Sharafuddin of Selangor

Sharafuddin
شرف الدين‎
Sharafuddin in 2024
Sultan of Selangor
Reign22 November 2001 – present
Coronation8 March 2003
PredecessorSalahuddin
Heir apparentTengku Amir Shah
Menteri Besar
See list
Born (1945-12-24) 24 December 1945 (age 78)[1][fn 1]
Istana Jema'ah, Klang, Selangor
(now Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah, Klang)
Spouse
Raja Zarina binti Raja Zainal Abidin
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1986)​
Nur Lisa Idris binti Abdullah
​
​
(m. 1988; div. 1997)​
​
​
(m. 2016)​
Issue
Names
Tengku Idris Shah ibni Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah
Regnal name
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj
HouseRoyal Buginese Luwu
Opu Daeng Celak
FatherSultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj ibni Almarhum Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Alhaj
MotherPaduka Bonda Raja Selangor
Raja Saidatul Ihsan binti Almarhum Raja Bendahara Tengku Badar Shah
ReligionSunni Islam

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj (Jawi: سلطان شرف الدين إدريس شاه الحاج ابن المرحوم سلطان صلاح الدين عبدالعزيز شاه الحاج‎; born 24 December 1945) has been the Sultan of Selangor since ascending to the throne in November 2001.[1]

Early life and education

[edit]

Sharafuddin was born on 24 December 1945, at the Istana Jema'ah in Klang, as the first son of the Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Selangor, Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah and his first wife, Raja Saidatul Ihsan binti Tengku Badar Shah (1923–2011).[2][3] He was named Tengku Idris Shah at birth.[4] His father was the eldest son of Hisamuddin of Selangor and Raja Jemaah, who later became the second Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) and Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen of Malaysia). His mother was the grandchild of both Sulaiman of Selangor and Abdul Jalil of Perak.[5] As such, his parents were first cousins.

He received his primary education at Malay Primary School, Kuala Lumpur when he was nine. He then attended St. John's Institution from 1954 until 1959.[2][4]

In 1960, his father became the Sultan of Selangor, taking the regnal name Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. In the same year, Sharafuddin was proclaimed the Raja Muda of Selangor at age fifteen. He was sent abroad to continue his education, attending the Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange, New South Wales, Australia, from 1970 and later Langhurst College in Surrey, United Kingdom, from 1974.[2][4]

After returning from the United Kingdom in 1968, Sharafuddin joined the government as a public servant, and was attached to the Selangor State Secretariat under the administration of Menteri Besar Harun Idris. He served in the Kuala Lumpur District Office and Kuala Lumpur police department.[2][4]

In 1970, he was formally installed and took oath as the 8th Raja Muda of Selangor in a ceremony held at the Istana Alam Shah, Klang.[6]

On 24 April 1999, he was appointed as Regent of Selangor after his father became the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.[2][4]

Sultan of Selangor

[edit]

On 22 November 2001, Sharafuddin was proclaimed Sultan of Selangor, succeeding his father, who died after serving two years as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.[1] He took the regnal name Sharafuddin (connoting 'religious enlightenment' in Arabic), and is styled as Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.[4]

Coronation

[edit]

His formal coronation took place on 8 March 2003 at the Istana Alam Shah in Klang.[7]

The event started with inspection of Royal Guard of Honour made up of 103 members of the Royal Malaysian Navy by Sharafuddin. He entered the throne room accompanied by a procession of palace officers. He carried out a few rituals including kissing the Quran and kissing the royal regalia, Keris Terapang Gabus before being crowned by the Selangor Mufti.[8]

The ceremony was attended by royal family members of the monarchies of Malaysia and federal government officers. Those who were in attendance include Raja Muda of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah, Tengku Sri Bendahara Raja of Terengganu Tengku Mustaffa Kamel, Tunku Laxamana of Negeri Sembilan Tunku Naquiyuddin, Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah, Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra, Raja Muda of Kedah Tunku Abdul Malik, Tunku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ibrahim Ismail and Tengku Mahkota of Pahang Tengku Abdullah. Also in attendance were acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who represented the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, Regent of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail, and Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al Muhtadee Billah.[8]

Reign

[edit]

As sultan, he is known to have revoked state awards conferred by him or by his father. In 2007, he revoked the Dato' title of a businessman who pleaded guilty to financial fraud. He has also suspended others who have been charged in court for various misdealings or faced bankruptcy.[9][10] In 2011, he suspended the datukship of former transport minister Chan Kong Choy in relation to the latter being charged in court over the Port Klang Free Zone scandal.[11]

