sri Naquiah Tunku Laksamana Negeri Sembilan Tunku Dato' Seri Utama Naquiyuddin Tunku Muda Serting Negeri Sembilan Tunku Tan Sri Dato' Seri Imran Tunku Puteri Negeri Sembilan Tunku Puan Sri Dato' Seri Jawahir Tengku Puan Panglima Raja Selangor Tunku Dato' Seri Irinah Tunku Panglima Besar Negeri Sembilan Tunku Dato' Seri Nadzaruddin |
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| House | Pagaruyung - House of Yamtuan Raden | ||||||||
| Father | Tuanku Abdul Rahman Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad | ||||||||
| Mother | Che Engku Maimunah Binti Abdullah | ||||||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||||||
Tuanku Ja’afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman (born 19 July 1922 – died 27 December 2008) was a very important leader in Malaysia. He was the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (which means King) of Malaysia from 1994 to 1999. Before that, he was the tenth Yang Di-Pertuan Besar (Ruler) of Negeri Sembilan, a state in Malaysia.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Tuanku Ja'afar was born on 19 July 1922 in Klang, Selangor. He grew up in Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan. His father was Tuanku Abdul Rahman, who was also a ruler. Tuanku Ja'afar had a close family and learned a lot from his father, who often visited villagers and prayed with them. This helped him become a kind and respected person.
He went to Seri Menanti Malay School for primary education. Then, he studied at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), a famous school. At MCKK, sports were a big part of school life. Tuanku Ja'afar was excellent at many sports. He was captain of five teams: cricket, tennis, squash, football, and hockey. He also played badminton and chess well. During his time at MCKK, he became good friends with Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, who later became Malaysia's second Prime Minister.
In 1940, after MCKK, Tuanku Ja'afar went to Raffles College in Singapore. This college was a top school in Southeast Asia. He loved sports more than studies and often played tennis with Lee Kuan Yew, who later became Singapore's first Prime Minister. Sadly, he had to leave college early in December 1941 because World War II started.
Early Career and Diplomatic Roles
Even though he had to leave college, Tuanku Ja'afar was still eager to learn and achieve his goals.
Working for the State
During the Japanese occupation of Malaya, he worked in government offices in Seremban, Rembau, and Kuala Lumpur. In the late 1940s, he moved to Ipoh, Perak, where he helped process citizenship applications.
In 1946, Tuanku Ja'afar joined the Malay Administrative Service. He was promoted to Tax Assistant in Rembau in 1947. Later, he became the District Officer in Tampin until 1955. He even helped in campaigns against communism. These experiences made him want to study law.
He spent four years at the University of Nottingham, where he earned a law degree in 1947. He also studied at Balliol College, Oxford, and the London School of Economics (LSE). He was interested in human rights, social issues, and economics. His wife, Tuanku Najihah, and their children joined him in the UK. He continued to play his favorite sports like cricket, football, and badminton, and was captain of the Tennis and Badminton Clubs.
After returning from the UK in 1952, Tuanku Ja'afar held several important jobs in Malaysia's civil service. He was an Assistant State Secretary in Perak and a District Officer in Tampin.
Becoming a Diplomat
Tuanku Ja'afar's career as a diplomat began in 1957. He went to London for a special course on diplomacy. While there, he helped Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, who was leading Malaysia's fight for independence from the British. Tuanku Ja'afar helped with planning and presentations. Their efforts were successful, and Malaya gained independence on 31 August 1957.
His first diplomatic job was in the Malaysian Embassy in Washington, D.C., USA. He then worked at the United Nations in New York and later in London. Tuanku Ja'afar was also appointed as the Malaysian Ambassador to Egypt and then as High Commissioner to Nigeria and Ghana.
Ruler of Negeri Sembilan for 42 Years
Tuanku Ja'afar was supposed to go to Japan as Malaysia's Ambassador. However, he was called back to Negeri Sembilan in 1967 because his half-brother, Tuanku Munawir, the ruler of Negeri Sembilan, had passed away.
According to the traditions of Negeri Sembilan, a new ruler must be chosen before the burial of the previous one. Four important chiefs, called the Undang, met to choose the next ruler.
They had four princes to choose from:
- Tunku Besar Seri Menanti, Tunku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir
- Tunku Laksamana, Tunku Nasir Alam ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad
- Tunku Muda Serting, Tunku Ja'afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman
- Tunku Panglima Besar, Tunku Abdullah ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman
The Undang all agreed to choose Tunku Muda Serting, Tunku Ja'afar, who was 44 years old. He became the 10th Ruler of Negeri Sembilan on 18 April 1967.
