‘Kedah sultan a people-centric ruler’
KUALA LUMPUR: Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah will always be remembered as a ruler who always had the people at heart.
He was a strong believer of the phrase that “there is no separating the king and the people” throughout his time as Sultan of Kedah as well as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The late sultan first ascended the throne as the fifth Agong in 1970, and in 2012, he was installed as the 14th king in a historic ceremony.
The April 11 ceremony was grand, with iconic regalia and sacred rites which gave many an insight into the nation’s traditions and identity.
It gained the interest of Discovery Channel, which aired a special documentary featuring an insight into the royal history of Malay sultanates.
Having been king the first time during the premiership of Tun Abdul Razak, Sultan Abdul Halim took the throne again under the stewardship of the latter’s son, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“The king is the umbrella for the people and the people are the pillars of the king.
“The king’s most important role is to ensure that there is no cruelty and destruction to the people and country.
“In a constitutional monarchy, the king is the arbitrator and the balancing power so that there will be peace, stability and public order,” he had said during his 85th birthday celebration as the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on June 1, 2013.
He loved his people and prioritised their wellbeing, and this was clear at every event he graced.
Sultan Abdul Halim never failed to stress the importance of unity and for Muslims to stay true to the teachings of Islam.
“The spirit of unity fostered by the people since Merdeka is key to the nation’s achievements.
“I hope the people’s living standards will improve so that they can continue to live in harmony, peace and prosperity,” he had said at the same birthday celebration, adding that he was blessed that Malaysia was free of violence and racial tension.
In fact, his message remained consistent on each and every year he celebrated his official birthday as Agong — conserving the nation’s multiracial harmony, peace, stability and prosperity.
On Dec 12 last year, the peopleoriented ruler and his wife, Tuanku Hajah Haminah Hamidun, were accorded a symbolic royal send-off from Istana Negara upon completion of their fiveyear reign as the 14th Yang diPertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong.
Sultan Abdul Halim, an Oxford graduate with a Diploma in Social Science and Public Administration, was born at Istana Anak Bukit in Alor Star to Kedah’s Sultan Badlishah Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah and Tunku Sofiah Tunku Mahmud on Nov 28, 1927.
On July 14, 1958, at the age of 31, he ascended the Kedah throne following the death of his father.
His installation as the 28th Sultan of Kedah was held on Feb 20, the following year.
He married Sultanah Bahiyah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the daughter of the first Agong, in 1956.
The couple was blessed with three daughters — Tunku Soraya, Tunku Sarina and Tunku Intan Safinaz — and, later, five grandchildren.
However, the sultanah, who was much loved like her husband, died of cancer on Aug 26, 2003.
Sultan Abdul Halim later married Haminah Hamidun, who was given the title Che Puan Kedah.
In 2004, she was proclaimed the Sultanah of Kedah.
Sultan Abdul Halim was well known as an avid collector of exotic birds and was passionate about reading, golf and photography.
He was also a great supporter of the state football team.