Tunku Abdul Malik

Kedah Royal Family
HRH Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah HRH Sultanah Haminah Hamidun HH Tunku Soraya HH Raja Iskandar Zulkarnain, Raja di-Hilir of Perak HH Tunku Putri Intan Safinaz, Tunku Panglima Besar HH Tunku Mahmud Sallehuddin, Raja Muda HH Tengku Maliha of Kelantan, Raja Puan Muda Tunku Sarafuddin Badlishah Tunku Shazuddin Badlishah HH Tunku Abdul Hamid Thani, Tunku Laksamana

Tunku Abdul Malik ibni Sultan Badlishah (24 September 1929 – 29 November 2015) was the heir presumptive^{[fn 1]} to the throne of Kedah. He is the son of Sultan Badlishah and the brother of the current ruler, Sultan Abdul Halim. Tunku Abdul Malik served as Regent of Kedah from 1970 to 1975.

Biography

Tunku Abdul Malik was born on 24 September 1929 at Istana Anak Bukit, Anak Bukit, as the second son of Tunku Badlishah and Tunku Sofiah Tunku Mahmud to survive infancy. Tunku Badlishah was the seventh son of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim (also the father of Tunku Abdul Rahman, first Prime Minister of Malaysia). His father was appointed Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Kedah in 1935 and became sultan in 1943.^[1]

He was educated at Titi Gajah Malay School and Sultan Abdul Hamid College, and attended Wadham College, Oxford.^[1]

His elder brother, Tunku Abdul Halim succeeded the throne in 1958 upon the death of their father. Tunku Abdul Malik became Regent of Kedah from 1970 to 1975 during Sultan Abdul Halim's first reign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.^[2] Because Sultan Abdul Halim has no sons, Tunku Abdul Malik was designated as heir in 1981, and was invested as Raja Muda.^[1]

Marriage

Tunku Abdul Malik married Tengku Raudzah Sultan Hisamuddin (born 29 September 1929 - died 21 September 2015), the daughter of Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah of Selangor, on 16 July 1956 at Istana Bukit Kota, Alor Setar.^[1] After his appointment as Raja Muda in 1981, Tengku Raudzah became the Raja Puan Muda.^[3] They had been married for 59 years until Tengku Raudzah's death in September 2015. He outlived his wife by two months.

Death

Tunku Abdul Malik died at 1:00 am, 29 November 2015, age of 86 at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Alor Star due to old age. His body was laid to rest at Kedah Royal Mausoleum in Langgar.^[4]

Honours

See also List of honours of the Kedah Royal Family by country

He has been awarded the following decorations:^[5]

Honours of Kedah

• Member of the Royal Family Order of Kedah (DK, 21.2.1968),
• Member of the Halimi Family Order of Kedah (DKH, 22.2.1976),
• Member of the Supreme Order of Sri Mahawangsa (DMK, 12.12.2011)
• Knight Grand Commander of the Exalted Order of the Crown of Kedah (SPMK, 29.2.1964) with title Dato' Sri
• Sultan Badlishah Medal for Faithful and Loyal Service (PSB)

Honours of Malaysia

•  Johor :
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ) with title Dato'
  • Sultan Ismail Coronation Medal of Johor (1960)
•  Perak :
  • Grand Knight of the Order of Cura Si Manja Kini (the Perak Sword of State, SPCM) with title Dato' Sri
•  Selangor :
  • Second Class of the Royal Family Order of Selangor (DK II, 20.7.1989)
•  Terengganu :
  • Member first class of the Family Order of Terengganu (DK I)
•  Sarawak :
  • Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DA) with title Datuk Amar

Ancestry

Footnotes

1. ↑ Although he is sometimes called heir apparent due to him being invested Raja Muda, this is not technically true since he may still be displaced in the line of succession by a son born to the current Sultan, however implausible that may seem.

References