The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and

ceremonial A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin . Religious and civil (secular) ceremoni ...

head of state A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. The office was established in 1957, when the

Federation of Malaya Malaya, officially the Federation of Malaya, was a country in Southeast Asia from 1948 to 1963. It succeeded the Malayan Union and, before that, British Malaya. It comprised eleven states – nine Malay states and two of the Straits Settleme ...

gained independence from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected by the

Conference of Rulers The Conference of Rulers (also known as Council of Rulers or Durbar, ; Jawi: ) is a council comprising the nine rulers of the Malay states, and the governors (''Yang di-Pertua Negeri'') of the other four states in Malaysia. It was officially ...

, comprising the nine rulers of the Malay states, with the office '' de facto'' rotated between them, making Malaysia one of the world's few elective monarchies. The 17th and current Yang di-Pertuan Agong is Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor. He was elected on 26 October 2023, at a special meeting of the

; he took the oath of office and was sworn in at the Istana Negara on 31 January 2024. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong's

queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...

is known as the '' Raja Permaisuri Agong'', currently Raja Zarith Sofiah. The royal couple are styled in English as "His Majesty" and "Her Majesty".

Constitutional role

The ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' is referred is a constitutional monarch. The

Federal Constitution of Malaysia The Federal Constitution of Malaysia (), which came into force in 1957 as the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya and was amended in 1963 to form the Constitution of Malaysia, is the supreme law of Malaysia and contains a total of 183 art ...

and Acts of Parliament made in accordance with it define the extent of his powers as the

. These are divided into two categories: powers exercised on the advice of the Cabinet or of a minister acting under the general authority of the Cabinet, the Conference of Rulers, or some other officer or institution, and discretionary powers. The Constitution vests the executive power of the federal government in the king. However, with few exceptions, the king is bound to exercise this power on the advice of the Cabinet or of a minister acting under the Cabinet's general authority. In practice, most of the actual day-to-day work of governing is performed by the federal cabinet. The discretionary powers of the king as stated by the Constitution and laws pertain chiefly to appointing the

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

, withholding consent to dissolve Parliament, and calling meetings with the

"concerned solely with the privileges, position, honours and dignities of Their Royal Highnesses". Under the

Westminster system The Westminster system, or Westminster model, is a type of parliamentary system, parliamentary government that incorporates a series of Parliamentary procedure, procedures for operating a legislature, first developed in England. Key aspects of ...

, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is expected to appoint a prime minister who will command the confidence of a majority of the ''

Dewan Rakyat The Dewan Rakyat (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Malaysia, Parliament which is the federal legislature of Malaysia. The chamber and its powers are established by Article 44 of the Constitu ...

'', the elected lower house of

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. Should the prime minister be or become unacceptable, he may be forced out by a

vote of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...

, which would require the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to appoint someone else as prime minister or dissolve Parliament for an election. Conventionally, the prime minister is the head of the party with a majority in Parliament. This was the ''

Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional (BN; ) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1974 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties to succeed the Alliance Party. It is the third largest political coalition with 30 seats in ...

'' coalition from independence in 1957 until 2018, when the ''

Pakatan Harapan Pakatan Harapan (PH; stylised as HARAPAN; ) is a Malaysian Parliamentary group, political coalition consisting of Centre-left politics, centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has led ...

'' coalition took office. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong renews the appointment of a prime minister after every general election until the minister decides to step down. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has discretionary powers to choose who he wants as the prime minister if no party has won a majority vote and is not bound by the decision of the outgoing prime minister (Article 40). It, however, does not afford him the right and authority to dismiss the prime minister. He also can dismiss or withhold consent to a request for the

dissolution of parliament The dissolution of a legislative assembly (or parliament) is the simultaneous termination of service of all of its members, in anticipation that a successive legislative assembly will reconvene later with possibly different members. In a democracy ...

(Article 40). He may discontinue or dissolve parliament (Article 55) but he can only dissolve parliament at the request of the prime minister (Article 43). He can reject any new laws or amendments to existing laws but if he still withholds permission, it will automatically become law after 30 days from the initial submission to him (Article 66).

Appointments

The king appoints numerous high-ranking office holders in the federation under the terms of the Constitution and various legislative acts passed by Parliament. The constitution established procedures for such appointments.

