Salahuddin of Selangor


Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj ibni Almarhum Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Alhaj was the Sultan of Selangor from 1960, and the eleventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1999, until his death in 2001.

Early life

Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah was born on 8 March 1926 at the Istana Bandar Temasha, Jugra, Kuala Langat. He was the eldest son of Sultan Hisamuddin of Selangor by his royal consort, Tengku Ampuan Jemaah.
He received his early education at the Pengkalan Batu Malay School in Klang in 1934. In 1936, he furthered his studies at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar until 1941 when World War II began. After World War II, he went to England in 1947 and studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London for two years.
Upon his return from the United Kingdom, he served with the Civil Service Department as a trainee officer with the Selangor Survey Department. He later served as an Inspector of Schools for eight years.
In 1952, he attended a short-term course at the Malay Military Troop in Port Dickson for six months and was commissioned with the Queen Commission in the rank of captain. Thereafter, he was promoted to the rank of major.

Sultan of Selangor

Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah was appointed as the Tengku Laksamana of Selangor on 1 August 1946 and as the Raja Muda of Selangor on 13 May 1950.
On the death of his father, Sultan Hisamuddin of Selangor, Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah became the eighth Sultan of Selangor with the title Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah on 3 September 1960 and was installed as sultan on 28 June 1961.
On 26 April 1984, Sultan Salahuddin was appointed as Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy by the Malaysian Armed Forces in place of the position of Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force which he held since 1966.
Sultan Salahuddin signed the cession of Kuala Lumpur from Selangor to the Federal Government to form a Federal Territory on 1 February 1974. The Sultan cried after the signing as he was very fond and proud of the city. The Kota Darul Ehsan arch was erected along the Federal Highway at the border of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to commemorate the event in 1981.
Sultan Salahuddin founded Shah Alam as Selangor's new state capital in 1978. He said that for Selangor to become a modern state, it would need a new state capital as Kuala Lumpur had become a Federal Territory. Klang was the state capital between the cession of Kuala Lumpur and the creation of Shah Alam. Many buildings and roads in Shah Alam are named after him.
Salahuddin held the rank of Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Field Marshal of the Malaysian Army and Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Malaysian Navy as per constitutional provisions making him as the second royal military officer to become supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Sultan Salahuddin was elected as the eleventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 26 April 1999 and installed on 11 September 1999. He was the second oldest ruler to be elected to the position.
The cession of Putrajaya, from Selangor to the Federal Government in 2001 to become a Federal Territory occurred during his reign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in Putrajaya was named after him.
He died in office on 21 November 2001, at the Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur after reigning for two years and 6 months. He underwent a heart operation to put a pacemaker two months prior to his death, which he did not fully recover from. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had visited him four times before.
He was buried in the Royal Mausoleum near Sultan Sulaiman Mosque in Klang. Mahathir expressed grief over the passing of Salahuddin. The Prime Minister's official residence in Putrajaya was closed to the public for two days.

Personal life

Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah had at least four wives.
His first wife and cousin, Paduka Bonda Raja Raja Nur Saidatul Ihsan binti Al Marhum Raja Bendahara Tengku Badar Shah, whom he later divorced, bore:
  1. Tengku Nor Halija
  2. Tengku Idris Shah, later Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah
  3. Tengku Puteri Sofiah
  4. Tengku Laksamana Tengku Sulaiman Shah
  5. Tengku Puteri Zahariah
  6. Tengku Fatimah
  7. Tengku Panglima Besar Tengku Abdul Samad
  8. Tengku Puteri Arafiah
  9. Tengku Puteri Aishah
Che Maheram binti Muhammad Rais, his second wife, bore him:
  1. Tengku Panglima Raja Tengku Ahmad Shah
His royal consort, Tengku Ampuan Rahimah binti Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah of the Langkat royal family in Sumatra died in 1993 before his election as Yang di-Pertuan Agong. She was the mother of:
  1. Tengku Puteri Nor Marina
  2. Tengku Puteri Nor Zehan
His last wife, Tuanku Siti Aishah binti Abdul Rahman, who was a commoner, served as his Raja Permaisuri Agong. Being fifty years younger than him, she was also the youngest ever occupant of that office – only 29 at her succession to the throne.

Hobbies and interests

Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah was a keen sportsman. His interest in golf is well-known within and outside the country. The Sultan also loved sailing, collecting antique cars, rearing animals and planting orchids. He also likes visiting foreign countries to widen his knowledge and experience.

Legacy

Several projects and institutions were named after the Sultan, including:

Educational institutions

Salahuddin's full style and title was: Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj ibni Almarhum Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Alhaj, Sultan dan Yang di-Pertuan Selangor Darul Ehsan Serta Segala Daerah Takluknya.

Honours of Selangor