The 2008 general election saw sweeping political change in Selangor. For the first time, Barisan Nasional (BN) did not win control of the state assembly. Sharafuddin presided over the swearing-in of the first non-BN Menteri Besar of Selangor.[12]

In May 2009, he underwent a ten-hour open heart surgery at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California.[13]

In early 2011, Sharafuddin intervened in a crisis over the appointment of the state secretary, the state's highest-ranking civil servant. The federal government appointed Mohd Khusrin Munawi to the position, which was consented to by Sharafuddin.[14] However, the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government opposed the appointment.[15] The state government eventually relented, and Khusrin assumed his duties in February 2011.[14]

In 2014, Sharafuddin revoked the 'Dato' Seri' title of Anwar Ibrahim following the Kajang Move political crisis.[16]

In 2020, The Straits Times reported that Sharafuddin owned shares in a company that planned development in the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve. Following the report and public uproar, the state government cancelled the plan.[17]

In 2022, Malaysiakini reported that Sharafuddin's family (including his brother, son and daughter) were involved in companies given quarrying leases in the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve, next to the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM).[18]

In July 2024, Sharafuddin underwent cataract surgery on his right eye. According to an announcement by the Selangor Royal Office on Facebook, the surgery had been delayed for the past eight months but did not give a reason. He had previously had the same surgery on his left eye.[19]

He was the Pro-chancellor of MARA University of Technology (UiTM) from the year 2000 until 2005, and has been the chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia since 2002.[20]

Marriages and children

[edit]

Sharafuddin married thrice.

In 1968 as Tengku Idris, he married Raja Zarina binti Raja Tan Sri Zainal Abidin. The marriage ended in divorce in 1986. Sharafuddin and Raja Zarina have two daughters:[4]

  • Tengku Zerafina (born 1969), currently an entrepreneur based in London.[21] She married Colin Salem Parbury on 5 December 2004.
  • Tengku Zatashah (born 1973), currently the CEO of Light Cibles Malaysia, and an environmental activist. She married Aubry Rahim Mennesson (born 1972), a French, at the Grand Mosque of Paris, France on 10 November 2007.[22] A wedding reception was held on 28 February 2008 at Istana Alam Shah, Klang.[23]

In 1988, Tengku Idris married American-born Nur Lisa Idris binti Abdullah (née Lisa Davis). They divorced in 1997 and have one child:[4]

In August 2016, as Sultan, he married television personality Norashikin Abdul Rahman, now known as Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin. The solemnisation ceremony was performed by Selangor Mufti Dato’ Mohd Tamyes Abd Wahid at Masjid Istana Diraja in the Istana Alam Shah, Klang and was witnessed by Selangor deputy mufti Dr Anhar Opir, Imam Mohd Rasid Mahful, former deputy mufti of Selangor Dato’ Abdul Majid Omar and Selangor Islamic Religious Council member Datuk Salehuddin Saidin.[24]

Interests

[edit]

Sharafuddin is known for being adventurous, having circumnavigated the world and scaled a mountain. At 30, he climbed Mount Kinabalu.[1][25]

Prior to becoming Sultan, Sharafuddin was an avid sailor. In 1995, he circumnavigated his yacht, SY Jugra, around the world. The journey took 22 months.[25] He sold the yacht before becoming sultan.[1] The Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta, a major annual sailing event, is named after him.[1]

He has also taken part in rallies and long distance car races. He joined and completed the 1997 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge in his 1932 Ford Model B.[1] He covered 16,000 km in 43 days, winning the silver medal in the vintage car category.[25] In 1986, he drove a Proton Saga from Kota Kinabalu to Kuching, covering 1,111 km in two days.[1]

Titles, styles, honours and recognitions

[edit]
Styles of
Sharafuddin Idris Shah
Reference styleHis Royal Highness
Spoken styleYour Royal Highness
Alternative styleTuanku

Sharafuddin's full style and title is: Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj, D.K., D.M.N., D.K. (Terengganu), D.K. (Kelantan), D.K. (Perak), D.K. (Perlis), D.K. (Negeri Sembilan), D.K. (Kedah), D.K. (Johor), D.K. (Pahang), S.P.M.S., S.S.I.S., S.P.M.J., Sultan dan Yang di-Pertuan Selangor Darul Ehsan Serta Segala Daerah Takluknya.[26]

