Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-LahAnbalagan, V. (29 May 2014
Raja Nazrin proclaimed as the 75th Sultan of Perak

The Malaysian Insider ''The Malaysian Insider'' (also known as ''TMI'', ''The Insider'', or ''Malay Ins Ins'') was a Malaysian bilingual news site. During its peak, it ranked consistently as one of the country's 100 most popular websites. In June 2009, Alexa rank ...

. ( Jawi: ; born 27 November 1956) is the current Deputy King of Malaysia and

Sultan of Perak The Sultan of Perak (, Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the Constitutional monarchy, constitutional monarch and head of state of the Malaysia, Malaysian state of Perak. It is one of the oldest hereditary seats among the Malay states. The current Sultan o ...

. Nazrin Shah ascended the throne of Perak in 2014. As Sultan of Perak, he has been a strong advocate for education, Islamic moderation, and national unity. He served as deputy king under Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan (2016–2019), Sultan Abdullah of Pahang (2019–2024), and

Sultan Ibrahim of Johor Sultan Sir Ibrahim Al-Masyhur ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Al-Khalil Ibrahim Shah ( Jawi: ; 17 September 1873 – 8 May 1959) was a Malaysian sultan and the 2nd modern Sultan of Johor and 22nd Sultan of Johor overall. He was considered "fabul ...

(2024–present).

Early life

Sultan Nazrin Shah was born on 27 November 1956 in

George Town, Penang George Town is the capital of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. It is the core city of the George Town Conurbation, Malaysia's List of cities and towns in Malaysia by population#Largest metropolitan are ...

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

during the reign of his grandfather, Sultan Yussuf Izzuddin Shah. He is the eldest son of Sultan

Azlan Shah Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-lah ( Jawi: ; 19 April 1928 – 28 May 2014) was Sultan of Perak from 1984 until his death in 2014, the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia), from ...

and

Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun ( Jawi: راج ڤرمايسوري توانکو بعينون; born Bainun binti Mohd Ali; 7 November 1932) is the former Raja Permaisuri (queen consort) of Perak. She was also the ninth Raja Permaisuri Agong (queen ...

Academic life

He studied at Sekolah Rendah Jalan Kuantan,

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

from 1962 to 1967, followed by lower secondary stage at

St. John's Institution St. John's Institution (abbreviated SJI) or formerly known as St. John's National Secondary School () is a public all-boys school (sixth form is co-ed) and is one of the oldest schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The school is widely known by ...

from 1968 to 1970, and furthered his upper secondary and sixth form at

The Leys School The Leys School is a co-educational private school in Cambridge, England. It is a boarding and day school for about 565 pupils between the ages of eleven and eighteen. The head is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

(UK) until 1975. Sultan Nazrin holds a BA in

Philosophy, Politics and Economics Philosophy, politics and economics, or politics, philosophy and economics (PPE), is an interdisciplinary undergraduate or postgraduate academic degree, degree which combines study from three disciplines. The first institution to offer degrees in P ...

from

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms was ad ...

. He also holds an

MPA MPA or mPa may refer to: Academia Academic degrees * Master of Performing Arts * Master of Professional Accountancy * Master of Public Administration * Master of Public Affairs Schools * Mesa Preparatory Academy * Morgan Park Academy * M ...

from

John F. Kennedy School of Government The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), is the school of public policy of Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard Kennedy School offers master's de ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, and a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

Political Economy Political or comparative economy is a branch of political science and economics studying economic systems (e.g. Marketplace, markets and national economies) and their governance by political systems (e.g. law, institutions, and government). Wi ...

and

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

, also from Harvard. Sultan Nazrin's research interests are in the area of economic and political development in South-East and North-East Asia, historical national income accounting and economic growth in developing countries. Sultan Nazrin has also written articles and spoken on a wide range of issues including the role of the constitutional monarchy in Malaysia, education, Islam, ethnic relations and economic development. He has assumed the role of Financial Ambassador of the Malaysian International Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC), has been Chancellor of

Universiti Malaya The Universiti Malaya (lit 'University of Malaya'; abbreviated UM) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest Malaysian institution of higher education, and was the only university in newly independent ...

since 2014 and is the chairman of the Board of Governors of the

Malay College Kuala Kangsar The Malay College Kuala Kangsar (abbreviated MCKK; ; ) is a residential school in Malaysia. It is an all-boys and all- Malay school in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Perak. It is sometimes dubbed "the Eton College of the East". The Malay Col ...