The Cabinet of Ministers

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

, to preside over the Cabinet, appointed at his discretion from among the elected members of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that house – usually the party or coalition leader. *

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...

, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, while acting on the advice of the Prime Minister. * Chief Secretary to the Government as the Secretary of the Cabinet, while acting on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Commissions and committees

* The Election Commission, on the advice of the

. * The Judicial and Legal Service Commission, after consultation with the Chief Justice * The Malaysian Public Service Commission at his discretion, after considering the advice of the Prime Minister and after consultation with the Conference of Rulers.

Judges

* The Chief Justice of Malaysia, on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Conference of Rulers. * The Chief Judge of Malaya, on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Conference of Rulers. * The Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Conference of Rulers.

Senators

The king appoints 44 at-large senators to the ''

Dewan Negara The Dewan Negara (; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia, consisting of 70 senators of whom 26 are elected by the State legislative assemblies of Malaysia, state legislative assemblies, with two senators for ea ...

'', the upper house of Parliament.

State governors

The king appoints the (Governors), of the states of

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 ...

Malacca Malacca (), officially the Historic State of Malacca (), is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca ...

Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...

and

Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...

, at his discretion, after considering the advice of the state's Chief Minister/Premier, for four year terms. The governor's term of office can be renewed also at his disrection. He also appoints the Mayor and City Council of

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 ...

Head of Islam

In addition, the king is the Head of

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

in the four states ruled by appointed governors, in the three Federal Territories (The cities of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya and Labuan Island), as well as in his own home state. In this role, he is advised by the State Islamic Affairs Council in each of the States. The king appoints the chairman and members of each state council. He also appoints the State

Mufti A mufti (; , ) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatāwa'' have played an important role thro ...

(head) in each of these states. There is a single Islamic Affairs Council with jurisdiction for the three Federal Territories. Its members and chairman are appointed by the king, who also appoints the mufti of the Federal Territories.

Commander-in-Chief

In accordance with Article 41 of the Constitution, the king is Commander-in-Chief of the

Malaysian Armed Forces The Malaysian Armed Forces (: MAF; ; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), are the armed forces of Malaysia, consists of three branches; the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The number of MAF active personnel is 113,000 ...

. As such, he is the highest-ranking officer in the military chain of command, holding five star rank in its branches. As the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, he appoints the Chief of Defence Forces, on the advice of the Armed Forces Council. He also appoints the service heads of each of the three branches of the armed forces.

History

On 31 August 1957, having rejected the suggested title of ''Yang di-Pertuan Besar'' in favour of ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'', the

elected the first occupant of the federal throne. By seniority, the 84-year-old major general Ibrahim of Johor,

Sultan of Johor The Sultan of Johor (Malay language, Malay: ''Sultan Johor''; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a hereditary seat and the sovereign ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor. In the past, the sultan held absolute power over the state and was advised by a '' ...

since 1895, was first in line, but he declined the office due to old age. The next in line, Abu Bakar of Pahang,

Sultan of Pahang Sultan of Pahang (, Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the title of the hereditary constitutional head of Pahang, Malaysia. The current sultan is Abdullah of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah. He is the Head of Islam in the state and the s ...

since 1932, was rejected five times by his fellow electors and did not secure the necessary votes, in part because his various marriages to celebrities and cabaret dancers were seen as unbecoming of royalty – especially with the revelation (according to an oral interview with Tunku Abdul Rahman) of a surprise wedding to a ronggeng dancer and their honeymoon to

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan ''Tuanku'' Sir Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad (Jawi script, Jawi: ; 24 August 1895 – 1 April 1960) was the Yamtuan Besar, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan from 1933, and the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Federation ...

, who had been elected to his state throne (

Yamtuan Besar The Yamtuan Besar ( Jawi: ), officially Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan (lit. "He Who Is Made a Great Lord", Jawi: ), is the royal title of the ruler of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. The Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sem ...

) in 1933, was elected king by eight votes to one. The first Conference of Rulers after the formation of Malaysia comprised:

Election

The holder of the office and title of King of Malaysia is formally elected to a five-year term by and from the nine rulers of the

Malay states The monarchies of Malaysia exist in each of the nine Malay states under the constitutional monarchy system as practised in Malaysia. The political system of Malaysia is based on the Westminster parliamentary system in combination with features ...

