Steadfast and down-to-earth Ruler
NOT one to mince his words, Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has on many occasions spoken up when there was a need to set right something that appeared to have gone wrong.
He has also voiced out his royal dissent whenever he believes there has been a gross violation of individual or collective rights.
In 2009, when the privacy of a state assemblyman was violated with private pictures of her being circulated in cyberspace, Sultan Sharafuddin immediately voiced his concern.
The Sultan issued a statement saying that he was upset and worried over the intrusion of privacy and private rights for the purpose of destroying a person’s dignity and reputation.
He added that he was saddened by the fact that private lives were being made public and subjected to public scrutiny via mass media.
The Ruler is also always attentive to the rights of the orang asli community.
In his speech during the opening of the state legislative assembly in 2009, Sultan Sharafuddin asked for orang asli rights, especially with regards to their land, to be returned to the community.
He added that the orang asli community had undergone an erosion of its identity and thus, the land issues should be settled in order to restore the community’s rights and dignity.
“I want to stress the need to acknowledge and preserve orang asli land, which had been seized from them in the last few years,’’ the Sultan said at the time.
An avid reader, Sultan Sharafuddin has a vast collection of books on almost every topic under the sun in his palace as well as several other locations.
The Ruler has also donated a substantial amount of books to libraries.
His private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani was quoted as saying in a previous interview that Sultan Sharafuddin spent almost all his spare time reading.
“Tuanku is always reading whenever he has free time. He also reads while travelling in the car,” Mohamad Munir said.
Having been a civil servant during his younger days, Sultan Sharafuddin is known to use his vast civil service experience when the need arises.
In 2012, the then Selangor state secretary Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi was reported as describing the Sultan as a committed and dedicated ruler who took his responsibilities seriously.
“He is very direct and also expects direct answers from us. He likes everything to be given in detail,” Mohd Khusrin said.
He added that Sultan Sharafuddin had a practice of discussing matters with all relevant parties before arriving at a decision.
“He likes open discussions and will look at an issue from every angle before coming to a decision,” Mohd Khusrin explained.
The Selangor Ruler is also known for overlooking protocol and formality.
Businessman Shekh Imaduddin Hakmi Shekh Yahya Hakmi told The Star in 2016 that he did not recognise Sultan Sharafuddin when they met during the Road to Mandalay Rally in 2015 and had addressed him as “pakcik” (uncle) instead.
He said he had met another group participating in the rally at the Thai-myanmar border and a gentleman from the group had asked him if he was from Malaysia.
“Yes, I am from Malaysia pakcik,’’ Shekh Imaduddin said before he was duly nudged by one of his friends, who whispered that he had just addressed the Sultan of Selangor as “pakcik”.
He then mustered up the courage to approach the Sultan and apologise, but “he graciously smiled and said it was all right”.
The Ruler has also emphasised the need for unity and tolerance amongst the various communities.
In his royal address during the investiture ceremony on his 71st birthday in 2016, he took to task those who rabble-rouse in the guise of non-governmental organisations.
He said such rabble-rousers hid behind the NGOS and tried to create communal strife by generating chaos that threatened the nation’s stability and safety.
“The actions of these unfavourable groups must be stopped without any compromise in order to gain the people’s, tourists’ and foreign investors’ confidence,” he added.
He said it was his wish that Selangor’s multi-racial community continue to enjoy camaraderie, cooperation and mutual respect, especially in matters concerning race, religion and political ideology.
He also conveyed his regret over the Seafield Sri Mahamariaman temple incident last year.
“I regret very much that such an incident happened in Selangor. Something such as this would not have happened if we knew how to respect the law, culture, religion and sensitivities of the country’s various races,” he said.
He also advised Malaysians not to destroy what had been achieved collectively over the years by raising confusion and suspicion among different races and religions.
He reminded everyone that it had taken a long time to build the nation, adding: “Like the English proverb ‘Rome was not built in a day’, if we are not careful and create enmity between each other, the nation will be shattered in the blink of an eye.”
Sultan Sharafuddin was born on Dec 24, 1945, at Istana Jemaah in Klang as Tengku Idris Shah to the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, who was the Raja Muda at the time, and his first wife Raja Saidatul Ihsan Tengku Badar Shah.
The Sultan attended the Malay Primary School in Jalan Raja Muda, Kuala Lumpur, before enrolling in St John’s Institution.
He continued his studies at Hale School in Perth, Australia, in 1960 and later joined the Langhurst
College in Surrey, England, in 1964.
He became a civil servant upon his return to Malaysia and served at the Selangor state secretariat, the Kuala Lumpur district office and the police department.
The Ruler became the Raja Muda of Selangor at the age of 15 in 1960 when his father was installed as the Sultan of Selangor.
He ascended the throne in 2001 after Sultan Salahuddin’s demise.
Sultan Sharafuddin has three children – Tengku Zerafina, 50, Tengku Zatashah, 46, and Raja Muda of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah, 29, as well as a granddaughter.
He is married to former news presenter Norashikin Abdul Rahman, who is now styled as Tengku Permaisuri Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin.
On the occasion of his Majesty’s 74th birthday, the people of Selangor wish Sultan Sharafuddin good health and many more blessed years ahead. Daulat Tuanku!