Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah
Encyclopedia
In full, Almarhum Sultan Sir Ismail Nasiruddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Zainal Abidin III KCMG (died September 20, 1979) was the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Agong
(roughly equivalent to King) of Malaysia, and the fifteenth Sultan of Terengganu
.
, he was the fifth, but third surviving, son of Sultan Zainal Abidin III ibni Almarhum Sultan Ahmad II (reigned 1881–1918). His mother was a Thai
Muslim
convert, Cik Maimunah binti Abdullah, who died in 1918.
Educated at the Kuala Terengganu Malay School, he then went to the Malay College. In 1929, he entered the Terengganu administrative service. In 1934, he was appointed Assistant Collector of Land Revenue in Kuala Terengganu.
In 1935, he became aide-de-camp to his elder half brother Sultan Sulaiman, accompanying him to the coronation of King George VI on May 12, 1937. In 1939, he became Registrar of the High Court and the Court of Appeal. He also served as the Land Court Registrar. In 1940, he was appointed a minister of the Terengganu state cabinet, having been made Tengku Paduka Raja. In 1941, he became First Class Magistrate and was promoted Terengganu State Secretary on November 15, 1941.
died on September 25, 1942 of blood poisoning. The Japanese Military Administration, which occupied Malaya
at that time, proclaimed his son as the fourteenth Sultan of Terengganu
bearing the title Sultan Ali Shah
. On October 18, 1943, the Thai
government under prime minister Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram
took over the administration of Terengganu
from the Japanese and continued to recognise Sultan Ali Shah
.
When the British returned after the end of World War II
, they declined to recognise Sultan Ali Shah
. Allegedly, Sultan Ali was too much in debt and had been too close to the Japanese during their occupation. According to Sultan Ali, the British Military Administration
wanted him removed for his refusal to sign the Malayan Union
treaty.
The British Military Administration
also disapproved of Sultan Ali's character, where he was said to have repudiated his official consort (the daughter of Sultan Abu Bakar of Pahang
) and had contracted an unsuitable second marriage to a former prostitute.
On November 5, 1945 the Terengganu State Council of thirteen members announced the dismissal of Sultan Ali and the appointment of Tengku Ismail as the fifteenth Sultan of Terengganu
. Tengku Ismail became known as Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah
and was installed on June 6, 1949 at Istana Maziah
, Kuala Terengganu
. Sultan Ismail's
descendants have since ruled Terengganu
.
Sultan Ali continued to dispute his dismissal until his death on May 17, 1996.
between September 21, 1960 to September 20, 1965.
of Malaysia and served in that office from September 21, 1965 until September 20, 1970.
Sultan Ismail's reign coincided with many visits by important world and South East Asian leaders, including US President Lyndon B Johnson, West German President Lubke, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Shah of Iran, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, General Ne Win of Burma and Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky of South Vietnam. The security of the country was more secure during his reign as the Konfrontasi with Indonesia ended and the Philippines sought normal relations (after its claim of Sabah) with Malaysia. Due to health reasons he wanted to resign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong
in 1969, but was persuaded by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman
not to do so as the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong
would be Tunku Abdul Rahman's nephew (Tuanku Abdul Halim
of Kedah
) and the Tunku felt it was not right for him to continue in office during that time. In his farewell speech at the end of his and Sultan Ismail's term as Yang Di Pertuan Agong, Tunku Abdul Rahman declared that the event signified "the end of the first chapter of Malaysia's history".
Sultan Ismail was reigning as Yang di-Pertuan Agong
when the May 13 incident
sparked racial riots in Kuala Lumpur
and parliament was suspended. Despite this unfortunate event Tunku Abdul Rahman
described Sultan Ismail's reign as "a most eventful and glorious one". . Sultan Ismail launched the Rukun Negara, the Malaysian declaration of national philosophy on 31 August 1970.
, his eldest son.
- 1935 King George VI Coronation Medal
- 1937 Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) - 1951 (CMG - 1948) Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
- 1953 Raja of the Order of Sikatuna
- 1966 Special Class of the Bundesverdienstkreuz
- 1966 Grand Order of Mugunghwa - 1966 Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
- 1968 Collar of the Order of Pahlavi - 1968Grand Cordon w/ Collar of the Order of the Queen of Sheba - 1968 Order of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st Class
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
(roughly equivalent to King) of Malaysia, and the fifteenth Sultan of Terengganu
Sultan of Terengganu
Sultan of Terengganu is the title of the constitutional head of Terengganu state in Malaysia. The current sultan, Mizan Zainal Abidin, is the seventeenth Sultan of Terengganu...
.
