KING'S BIRTHDAY

Today is the official birthday of Yang di-Pertuan Agong XII Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail. As the King is elected every five years, (some do not complete the terms), it is deemed inadvisable to change the date each time a new King is installed.

Thus, the Government has chosen one day to mark the occasion.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday is when honours and decorations are conferred upon citizens.

Thus, conferments feature prominently in the birthday celebration programme.

Historically, royal birthday holidays were copied from the British tradition of celebrating the King's (now the Queen's) official birthday on June 3.

This date was chosen because of the unpredictable English weather.

Early June is considered to be a good summer's day for the Trooping the Colours parade in London.

Before independence, June 3 was a public holiday here, to celebrate the Queen's birthday.

After independence, that public holiday was replaced by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's birthday, first on June 4, later on the first Wednesday of June and now on the first Saturday of June (in line with the trend not to have a public holiday during the working week).

Historians, however, have argued that it is not in Malay tradition to celebrate a royal's birthday.

The Malay Rulers never celebrated their birthdays before the coming of the British as the more significant date for a Malay Ruler is the anniversary of his installation as Ruler.

Long live the King.

4th June 2005