(the nine

states of Malaysia Malaysia is a federation of thirteen federated state, states and three federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territories, which form the primary administrative division, administrative divisions of the country. Eleven states and two territ ...

that have hereditary royal rulers), who form the

. After a ruler has served his term as king, he may not stand for election until all rulers of the other states have also stood for election to the office and have served their office. In the event of a vacancy of the office (by death, abdication, or deposition by a majority vote of the rulers), the Conference of Rulers elects a new office holder as king as if the previous term had expired. The new king is elected for a full five-year term by the Conference. After his term expires, it holds a new election, in which the incumbent would not be re-elected to the office. The position ''de facto'' rotates among the nine state rulers. The selection of the candidate for the kingship initially followed an order based on the seniority (calculated by length of reign) of each ruler in 1957, at the

's independence from the United Kingdom. The Conference of Rulers, which has the power to disqualify a candidate, has sometimes varied the original seniority order, as noted above. Since then, the states have followed a ''de facto'' established rotation order. Minors are automatically disqualified from nomination and holding the office. The Conference of Rulers has met regularly since 1985. The four governors (; the heads of states without hereditary rulers) also attend the Conference, but only rulers are allowed to vote and stand for election for the office of king.

Qualifications

* Only a ruler may be elected as king. * Only the rulers may vote for the nominated ruler. The Constitution provides that a ruler is not eligible for election as king if: * The ruler is a minor. * The ruler has notified the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal that he does not wish to be elected to the office. * The Conference of Rulers, by a secret ballot, decide that the ruler is unsuitable by reason of infirmity of mind or body, or for any other cause, to exercise the functions of the office of king. The resolution requires at least, five royal members of the Conference vote in favour of it.

Election proceedings

The election is carried out by a secret ballot. The ballot papers used are not numbered, but marked with the same pen and ink, and are inserted into a ballot box. Only the royal rulers of the states participate in the election. A ruler may appoint another ruler as his proxy to vote on his behalf if he is unable to attend the Election Meeting. During the election process, the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal distributes the ballot with only one candidate. Each ruler is requested to indicate whether the candidate is suitable or not to be elected King. The most junior ruler, who is not listed as nominee for the office of king, or the outgoing King is appointed to count the ballot papers together with the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal. The nominee must have obtained five votes before the ruler presiding over the Election Meeting informs him of his election to the office of King and asks him to accept the title. If the successful nominee declines the offer or the nominated ruler fails to secure the required majority votes for the office, the voting process is repeated with the nomination of the second most senior ruler based on the list of Seniority of States. Rulers are named and stand for election in turn. The process is completed only after a ruler has accepted the offer of the office of King by the presiding ruler. The Conference declares the elected ruler to be the new king to hold office for a term of five years. The ballot papers are destroyed in the presence of the rulers as soon as the result of the election is announced. On taking office as king months after election, he appoints a

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 ...

for the duration of his five-year term for the state which he rules. Usually, but not always, the prince regent is a close relative. The regent acts as head of state in that state for every purpose except for the role of head of Islam, which is retained by the king.

Order of seniority of states

Since the first cycle of nine kings (1957–1994), the order among the eligible state rulers has followed the order established by that cycle, namely: #

Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan The Yamtuan Besar (Jawi script, Jawi: ), officially Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan (lit. "He Who Is Made a Great Lord", Jawi: ), is the royal title of the ruler of the states and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of N ...

# Sultan of Selangor # Raja of Perlis #

Sultan of Terengganu The Sultan of Terengganu (, Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the title of the constitutional head of Terengganu state in Malaysia. The current sultan, Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, is the 18th sultan and 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 2 ...

Sultan of Kedah The Kedah Sultanate () is a Muslim dynasty located in the Malay Peninsula. It was originally an independent state, but became a British protectorate in 1909. Its monarchy was abolished after it was added to the Malayan Union but was restored ...

# Sultan of Kelantan #

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 ...