Early career
The date of his birth has been given as either March 16, 1906 or as January 24, 1907, the latter being the one more often used. Born in Kuala TerengganuKuala Terengganu
-Transport:The city is connected to other towns via a good network of roads and also some ferries that ply the Terengganu River. The Sultan Mahmud Bridge, a bridge over the Terengganu River, provides a road link to both banks of the river...
, he was the fifth, but third surviving, son of Sultan Zainal Abidin III ibni Almarhum Sultan Ahmad II (reigned 1881–1918). His mother was a Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
convert, Cik Maimunah binti Abdullah, who died in 1918.
Educated at the Kuala Terengganu Malay School, he then went to the Malay College. In 1929, he entered the Terengganu administrative service. In 1934, he was appointed Assistant Collector of Land Revenue in Kuala Terengganu.
In 1935, he became aide-de-camp to his elder half brother Sultan Sulaiman, accompanying him to the coronation of King George VI on May 12, 1937. In 1939, he became Registrar of the High Court and the Court of Appeal. He also served as the Land Court Registrar. In 1940, he was appointed a minister of the Terengganu state cabinet, having been made Tengku Paduka Raja. In 1941, he became First Class Magistrate and was promoted Terengganu State Secretary on November 15, 1941.
Succession dispute
Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah of TerengganuTerengganu
Terengganu is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Iman...
died on September 25, 1942 of blood poisoning. The Japanese Military Administration, which occupied Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
at that time, proclaimed his son as the fourteenth Sultan of Terengganu
Sultan of Terengganu
Sultan of Terengganu is the title of the constitutional head of Terengganu state in Malaysia. The current sultan, Mizan Zainal Abidin, is the seventeenth Sultan of Terengganu...
bearing the title Sultan Ali Shah
Sultan Ali Shah
Sultan Ali Shah, also known as Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah Ali was the fourteenth Sultan of Terengganu. He was the son of the thirteenth Sultan, Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah and the legitimate heir to the throne of Terengganu....
. On October 18, 1943, the Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
government under prime minister Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram
Plaek Pibulsonggram
Field Marshal Plaek Pibunsongkhram , often known as Phibun Songkhram or simply Phibun in English, was Prime Minister and virtual military dictator of Thailand from 1938 to 1944 and 1948 to 1957.- Early years :...
took over the administration of Terengganu
Terengganu
Terengganu is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Iman...
from the Japanese and continued to recognise Sultan Ali Shah
Sultan Ali Shah
Sultan Ali Shah, also known as Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah Ali was the fourteenth Sultan of Terengganu. He was the son of the thirteenth Sultan, Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah and the legitimate heir to the throne of Terengganu....
.
When the British returned after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, they declined to recognise Sultan Ali Shah
Sultan Ali Shah
Sultan Ali Shah, also known as Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah Ali was the fourteenth Sultan of Terengganu. He was the son of the thirteenth Sultan, Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah and the legitimate heir to the throne of Terengganu....
. Allegedly, Sultan Ali was too much in debt and had been too close to the Japanese during their occupation. According to Sultan Ali, the British Military Administration
British Military Administration
The British Military Administration was the interim administrator of British Malaya between the end of World War II and the establishment of the Malayan Union in 1946. Specifically, the entity lasted from September 1945 to April 1946...
wanted him removed for his refusal to sign the Malayan Union
Malayan Union
The Malayan Union was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government so as to simplify administration. The Malayan Union later became the independent...
treaty.
The British Military Administration
British Military Administration
The British Military Administration was the interim administrator of British Malaya between the end of World War II and the establishment of the Malayan Union in 1946. Specifically, the entity lasted from September 1945 to April 1946...
also disapproved of Sultan Ali's character, where he was said to have repudiated his official consort (the daughter of Sultan Abu Bakar of Pahang
Pahang
Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
) and had contracted an unsuitable second marriage to a former prostitute.
On November 5, 1945 the Terengganu State Council of thirteen members announced the dismissal of Sultan Ali and the appointment of Tengku Ismail as the fifteenth Sultan of Terengganu
Sultan of Terengganu
Sultan of Terengganu is the title of the constitutional head of Terengganu state in Malaysia. The current sultan, Mizan Zainal Abidin, is the seventeenth Sultan of Terengganu...
. Tengku Ismail became known as Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah
In full, Almarhum Sultan Sir Ismail Nasiruddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Zainal Abidin III KCMG was the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, and the fifteenth Sultan of Terengganu.-Early career:...
and was installed on June 6, 1949 at Istana Maziah
Istana Maziah
Istana Maziah is the official palace of the Sultan of Terengganu. It is located at the foot of Bukit Puteri in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia...
, Kuala Terengganu
Kuala Terengganu
-Transport:The city is connected to other towns via a good network of roads and also some ferries that ply the Terengganu River. The Sultan Mahmud Bridge, a bridge over the Terengganu River, provides a road link to both banks of the river...
