MONARCHY
A Unique System Of Electing The King
MALAYSIA has a unique constitutional monarchy system. Unlike the traditional
system where the monarch ascends the throne through lineage and remains until
he abdicate or until his death, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected every
five years by his brother Rulers.
Malaysia's innovative system of government emeraged with Merdeka.
The rules for election of a Supreme ruler is laid down in the Third Schedule
of the Federal Constitution.
The Constitution also provides for the election of a Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan
Agong.
As the supreme head, the King takes precedence over all other persons in the
country and is not liable to any proceedings in the courts.
The Raja Permaisuri Agong comes next in precedence.
This institution of an elected monarchy was the brainchild of the first Prime
Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Before Independence, Malaya had nine Rulers. The Straits Settlements - Penang
and Malacca - had no Sultans. The newly-born Federation of Malaya needed a
federal head of State. So this system of electing a Supreme Ruler was adopted.
Tuanku Jaafar ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman - was elected the tenth Yang
di-Pertuan Agong by the Conference of Rulers.
His election completes the order of ascension circle that gives every Ruler
(who is willing and suitable) a chance to be Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
With Tuanku Jaafar's election as the 10th King, all nine States have had its turn
on the throne.
This principle was interpreted by former Lord President Tun Mohamed Suffian
Hashim in his book An Introduction to the Constitution of Malaysia.
He said in his book the "...no State may have its Ruler elected Yang di-Pertuan
Agong twice, until the Ruler of every State (who is willing and suitable) has
had a chance of becoming Yang di-Pertuan Agong."
The election is based on a list that has in order of seniority the names of
nine States with Rulers as heads.
(Under the Constitution Malacca, Penang, Sarawak and Sabah, which have no Rulers
but only appointed Yang di-Pertua Negeri, cannot take part in the election of the
King).
Seniority is according to the date each Ruler ascended the throne in his home
State, irrespective of the Ruler's age.
When the first election was held a few days before Merdeka in August 1957, the
order of the list was: Johore, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Kedah, Perlis,
Kelantan, Terengganu and Perak.
The list in subsequent elections would be revised. The State whose Ruler
completes his term as King goes to the bottom of the list. His sucessor's
State is removed from the list.
A State that has a new Ruler also goes to the bottom of the list in line with
the principle of seniority.
When a Ruler declines the offer to be King or if he is not elected, the State
goes to end of the list.
In keeping with tradition, besides the nine Rulers, only the Keeper of the
Ruler's Seal who serves as conference secretary will be prsent during the
election.
The royal election procedure is tradtionally as follows:
The office of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is offered to the Ruler of the State
on top of the list.
After he has accepted the offer, the Keeper of the Ruler's Seal presents the
ballot papers on a silver tray to each of the Rulers to indicate whether they
consider him suitable for the office.
The conference may by secret ballot resolve that a Ruler is not suitable "by
reason of infirmity of mind or body or for any other cause to exercise the
functions of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong."
Such a resolution will carry if at least five of the Rulers vote for it. The
minimum five votes are also needed for the Ruler concerned to be elected King.
If a Ruler is not elected or if he declines the office of King, the offer will
go to the Ruler whose State is next on the list.
Tun Mohamed Suffian, in a manuscript for the third edition of his book, gives
an insight on how an election is carried out at Istana Negara.
He writes that one of the Rulers is chosen to count the votes together with
the Keepers of the Ruler's Seal.
Only both of them know how many and who voted for the Ruler offered the office
of King.
The Rulers are called one by one to cast their votes behind a curtained corner
of the conference hall. The reigning King votes first.
Every Ruler uses the same silver pen to indicate whether he considers the
candidate suitable.
The Keeper of the Ruler's Seal announces the result by using the words of the
Consitution. If the Ruler has been chosen, the Keeper only says that he has
received "not less than five votes."
The Former, Present and Future Kings
1. Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni al-Mahrhum Tuanku Muhammad - the Yang Di-Pertuan
Besar of Negeri Sembilan - was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from Aug 3, 1957 to
April 1, 1960. (Died in office). [Picture]
2. Tuanku Hishamuddin Alam Shah Al-Haj ibni al-Marhum Sultan Alaiddin Sulaiman
Shah - the Sultan of Selangor - was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from April 14,
1960 to to Sept 1, 1960. (Died in office). [Picture]
3. Tuanku Syed Putra Al-Haj ibni al-Marhum Syed Jamalullai - the Raja of Perlis -
was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from Sept 21, 1960 to Sept 20, 1965. [Picture]
4. Tuanku Ismail Nasiruddin Shah ibni al-Marhum Sultan Zainal Abidin - the
Sultan of Terengganu - was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from Sept 21, 1965 to
Sept 20, 1970. (Died on Sept 20, 1979). [Picture]
5. Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah ibni al-Marhum Sultan Badlishah - the
Sultan of Kedah - was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from Sept 21, 1970 to Sept 20,
1975. [Picture]
6. Tuanku Yahya Petra ibni al-Marhum Sultan Ibrahim - the Sultan of Kelantan
- was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from Sept 21, 1975 to March 30, 1979. (Died
in office). [Picture]
7. Tuanku Haji Ahamad Shah al-Musta'in Billah ibni al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar
Ri'ayatuddin al-Mu'adzam Shah - the Sultan of Pahang - was the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong from April 26, 1979 to April 25, 1984. [Picture]
8. Tuanku Mahmood Iskandar al-Haj ibni al-Marhum Sultan Ismail - the Sultan of
Johore - was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from April 26, 1984 to April 25, 1989.
[Picture]
9. Sultan Azlan Muhibuddin Shah ibni al-Mahrhum Sultan Yussuf Izzauddin Ghafarullahu-lahu
Shah - the Sultan of Perak - was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from April 27, 1989
to April 25, 1994. [Picture]
10. Tuanku Ja'afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman - the Sultan of Negeri
Sembilan - was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from April 26, 1994 to April 25, 1999.
[Picture]
11. Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah - the Sultan of Selangor - is the Yang
di-Pertuan Agong from April 26, 1999 to November 21, 2001. [Picture]
12. Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail - is the Yang di-Pertuan
April 25, 2002 to April 24, 2007. [Picture]
-From The Star newspaper
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