Tengku Abdullah to be proclaimed as new Sultan of Pahang

PEKAN: The Regent of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah will be proclaimed as the sixth Sultan of Pahang, succeeding Sultan Ahmad Shah, on Jan 15.

Tengku Muda Pahang Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah, who made the announcement, said the proposal to appoint Tengku Abdullah as the new Sultan was made because his father Sultan Ahmad Shah is gravely ill.

He said the proposal on the succession was forwarded to the Pahang Royal Council which met in Kuala Lumpur on Friday after a discussion was held among the royal family members and it was unanimously agreed to by the council.

“In this sad situation, regretfully, my family and I have to accept the fact that my father can no longer shoulder the duties and responsibilities as ruler.

“In view of the situation, my closest family members and I agreed to propose to the Pahang Royal Council to appoint my elder brother Tengku Abdullah to be the successor,” he told a special media conference at Istana Abu Bakar here.

The press conference was also attended by Tengku Arif Temenggong Pahang Tengku Abdul Fahd Mu’adzam Sultan Ahmad Shah, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, State Secretary Datuk Seri Salehuddin Ishak, members of the royal family and the state administration.

Tengku Abdul Rahman said that the Pahang Royal Council meeting on Friday agreed to approve an amendment to Part 1 of Article 9 A of the state constitution to give the Pahang Royal Council the power to ask the ruler to abdicate due to his grave illness, effective yesterday (Jan 11).

He said during the deliberations on the amendment, Sultan Abdullah, as one of the council members, had excused himself from the meeting, for the matter to be discussed and after the decision was made, it was then presented to Sultan Abdullah for his consent.

“I am confident that my brother will be an efficient, active and fair Sultan, no less than my father ... as my father has educated him well with all the training and guidance and Sultan Abdullah has been carrying out his duties as the Pahang Regent,” he said.

He said following the announcement, Sultan Abdullah decreed that their father, Sultan Ahmad Shah, would henceforth be referred to as Duli Yang Maha Mulia Ayahanda Sultan Ahmad Shah.

“... this is in line with the fatherly figure of Ayahanda Sultan to his subjects. There was nothing closer to his heart than his subjects,” he said.

He said the proclamation ceremony for the new Sultan will be held at Istana Abu Bakar at 11 am on Jan 15 while the installation will be held within a year. Meanwhile, on the next heir to the throne, Tengku Abdul Rahman said it would better for Sultan Abdullah to make the announcement himself in view of his eldest son Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Tengku Abdullah currently studying overseas.

Asked about the condition of Ayahanda Sultan Ahmad Shah, Tengku Abdul Rahman called on the people of Pahang to pray that his health can improve and His Highness can be together with the other royal family members during the proclamation ceremony.

“Yesterday, medical experts had briefed the Pahang Royal Council on his condition and if I may, wish to leave it at that,” he said.

“My family would like to thank all the people in Pahang for their prayers for the wellbeing of Ayahanda Sultan Ahmad Shah, and I would also like to thank the medical experts and the health personnel team for their excellent services in caring for His Highness,” he said.

However, Tengku Abdul Rahman said that the Pahang Royal Council meeting on Friday did not discuss the issue of the election of Sultan Abdullah as the 16th Yang diPertuan Agong.

“The Pahang Royal Council meeting only discussed issues related to Pahang… the election of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is under the discretionary powers of the Conference of Rulers,” he said.