. Sultan Ismail's
descendants have since ruled Terengganu
Terengganu
Terengganu is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Iman...
.
Sultan Ali continued to dispute his dismissal until his death on May 17, 1996.
Election as Deputy King
Sultan Ismail served as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan AgongYang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
between September 21, 1960 to September 20, 1965.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Sultan Ismail was elected the fourth Yang di-Pertuan AgongYang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
of Malaysia and served in that office from September 21, 1965 until September 20, 1970.
Sultan Ismail's reign coincided with many visits by important world and South East Asian leaders, including US President Lyndon B Johnson, West German President Lubke, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Shah of Iran, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, General Ne Win of Burma and Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky of South Vietnam. The security of the country was more secure during his reign as the Konfrontasi with Indonesia ended and the Philippines sought normal relations (after its claim of Sabah) with Malaysia. Due to health reasons he wanted to resign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
in 1969, but was persuaded by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...
not to do so as the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
would be Tunku Abdul Rahman's nephew (Tuanku Abdul Halim
Tuanku Abdul Halim
Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, GCB KStJ is the designate Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia following his election in 2011, as well as the 27th and current Sultan of Kedah. He previously served as the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1970 to 1975...
of Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
) and the Tunku felt it was not right for him to continue in office during that time. In his farewell speech at the end of his and Sultan Ismail's term as Yang Di Pertuan Agong, Tunku Abdul Rahman declared that the event signified "the end of the first chapter of Malaysia's history".
Sultan Ismail was reigning as Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
when the May 13 incident
May 13 Incident
The 13 May Incident is a term for the Sino-Malay sectarian violences in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia, which began on 13 May 1969...
sparked racial riots in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and parliament was suspended. Despite this unfortunate event Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...
described Sultan Ismail's reign as "a most eventful and glorious one". . Sultan Ismail launched the Rukun Negara, the Malaysian declaration of national philosophy on 31 August 1970.
Death and funeral
Sultan Ismail died in Kuala Terengganu on September 20, 1979 and was buried a day later at the Royal Mausoleum near Abidin Mosque, Kuala Terengganu. He was succeeded by Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah ShahSultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah
Almarhum Al-Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Al-Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Al-Haj was the 16th Sultan of Terengganu from 1979 to 1998.-Life:Sultan Mahmud was born in 29 April 1930 in Kuala Terengganu...
, his eldest son.
Family life
Sultan Ismail married four times:- Che Wan Aminah binti Che Wan Chik, by whom he had two daughters
- in 1929 to Tengku Tengah Zaharah binti Tengku Setia Raja Pahang Tengku Umar bin Sultan Ahmad Pahang (1911–1979; divorced) by whom he had seven children including his successor as sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mahmud
- Che Jarah binti Abdullah, by whom he had one daughter
- in 1944 to Tengku Intan Zaharah binti Tengku Setia Raja Terengganu Tengku Hitam UmarTengku Intan ZaharahTengku Intan Zaharah binti Tengku Hitam Omar is the current Tengku Ampuan Tua of Terengganu. She was formerly the Tengku Ampuan Besar of Terengganu from 1945 to 1979. She also served as the fourth Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia from 1965 to 1970.-Early life:Tengku Intan was born in Singapore...
(1928- ) sometime Tengku Ampuan Besar of Terengganu, Raja Permaisuri AgongRaja Permaisuri AgongRaja Permaisuri Agong, or in full, Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong, is the title given to the Queen of Malaysia, consort of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.The holders of this office have been:...
and currently Tengku Tua of TerengganuTerengganuTerengganu is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Iman...
Foreign Honours
King George V Silver Jubilee MedalKing George V Silver Jubilee Medal
The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V.-Issue:...
- 1935 King George VI Coronation Medal
King George VI Coronation Medal
The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of...
- 1937 Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) - 1951 (CMG - 1948) Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to...
- 1953 Raja of the Order of Sikatuna
Order of Sikatuna
The Order of Sikatuna is the national order of diplomatic merit of the Republic of the Philippines. It is conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippines, upon diplomats, officials and nationals of foreign states who have rendered...
- 1966 Special Class of the Bundesverdienstkreuz
Bundesverdienstkreuz
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
- 1966 Grand Order of Mugunghwa - 1966 Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
Order of the Chrysanthemum
is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the collar of the Order was added on January 4, 1888. Although technically the order has only one class, it can either be awarded with collar , or with grand cordon...
- 1968 Collar of the Order of Pahlavi - 1968Grand Cordon w/ Collar of the Order of the Queen of Sheba - 1968 Order of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st Class
Trivia
- Sultan Ismail was a keen photographer and his works had been exhibited
- His two royal consorts had exactly the same name (Zaharah Umar)