With Brunei's decision not to participate in the formation of Malaysia in 1963, only the rulers of the nine royal states of Peninsular Malaysia have been made eligible for election for the throne. Had it been admitted as a royal state the Sultan of Brunei would have been granted the right to stand for election as king by the

. This cycle was originally established based on seniority. However, the current rulers are named (and stand as a candidate) according to the cycle, irrespective of whether they are currently the most senior. Since independence from British colonial rule, this has been the order of elected kings. However, the order is not a precedent and the election to the position and office of the king is at the pleasure of the Conference of Rulers. As an elective monarchy, there is no line of succession to the throne of Malaysia. Four of the states of Malaysia do not have hereditary rulers. These are

and

previously had three hereditary rulers (the

White Rajahs The White Rajahs of Sarawak were a hereditary monarchy of the Brooke family, who founded and ruled the Raj of Sarawak as a sovereign state, located on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo in Maritime Southeast Asia, from 1841 to 1946. Of ...

) until it became a Crown colony of the British Empire in 1946. These four states, along with Malaysia's three Federal Territories, do not supply the king.

Immunity

In 1993, amendments to the Malaysian constitution removed the legal immunity of the king and the state rulers in their personal capacity, due to public outrage over their behaviour. A Special Court (''Mahkamah Khas Raja-raja'') is established where civil and criminal proceedings can be made against a ruler with the approval of the Attorney General. The right to sue a ruler is limited to Malaysian citizens following a precedent. The Special Court also have jurisdiction where a ruler initiates legal actions against any party. When a ruler is charged with an offence in the Special Court, he is required to stop exercising the functions of a ruler. In the event of a ruler being sentenced to imprisonment for more than one day, he will be forced to abdicate from his duties as a ruler unless a free pardon is granted. The king or any ruler cannot pardon himself or his immediate family. In such case, they may request clemency from the Conference of Rulers. The king cannot be sued in court for his actions while carrying out his official duties. Any claims can be made against the federal government.

Residences

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia-Istana Negara-Jalan-Duta-01

The official residence of the King is the '' Istana Negara'' (the National Palace) located in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim in the federal capital

. It was completed in 2011. It replaced the old Istana Negara in Jalan Istana which had been turned into the Royal Museum in 2013. Other residences include the royal retreat, '' Istana Melawati'' in the federal administrative capital

Putrajaya Putrajaya (), officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya (), is the administrative centre of Malaysia. The Seat of government, seat of the Government of Malaysia, federal government of Malaysia was moved in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajay ...

. The two palaces alternate as a venue of meetings of the Conference of Rulers.

Titles and style

The King's official full style and title in Malay is . * literally means 'Under the dust of the Almighty', referring to how the regal power of the King is dust compared to the power of

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

and the ruler is always subservient to God. * refers to '' Seri'' as in a person. means footwear or shoes, and the term '','' is a third-person pronoun in Malay for royalty and prophets. These terms imply a lower status of the King compared to the prophets. * in literal English is 'He who is made Supreme Lord'. It is an archaic term for a presiding head which is or literally means 'One who is made lord'. "Agong" (or in standard Malay) means 'supreme'. The term is not translated, as in the

Constitution of Malaysia The Federal Constitution of Malaysia (), which came into force in 1957 as the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya and was amended in 1963 to form the Constitution of Malaysia, is the supreme law of Malaysia and contains a total of 183 art ...

. Common English terms used in the media and by the general public include "Paramount Ruler" or "Supreme Head of the Federation". The very common term "King" has also been conveniently used by the media and official government portal, although it is not an official or legal title of the federal ruler according to the constitution. In Malaysian passports before 2010, the title "The Supreme Head of Malaysia" was used in the English version of the passport note. Since the issuance of

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...

-compliant e-passports in 2010, the untranslated title "His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia" has been used. In formal English correspondence, for many years the King was referred to as "His Majesty The Yang di-Pertuan Agong". In January 2024, this was changed to "His Majesty The King of Malaysia". Formal address to the King is taken seriously in Malaysia. There are two ways of addressing the King: * Malay: ''Tuanku'' (literally 'My Lord') * English: Your Majesty

Royal Standards

The Royal Standard of the king is royal yellow with the

Coat of arms of Malaysia The coat of arms of Malaysia () is a coat of arms comprising a shield or Escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon, two tigers for supporters, a crescent and fourteen-pointed star for a Crest (heraldry), crest and a motto. As the Malaysian coat of arms ...

in the centre, surrounded by a rice paddy wreath coloured gold – both are traditional royal colours in the peninsula. The same goes for the Royal Standards of the Queen and the Deputy King, but the designs are different. The queen's standard is green in colour, with the coat of arms at the centre surrounded by the paddy wreath. The deputy king's standard is bicolored, yellow at the top and light blue at the bottom, with the coat of arms at the centre (without the paddy) and below that is the office bearer's title in a gold scroll.