. Sultan Nazrin is an honorary fellow at Worcester College, Oxford University; and Magdalene College and St. Edmund's College, University of Cambridge; trustee of Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Oxford University, Royal fellow of Malaysia Institute of Defense and Security (MIDAS); Royal fellow of Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, Royal fellow of Institute of Public Security Malaysia (IPSOM); and the Royal patron for Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre. He was conferred an honorary Masters of Business Administration by the Cranfield Institute of Technology, United Kingdom in 1993; an honorary Doctor of Economics by Soka University, Japan, in 1999; and an honorary degree by The University of Nottingham in 2016.

Raja Muda of Perak

The Perak Sultanate does not practice

Agnatic Primogeniture Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit all or most of their parent's estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relat ...

, so, when his father became the Sultan of Perak, he did not automatically become the raja muda (crown prince). Perak uses a hierarchy system, where the Sultan appoints princes of Perak to any vacant ranks. At that time, there were some vacancies of the 6 princes with titles ranks. On 16 February 1984, he was proclaimed as the Raja Kechil Besar of Perak, which made him 3rd in line to the throne. After the death of Raja Ahmad Saifuddin ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Shah, the then-Raja Muda of Perak in 1987, the Raja Muda title was passed to him due to the Raja Di-Hilir of Perak, Raja Ahmad Hisham ibni Raja Abdul Malik, who was 80, refusing the title due to old age. He was proclaimed Raja Muda of

Perak Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...

on 15 April 1987.

Sultan of Perak

On 29 May 2014, he became the 35th Sultan of Perak on the death of his father, Sultan Azlan Shah. This marked the first time in almost a century that a father-son inheritance of the throne occurred in Perak. It also marks the first time in centuries that the Sultan of Perak was not born in Perak, as Sultan Nazrin was born in

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

. He had previously been appointed as the

Regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

of Perak twice. The first time was when his father was elected as the ninth Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, where he was regent for five years, from 26 April 1989 to 25 April 1994. When his father's health deteriorated in 2008, Sultan Nazrin served again as the Regent from 27 January 2008 until he ascended the throne and became the Sultan of Perak in 2014. As the Sultan of Perak, he is also the

Colonel-in-Chief Colonel-in-Chief is a ceremonial position in an army regiment. It is in common use in several Commonwealth armies, where it is held by the regiment's patron, usually a member of the royal family. Some armed forces take a light-hearted approach to ...

of the Malaysian Army's Royal Army Engineers Regiment and Royal Army Medical Corps.

Election as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Sultan Nazrin was elected as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia in the 243th Special Meeting of Conference of Rulers on 14 October 2016. The appointment took effect on 13 December 2016. In the 251st Special Meeting of the Conference of Rulers, while Sultan Abdullah of Pahang was elected as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Nazrin was re-elected as the deputy king for a new 5-year term effective on 31 January 2019. His regency as acting king ended at midnight on 31 January 2019. Sultan Nazrin Shah was re-elected as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the 263rd Special Meeting of the Conference of Rulers. He works alongside the newly elected 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong,

, effective 31 January 2024.

Regency

On 2 November 2018, Sultan Nazrin was proclaimed as the acting Yang di-Pertuan Agong while Sultan Muhammad V was on medical leave. He ended his duties on 31 December 2018. However, due to the sudden abdication of Sultan Muhammad V as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 6 January 2019, he again became the acting king the next day whilst the Conference of Rulers elected the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 24 January 2019 and during the subsequent swearing-in ceremony on 31 January 2019.

Marriage and children

Sultan Nazrin married Tuanku Zara Salim Davidson at the

Istana Iskandariah Istana Iskandariah or Iskandariah Palace is the royal palace of the Perak Sultanate and the official residence of the Sultan of Perak since its completion in 1933. It is located in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia. All the Sultans ...