10th King of Malaysia
Tuanku Ja'afar became the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia on 26 April 1994. He took over from Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak. Two months after being chosen, he moved from Negeri Sembilan to Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur for his installation ceremony. All the Malay Rulers or their representatives attended this important event. As King, Tuanku Ja'afar helped strengthen Malaysia's relationships with other countries.
During his time as King, Malaysia achieved many great things. These included hosting the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the APEC Summit in 1998. He also oversaw the development of important projects like the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, the Petronas Twin Towers, the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), and the new administrative capital of Putrajaya.
Family Life
Tuanku Ja'afar married Tuanku Najihah binti Almarhum Tunku Besar Burhanuddin in 1942. She also served as the Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of Malaysia when he was King. They had six children: three sons and three daughters.
Their children are:
- Tunku Dara Negeri Sembilan Tunku Tan Sri Naquiah binti Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar (born 1944)
- Tunku Laksamana Negeri Sembilan Tunku Dato' Seri Utama Naquiyuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar (born 1947)
- Tunku Muda Serting Negeri Sembilan Tunku Tan Sri Dato' Seri Imran ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar (born 1948)
- Tunku Puteri Negeri Sembilan Tunku Puan Sri Dato' Seri Jawahir binti Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar (born 1952)
- Tengku Puan Panglima Raja Selangor Tunku Dato' Seri Irinah binti Almarhum Tuanku Jaafar (born 1957)
- Tunku Panglima Besar Negeri Sembilan Tunku Dato' Seri Nadzaruddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar (born 1959)
Contributions and Achievements
As the ruler of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Ja'afar cared deeply about his people and the state's development. He focused on improving industries and housing to raise people's living standards.
Many new housing areas were built, like Taman Tuanku Ja'afar, which also included an industrial area and a golf course. Other projects included Taman Tuanku Ampuan Najihah and the Mambau housing project. These helped more people own homes and live comfortably. The growth of industries created more job opportunities, helping to reduce poverty in Negeri Sembilan. He also supported building recreational places for families to enjoy outdoor activities.
Supporting Education
Tuanku Ja'afar was very passionate about education. He became the second Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) on 16 April 1976. UKM was the third oldest university in Malaysia and the first to use Malay as the main language for teaching and learning.
During his time as Chancellor, UKM achieved many important milestones:
- It became one of only four research universities in Malaysia.
- New institutes like the Malaysia Genome Institute were created.
- UKM was listed among the top universities in the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) in 2006.
- It received the Prime Minister's Award in 2006.
- Tuanku Ja'afar helped UKM become a nationally and internationally recognized university.
He also received honorary law degrees from several universities, including the University of the Philippines (1990), University of Nottingham (1995), University of Santiago (1995), and University of Brunei Darussalam (1996).
Hobbies and Interests
Tuanku Ja'afar loved sports, especially golf and cricket. He also enjoyed painting.
Death
Tuanku Ja'afar passed away on 27 December 2008, at the age of 86, at Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar in Seremban. He had a stroke. He was buried at the Seri Menanti Royal Mausoleum in Seri Menanti on 29 December 2008.
Honours and Recognition
Tuanku Ja'afar held important roles in the Malaysian Armed Forces. He was the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Signals Regiment and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps. These regiments help with communications and maintaining military equipment for the Malaysian Army. He also held the rank of Marshal in the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
He received many awards and honours from Negeri Sembilan, other states in Malaysia, and foreign countries for his service and leadership.
Tuanku Ja'afar Royal Gallery
The Tuanku Ja'afar Royal Gallery in Seremban was created to honor Tuanku Ja'afar and his life. It was his idea to build a gallery that would show the unique history of Negeri Sembilan, its past rulers, and his own journey. The gallery has eight special rooms that tell the story of Tuanku Ja'afar's life.
Places Named After Him
Many places and landmarks are named after Tuanku Ja'afar to remember his contributions:
- Tuanku Ja'afar Power Station, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan
- Sekolah Menengah Sains Tuanku Ja'afar, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan
- Kolej Tuanku Ja'afar, Mantin, Negeri Sembilan
- Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
- Tuanku Ja'afar Royal Gallery, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
- Sekolah Menengah Teknik Tuanku Jaafar (STTJ), Ampangan, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
- Tuanku Ja'afar Cup (a sports trophy)
- Taman Tuanku Ja'afar, a residential area in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
- SMK Taman Tuanku Ja'afar, a secondary school in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
- Taman Tuanku Ja'afar Mosque in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
Images for kids
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Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei, awarded to Tuanku Ja'afar in 1996.