Deputy King

Personal standard of Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong

The Deputy King of Malaysia (Malay: ''Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong'') is elected by the same process immediately after the king has been elected by the Conference of Rules. The office is usually (but not always) held by the ruler next in line to rule after the current king. The deputy king exercises the functions of the head of state during the king's absence, or inability to exercise the functions of his office due to illness or infirmity (similar to a

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

vizier A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...

in other countries). The deputy king does not automatically succeed as King of Malaysia when a vacancy occurs in that office. The deputy king acts as head of state in the interregnum period before the election of the new king and deputy king by the Conference of Rulers as stated by the Constitution and legislative acts of Parliament. The current holder of the office of Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong is

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

Nazrin Shah of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-LahAnbalagan, V. (29 May 2014Raja Nazrin proclaimed as the 75th Sultan of Perak The Malaysian Insider. (Jawi script, Jawi: ; born 27 November 1956) is the cu ...

since 13 December 2016, the first to hold it for three straight terms of office.

Official birthday

The first Saturday of June, until 2015, was mandated by law as the official birthday of the king. It is marked with various activities all over the nation and the celebrations in Kuala Lumpur are the highlights of the national festivities, with the celebrations of it from 2013 onwards lasting a whole week between two weekends. After the installation of

Sultan Muhammad V Muhammad V (Jawi script, Jawi: ; born 6 October 1969) has been the 29th Sultan of Kelantan since ascending to the throne in 2010. He previously reigned as the King of Malaysia from 2016 until his abdication in 2019. He was proclaimed Sultan o ...

as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2017, the date for the official birthday was amended twice, first to the last Saturday of July, and then to September 9. This amendment was originally planned to take effect under the reign of Sultan Muhammad V until 2021, before his announcement of abdication. In March 2020, it was announced that Yang di-Pertuan Agong's birthday would be changed from the customary first Saturday of June (6 June) to the following Monday (8 June). From 2021, subsequent iterations of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's birthday throughout Sultan Abdullah's reign will fall on the first Monday of June instead. The King's Official Birthday is recognized by law as one of the official federal holidays of Malaysia. While it warrants government offices, including schools to be closed and banks and other offices would follow suit, most of it falls on Saturday which is the nation's common weekend day so no additional leave day will be given and premises would already be closed for the weekend. This was before the amendments made it a weekday holiday.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday Honours List Ceremony and Birthday High Tea

The Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur serves as the venue for the annual Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday Honours List and Address to the Nation ceremony attended by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, members of the Federal Government and Parliament, the state diplomatic corps, honoured guests and the Honours List members for the year, in the order of precedence of state medals. The event honours the year's national achievers and heroes with the awarding of state orders, medals and decorations and their accompanying titles. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong addresses the whole nation via radio and television on this day from the Throne Room of the palace complex. It is followed later by the traditional holiday high tea gathering at the palace grounds in the afternoon.

Trooping the Colour

Trooping the Colour in Malaysia, although inherited from the British, has transformed into a grander and more Malaysian celebration on the first Saturday of June annually live on

's Independence Square, which is both open to invited guests and the general public. As the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong takes the salute on this day together with the commanders of the three services of the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Joint Forces Command, Malaysia and the members of the Malaysian Armed Forces Council, of which he is the chairman, plus military personnel and veterans in attendance. He wears the No.1

dress uniform Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is among the most formal wear, formal type of uniform used by military, police, firefighter, fire and other public uniformed services for official parade (mili ...

on that day, and as each of the 8 state monarchs are Colonel-in-Chief of selected Malaysian Army regiments as well as of the Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Sultan of Selangor serves as Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy, he wears that regiment's coloured sash as part of his ceremonial uniform (for the Army), or the RMAF blue or RMN white No. 1 dress uniform. The 2013 edition was held on the second Saturday of June for the first time, while the 2016 parade was held on the fourth Friday of July (22 July) for the first time in

, the national seat of government. RTM broadcasts the ceremony live, starting at 8:50am.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship

In November 2006, the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong awarded, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship for the first time, to ten outstanding students to pursue postgraduate studies at high-ranking world universities. The award of scholarships was held at the Istana Negara in conjunction with the Independence Day celebrations and the Conference of Rulers.