, Bukit Chandan, on 17 May 2007. Sultan Nazrin and Tuanku Zara had known each other for eight years prior to the wedding. The day after the wedding there was a ceremony to bestow Tuanku Zara Salim with the official title of Raja Puan Besar (Crown Princess) of Perak. Sultan Nazrin's father proclaimed Tuanku Zara Salim as the Raja Puan Besar of Perak and conferred the Darjah Kerabat (Royal Family Order) on her. The first child of the couple,

Raja Azlan Muzzaffar Shah Raja Dato' Seri Azlan Muzzaffar Shah Ibni Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah is a member of the Perak royal family who is the ''Raja Kecil Besar'' (Grand Minor Prince) of Perak and as such the third in line of succession to the throne of the Malays ...

, was born on 14 March 2008, followed by Raja Nazira Safya Shah, was born on 2 August 2011.

Family

He is the first child of Sultan

and his wife Tuanku Bainun binti Mohd Ali. His father once worked as a magistrate and his mother was a teacher. His siblings are: *

Raja Azureen Raja Azureen binti Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah is the eldest daughter of Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak. She was born in Penang, Malaya (now Malaysia) on 9 December 1957. Biography Raja Azureen had her primary educati ...

(born 9 December 1957) *

Raja Ashman Shah Raja Ashman Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-lah (28 December 1958 – 30 March 2012) was a member of the Perak royal family and the second son of the late Sultan Azlan Sultan.

(born 28 December 1958, died 30 March 2012) *

Raja Eleena Raja Eleena binti Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah (born 3 April 1960) is the fourth child of the 34th Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah. Raja Eleena was born on 3 April 1960 and she went to SMK Convent Bukit Nanas during ...

(born 3 April 1960) *

Raja Yong Sofia Raja Yong Sofia binti Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah (born 24 June 1961) is the fifth child of the 34th Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah. She holds a master's degree in Administration from International University in L ...

(born 24 June 1961) His children are: * Raja Azlan Muzzaffar Shah, Raja Kecil Besar of Perak (born 14 March 2008) * Raja Nazira Safya (born 2 August 2011)

Bibliography

*''Charting the Economy: Early 20th Century Malaya and Contemporary Malaysian'' (January 2017) *''Striving for Inclusive Development: From Pangkor to a Modern Malaysian State'' (July 2019) *''Globalization: Perak's Rise, Relative Decline, and Regeneration'' (July 2024)

Titles and styles

Sultan Nazrin's full name and official title is in Malay: ''Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Maghfur-Lah, D.K., D.K.S.A., D.K.A., D.M.N., D.K. (Kelantan), D.K. (Selangor), D.K.N.S. (Negeri Sembilan), D.K. (Perlis), D.K (Kedah), D.K. (Johor), D.K. (Pahang), PhD (Harvard), Sultan, Yang di-Pertuan dan Raja Pemerintah Negeri Perak Darul Ridzuan dan Jajahan Takluknya'' in English: ''His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Maghfur-Lah, D.K., D.K.S.A., D.K.A., D.M.N., D.K. (Kelantan), D.K. (Selangor), D.K.N.S. (Negeri Sembilan), D.K. (Perlis), D.K. (Kedah), D.K. (Johor), D.K. (Pahang), PhD (Harvard), The Sultan, Sovereign Ruler and Head of the Government of Perak Abode of Grace and its dependencies''

Honours

He has been awarded:

Honours of Perak

* Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Perak (DK) (1987) * Superior Class of the Perak Family Order of Sultan Azlan Shah (DKSA) (18 April 2005) * MY-PERA Azlanii Royal Family Order - Member First Class - DKA I

MY-PERA Azlanii Royal Family Order - Member First Class - DKA I

Member First Class of the Azlanii Royal Family Order (DKA I) * Grand Knight of the Order of Cura Si Manja Kini (SPCM) – Dato' Seri (19 April 1986) * Knight Grand Commander of the Order of Taming Sari (SPTS) – Dato' Seri Panglima (19 April 1989) * MY-PERA Order of the Perak State Crown - Kn Grd Commander - SPMP

MY-PERA Order of the Perak State Crown - Kn Grd Commander - SPMP

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Perak State Crown (SPMP) – Dato' Seri

Honours of Malaysia

* ** Recipient of the

Order of the Crown of the Realm The Most Exalted Order of the Crown of the Realm () is a Malaysian federal award. It is ranked lower than the Order of the Royal Family of Malaysia. It should not be confused with the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia. Classes and re ...

