SUnDAY vIbeS
Che Siti Wan Kembang ascended to the Kelantan throne in 1610 upon the demise of Raja Hussein and ruled from her Gunung Chinta Wangsa base in Ulu Kelantan, which is approximately 40 km from Kuala Krai.
Kelantan prospered under her rule and was frequented by many traders including Arabs. The Middle Eastern merchants held the queen in high regard and often addressed her as Paduka Che Siti. It was also during this time that the people of Gunung Ayam in Gua Musang presented Che Siti Wan Kembang with a pair of magnificent kijang.
CheSitiWanKembangnevermarriedand adopted the princess of the ruler of Jembal, Puteri Sadong, as her daughter. The people of Kelantan who watched Puteri Sadong grow into a beautiful maiden, affectionately called her Puteri Wijaya Mala. Eventually, the princess’ beauty reached the ears of the King of Siam who immediately sent emissaries to ask for her hand in marriage. The Siamese ruler’s advances were graciously rejected and Puteri Sadong eventually married her cousin Raja Abdullah. only in Kelantan but throughout the whole of Malaya. The initial British Military Administration that held sway in the country was replaced by the short-lived Malayan Union on April 1, 1946.
Bowing to citizenship pressures from the Malays, the British agreed to the formation of the Federation of Malaya on Feb 1, 1948.
That historic date also marked the proclamation of Sultan Yahya Petra as the Crown Prince of Kelantan. He executed his duties diligently as heir to the throne, putting his people and state above everything else.
Sultan Yahya Petra toured nearly every corner of the state in his armoured jeep and escorted by members of the security force throughout the 12-year Malayan Emergency which began on June 16, 1948. His regular visits to schools, new villages and voluntary organisations lent support to the people during those challenging days. During one of those trips, the crown prince traversed the remaining distance to Batu Melintang in Ulu Kelantan on foot when part of the track became completely impassable to motorised vehicles.