Or in English: His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj, D.K., D.M.N., D.K. (Terengganu), D.K. (Kelantan), D.K. (Perak), D.K. (Perlis), D.K. (Negeri Sembilan), D.K. (Kedah), D.K. (Johor), D.K. (Pahang), S.P.M.S., S.S.I.S., S.P.M.J., The Sultan and Sovereign Ruler of Selangor Abode of Sincerity and its Sovereign Dependencies

Military ranks

[edit]
 Malaysia

Honours

[edit]
See also: List of honours of the Selangor Royal Family by country

In 1987, he was appointed Honorary Life President of the Football Association of Selangor.[1]

In March 2001, he received an honorary degree from Universiti Teknologi MARA.[1]

Honours of Selangor

[edit]

Honours of Malaysia

[edit]

Foreign honours

[edit]

Honorary degrees

[edit]

Places named after him

[edit]
Sultan Idris Shah Serdang Hospital

Ancestry

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ His birthday is celebrated on 11 December
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kee, Hua Chee (8 March 2003). "Fulfilling a Ruler's destiny". The Star (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Life's a simple and beautiful journey, says Sultan". Sultan of Selangor's Birthday. New Straits Times. 11 December 2002. pp. 6–8. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Selangor Sultan's mother dies". The Star (Malaysia). 31 March 2011. Archived from the original on 3 June 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Biodata Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). 22 November 2001. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Selangor". Genealogical Gleanings. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d "CV HRH Sultan Selangor 100218" (PDF). selangorroyaloffice.files.wordpress.com. Selangor Royal Office. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  7. ^ "State to reach greater heights". The Star (Malaysia). 9 March 2003. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  8. ^ a b Fernandez, Frederick (9 March 2003). "Day steeped in tradition". The Star. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Selangor Sultan strips trader of title". New Straits Times. 9 August 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  10. ^ "Laman web rasmi Darjah Kebesaran Negeri Selangor". Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Ex-minister and bankrupt lose Selangor titles". The Star (Malaysia). 11 April 2011. Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Khalid Ibrahim sworn-in as new Selangor Mentri Besar". The New Straits Times. 13 March 2008. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  13. ^ "Sultan Selangor Stabil Selepas Pembedahan Lapan Jam". Utusan Malaysia. 4 May 2009. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  14. ^ a b A. Ruban (17 February 2011). "Khusrin takes his oath at last". The Star (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  15. ^ Shazwan Mustafa Kamal (6 January 2011). "Selangor Sultan maintains Khusrin's appointment lawful". The Malaysian Insider. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  16. ^ "Selangor Sultan revokes Datuk Seri award given to Anwar Ibrahim". The Straits Times. 4 December 2014. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  17. ^ Hassan, Hazlin (21 February 2020). "Malaysia's Pakatan Harapan at loggerheads over a Selangor plan to clear forest reserve". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  18. ^ Chyuan, Low Choon (25 October 2022). "Bukit Lagong: More quarries with royal, political links unearthed". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  19. ^ Times, New Straits (16 July 2024). "Sultan of Selangor to undergo cataract surgery". NST Online. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Canselor".
  21. ^ "The Sultan, my father". The Star (Malaysia). 8 March 2003. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  22. ^ Kee Hua Chee (23 February 2008). "Building up experience". The Star (Malaysia). Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  23. ^ Chan, Jade (28 February 2008). "A wedding reception befitting a princess". The Star (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  24. ^ "Sultan Selangor marries RTM News Reader". Malay Mail. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  25. ^ a b c "The Sultan, sailing and the sea". Sultan of Selangor's Birthday. New Straits Times. 11 December 2002. pp. 10–13. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  26. ^ a b "May Allah The Almighty Bless Our Sultan". New Straits Times. 22 December 2001. p. 3. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  27. ^ a b c "Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Selangor". selangor.gov.my. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  28. ^ "Sultan receives award". The Star (Malaysia). 19 February 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  29. ^ "A royal gesture". The Straits Times. 14 July 1975. p. 8.
  30. ^ "Agong confers DK Pahang award on Selangor Sultan". Bernama. New Straits Times. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  31. ^ "Selangor Sultan Receives Perak Royal Award". New Straits Times. 21 May 2002. p. 6.
  32. ^ "French honour for S'gor Sultan". The Star. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  33. ^ a b University of Nottingham honorary degree for Sultan of Selangor
  34. ^ "His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj: Honorary Degree".
[edit]
Regnal titles
Preceded by Sultan of Selangor
2001 – present 		Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Tengku Amir Shah
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sharafuddin_of_Selangor&oldid=1262576488"