Lists

Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia)

The following rulers have served as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong:

Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Deputy King of Malaysia)

The following rulers have served as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Deputy King of Malaysia): * Denotes those who became the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) immediately following the end of their tenure as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Deputy King).

Timeline

ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:30 right:70 left:5 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1957 till:2024 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:1957 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:10 start:1957 Colors = id:canvas value:rgb(1,1,1) id:ns value:orange id:s value:red id:prl value:yellow id:t value:purple id:kd value:green id:ktn value:red id:phg value:purple id:jhr value:blue id:prk value:rgb(0.75,1,0) id:eon value:blue Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Rulers bar:eon PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:8 width:25 shift:(0,-5) bar:eon color:eon from: 1957 till: 1960 color:ns text:" Negeri Sembilan " from: 1960 till: 1960 color:s text:"

Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...

" from: 1960 till: 1965 color:prl text:"

Perlis Perlis (Kedah Malay language, Kedah Malay (Perlis dialect): ''Peghelih'') is a Negeri, state of Malaysia in the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. The state borders the Thai ...

" from: 1965 till: 1970 color:t text:"

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...

" from: 1970 till: 1975 color:kd text:"

Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...

" from: 1975 till: 1979 color:ktn text:"

Kelantan Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...

" from: 1979 till: 1984 color:phg text:"

Pahang {{Infobox political division , name = Pahang , official_name = Pahang Darul Makmur , native_name = , settlement_type = States and federal territories of Malaysia, State , image_skyline = , imagesize ...

" from: 1984 till: 1989 color:jhr text:"

Johor Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore ...

" from: 1989 till: 1994 color:prk text:"

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 ...

" from: 1994 till: 1999 color:ns text:"

Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...

" from: 1999 till: 2001 color:s text:"

" from: 2001 till: 2006 color:prl text:"

" from: 2006 till: 2011 color:t text:"

" from: 2011 till: 2016 color:kd text:"

" from: 2016 till: 2019 color:ktn text:"

" from: 2019 till: 2024 color:phg text:"

" from: 2024 till: end color:jhr text:"

" width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till barset:Rulers from: 1957 till: 1960 color:ns text:"

Tuanku Abdul Rahman '' Tuanku'' Sir Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad ( Jawi: ; 24 August 1895 – 1 April 1960) was the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan from 1933, and the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Federation of Malaya from 1957, unt ...

" from: 1960 till: 1960 color:s text:" Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah" from: 1960 till: 1965 color:prl text:"

Tuanku Syed Putra Tuanku Sir Syed Harun Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail (Jawi script, Jawi: ; 25 November 1920 – 16 April 2000) was the Raja of Perlis from 1945 until his death in 2000, and the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia), from ...

" from: 1965 till: 1970 color:t text:" Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah" from: 1970 till: 1975 color:kd text:" Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah" from: 1975 till: 1979 color:ktn text:" Sultan Yahya Petra" from: 1979 till: 1984 color:phg text:" Sultan Ahmad Shah" from: 1984 till: 1989 color:jhr text:" Sultan Iskandar" from: 1989 till: 1994 color:prk text:" Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah" from: 1994 till: 1999 color:ns text:" Tuanku Ja'afar" from: 1999 till: 2001 color:s text:" Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah" from: 2001 till: 2006 color:prl text:" Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin" from: 2006 till: 2011 color:t text:" Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin" from: 2011 till: 2016 color:kd text:" Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah" from: 2016 till: 2019 color:ktn text:"

" from: 2019 till: 2024 color:phg text:" Al-Sultan Abdullah" from: 2024 till: end color:jhr text:" Sultan Ibrahim Ismail" barset:skip LineData = layer:front

Notes

References

External links

His Majesty The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong
on Malaysian government website

page {{Monarchies 1957 establishments in Malaya Federal political office-holders in Malaysia Field marshals Government of Malaysia Heads of state in Asia

Yang di Pertuan Agong The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained independence from the Uni ...

Monarchies of Malaysia Malaysian nobility Noble titles of Malaysia Recipients of the Darjah Kerabat Diraja Malaysia Royal titles Malaysian royalty