(DMN) (2014) * ** MY-PERL Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail - DK

Recipient of the Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail (DK) (17 May 2015) ** MY-PERL Order of the Crown of Perlis - Knight Grand Commander - SPMP

MY-PERL Order of the Crown of Perlis - Knight Grand Commander - SPMP

Knight Grand Commander of the

Order of the Crown of Perlis Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...

(SPMP) – Dato' Seri ** MY-PERL Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail Silver Jubilee Medal ribbon bar

Recipient of Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail Silver Jubilee Medal (2025) * ** MY-SEL Royal Family Order of Selangor - DK II

Second Class of the

Royal Family Order of Selangor The Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Selangor (Malay language, Malay: ''Darjah Kerabat Selangor Yang Amat Dihormati'') is an Order (distinction), order awarded by Sultan of Selangor to members of the Selangor and other Royal families, and to h ...

(DK II) (13 December 2003) ** MY-SEL Royal Family Order of Selangor - DK I

First Class of the

(DK I) (2014) * ** MY-KEL Royal Family Order - Star of Yunus - DK

Recipient of the

Royal Family Order of Kelantan The Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Kelantan or the Star of Yunus ( Malay: ''Darjah Kerabat Yang Amat Di-Hormati'' or ''Bintang Al-Yunusi'') is an honorific order of the Sultanate of Kelantan. History Instituted on 9 August 1916, this ord ...

(DK) (20 January 2015) * ** Member of the

Royal Family Order of Kedah The Most Illustrious Royal Family Order of Kedah () is the highest dynastic order of the House of Sri Mahawangsa and the second highest chivalric order of the state of Kedah ranking immediately after the State of Kedah Star of Valour. The order w ...

(DK) * ** MY-NEG Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan - DKNS

Member of the

Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan The Most Illustrious Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan () is the highest chivalric and dynastic order of the state of Negeri Sembilan. The order was established on 24 May 1979 by Yamtuan Besar Ja'afar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Ja'afar to re ...

(DKNS) (14 January 2015) * ** Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Johor - ribbon bar

First Class of the Royal Family Order of Johor (DK I) (26 February 2019) * ** MY-PAH Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang - DK I

Member 1st class of the

Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang The Most Esteemed Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang ( Malay: ''Darjah Kerabat Sri Indera Mahkota Pahang Yang Amat Dihormati'') is an honorific order of the Sultanate of Pahang. History Instituted on 25 May 1967, the order is awarde ...

(DK I) (28 November 2019)

Honorary degrees

* ** Honorary Masters of Business Administration from the

Cranfield Institute of Technology Cranfield University is a postgraduate-only public research university in the United Kingdom that specialises in science, engineering, design, technology and management. Cranfield was founded as the College of Aeronautics (CoA) in 1946. Throug ...

- (1993) ** Honorary degree from the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...

- (2016) * ** Honorary Doctor of Economics from the Soka University - (1999) * ** Honorary Doctorate in Islamic Finance from the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) University - (2019)

Legacy

Several places were named after him, including: * Raja Muda Nazrin Bridge in Lenggong, Perak * Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Mosque in Ipoh, Perak * Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Residential College, a residential college at

University of Malaya The Universiti Malaya (lit 'University of Malaya'; abbreviated UM) is a public university, public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest Malaysian institution of higher education, and was the only university in ...

, Kuala Lumpur * Sekolah Menengah Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah, a secondary school in Perak Tengah, Perak * Jalan Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah in Ipoh, Perak * Kolej Perikanan Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah in Lumut, Perak * The Sultan Nazrin Shah CentreRIBA Architecture
/ref> at

Worcester College Worcester College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms was ad ...

, Oxford, UK * Masjid Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah in Tapah, Perak * Sultan Nazrin Shah Bridge in Bagan Datuk, Perak * The Sultan Nazrin Shah Room in the New Library, Magdalene College Cambridge

Ancestry

References

External links

Official Webpage of the Office of the Sultan of Perak
{{Authority control 1956 births Nazrin Shah Living people Nazrin Shah Malaysian Muslims Malaysian people of Malay descent First Classes of Royal Family Order of Selangor Second Classes of Royal Family Order of Selangor First Classes of the Royal Family Order of Johor Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford People from Penang 21st-century Malaysian politicians Harvard Kennedy School alumni Recipients of the Order of the Crown of the Realm First Classes of the Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang