Ascending The Perak Throne
Hakim Joe
We have heard from the father and we have heard from the son. Almost identical words but emanating from different mouths. When such things happen, it would not be wrong to assume that the Perak people would be experiencing the same kind of treatment from the son (later on) as from the father (now). Wrong!
Perak is the only state in Malaysia that the prince (son) will not automatically be installed as the successor upon the demise of the Sultan (father). Currently, there are six people who possess the right to be the next Sultan – the Raja Muda, the Raja DiHilir, the Raja Kechil Besar, The Raja Kechil Sulung, the Raja Kechil Tengah and the Raja Kechil Bongsu. Although it is not predetermined, the Raja Muda is usually made the new Sultan by the Dewan Negara Perak, which comprises dignitaries of the State.
How did this happen? Well, historically the Perak Sultans after 1786 were the descendants of Sultan Ahmaddin Shah (18th Perak Sultan) when his three sons decided amongst themselves (diplomatically) for their respective progeny to take turns becoming the Sultan. We now have a unique system of ascendancy that involves three royal families.
So, do the six titled princes (eligible candidates) draw lots to see who gets to be the next Sultan? No, that decision rests on the able hands of the Dewan Negara Perak, which is made up of the Four State Chiefs, the Eight State Chiefs, the Sixteen State Chiefs, the deputies of the Eight State Chiefs and the Thirty Two State Chiefs. This comes to a total of 68 people within the Dewan Negara Perak.
Even though it is customary for the Sultan’s son to become the next Sultan, this does not always hold true.
• Sultan Tajul Ariffin Shah (1584 – 1594) succeeded to the throne on the death of his elder brother.
• Sultan Alauddin Shah (1594 – 1603) succeeded to the throne on the death of his grand uncle.
• Sultan Mukaddam Shah (1609 – 1619) succeeded to the throne on the death of his cousin.
• Sultan Mansur Shah II (1619 – 1627) succeeded to the throne on the death of his nephew. He was the son of Raja Kechil Lasa Inu.
• Sultan Mahmud Shah (1627 – 1630) succeeded to the throne on the disposal of his brother by the Acehnese.
• Sultan Muzaffar Shah (1636 – 1654) was installed as the Sultan by the Acehnese. He was the son of Raja Mahmud (of Siak).
• Sultan Alauddin Mughayat Shah (1720 – 1728) succeeded to the throne on the death of his uncle (and adopted father). He was the son of the Yang Dipertuan Muda Mansur Shah.
• Sultan Muzaffar Shah III (1728 – 1752) succeeded to the throne on the death of his elder brother. He was also the son of the Yang Dipertuan Muda Mansur Shah.
• Sultan Mahmud Shah II (1765 – 1773) succeeded to the throne on the death of his elder brother.
• Sultan Alauddin Mansur Shah Iskandar Muda (1773 – 1786) succeeded to the throne on the death of his brother.
• Sultan Ahmaddin Shah (1786 – 1806) succeeded to the throne on the death of his brother.
• Sultan Abdul Malik Mansur Shah (1806 – 1818) succeeded to the throne on the death of his father after the designated heir, Raja Bendahara Mahmud, would not come down to Sayong to be installed.
• Sultan Shahabuddin Shah (1830 – 1851) succeeded to the throne on the death of his cousin. He was the son of Raja Bendahara Inu and grandson of Sultan Ahmaddin Shah.
• Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah I (1851 – 1857) succeeded to the throne on the death of his cousin. He was the son of Raja Kecil Bongsu Abdul Rahman and grandson of Sultan Ahmaddin Shah.
• Sultan Jaafar Mu'azzam Shah (1857 – 1865) succeeded to the throne on the death of his uncle. He was the son of Raja Kecil Tengah Raja Ahmad.
• Sultan Ali Al-Mukammil Shah (1865 – 1871) succeeded to the throne on the death of his cousin
• Sultan Ismail Mu'abidin Shah (1871 – 1874) succeeded to the throne after the death of his nephew.
• Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II (1874 – 1877) succeeded to the throne after deposing of his grand uncle who signed the Treaty of Pangkor.
• Sultan Yussuf Sharifuddin Mudzaffar Shah (1877 – 1887) succeeded to the throne after his nephew was exiled to the Syechelles after he was implicated in the murder of the British Resident J.W.W. Birch.
• Sultan Idris Murshidul'adzam Shah (1887 – 1916) succeeded to the throne on the death of his uncle (and father-in-law). He was the great-great grandson of Sultan Ahmaddin Shah.
• Sultan Alang Iskandar Shah (1918 – 1938) succeeded to the throne on the death of his eldest brother.
• Sultan Abdul Aziz Al-Mustasim Billah Shah (1938 – 1948) succeeded to the throne on the death of his eldest brother.
• Sultan Yussuf Izzuddin Shah (1948 – 1963) succeeded to the throne on the death of his uncle.
• Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakkil Allahi Shah (1963 – 1984) succeeded to the throne on the death of his cousin.
• Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah (1984 – ) succeeded to the throne on the death of his uncle.
Of the 34 Perak Sultans to date, there were 24 occasions when the son did not ascend immediately to the throne upon the death of the father. That’s 70% of the time. Of the 10 occasions that the son did succeed his father, once when circumstances intervened before such an event happened. Sultan Abdul Malik Mansur Shah (the 19th Sultan) only ascended to the throne (three months after the death of the his father) after the heir-apparent, Raja Bendahara Mahmud would not travel all the way to Sayong to be installed as the Sultan of Perak.
Of the six positions that are allowed to succeed, only four are currently filled. Raja Izzuddin Iskandar Shah was stripped of his title (Raja Kechil Besar) in 2006 after he was declared a bankrupt and the position of Raja Kechil Bongsu is vacant. The 4 potential candidates are Raja Nazrin Shah (Raja Muda), Raja Jaafar (Raja DiHilir), Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain (Raja Kechil Sulung), and Raja Ashman Shah (Raja Kechil Tengah).
Any bets who is it going to be?
