Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan

Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad GCMG (Jawi:توانكو عبدالرحمن ابن المرحوم توانكو محمد‎; 24 August 1895 – 1 April 1960) was the first Supreme Head of State or Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya of the Federation of Malaya, eighth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Seri Menanti and second Yang di-Pertuan Besar of modern Negeri Sembilan.

Not to be confused with Tunku Abdul Rahman.

In this Malay name, the name Tuanku Muhammad is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Abdul Rahman. The Arabic-derived word "bin" or "binti"/"binte", if used, means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.

Abdul Rahman
1st Yang Di-Pertuan Agong
Reign	31 August 1957 – 1 April 1960
Installation	2 September 1957
Predecessor	Himself as Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya
Successor	Hisamuddin of Selangor
Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan
Reign	3 August 1933 – 1 April 1960
Installation	25 April 1934
Predecessor	Tuanku Muhammad
Successor	Tuanku Munawir
Born	(1895-08-24)24 August 1895 Istana Lama Seri Menanti, Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan, Federated Malay States, British Malaya
Died	1 April 1960(1960-04-01) (aged 64) Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya
Burial	5 April 1960 Seri Menanti Royal Mausoleum, Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan, Malaya
Spouse	Cik Engku Maimunah binti Abdullah (Dulcie Campbell) Tunku Maharun binti Tengku Mambang Tunku Kurshiah binti Tunku Besar Burhanuddin ​ ( m. 1929; died 1960) Tunku Zaidah binti Tunku Zakaria
Issue Detail	Tuanku Ja'afar Tunku Abdullah Tunku Aida Tunku Sheilah Tuanku Munawir Sultanah Bahiyah Tunku Shahariah Tunku Noraida Zakia
Full name Tunku Abdul Rahman ibni Tuanku Muhammad Regnal name Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad
House	Pagaruyung (House of Yamtuan Raden)
Father	Tuanku Muhammad ibni Almarhum Tuanku Antah
Mother	Tunku Halija binti Tunku Muda Chik
Religion	Sunni Islam

Early career

Tuanku Abdul Rahman in 1937.

Born at Seri Menanti on August 24, 1895,[1] he was the second son of Tuanku Muhammad ibni Tuanku Antah, first Yang di-Pertuan Besar of modern Negeri Sembilan and seventh Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Seri Menanti (1888–1933) by his second wife, Tunku Puan Chik.

He received his primary education at the Jempol Malay School, going on to the Malay College between 1907 and 1914. He worked at the Federal Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur for a period of one year before being appointed Assistant Collector of Land Revenue in Seremban. He served in the Malayan Volunteer Infantry as a Second Lieutenant, to be promoted Lieutenant in 1918.[2]

On the death of his elder brother, Tunku Abdul Aziz, in 1917, he was groomed as heir to the throne and received the title of Tunku Muda Serting.

He was later appointed as Assistant Malay Officer in Klang before being transferred to Sepang. He was then assigned to work in Ulu Selangor as Assistant Collector of Land Revenue. As a result of his perseverance and diligence, he was promoted to Assistant District Officer. The turning point of his career was in 1925, when he served for a short period in the Kuala Lumpur Supreme Court.

In 1925, he accompanied his father, who was then the ruler of Negeri Sembilan, on a trip to the United Kingdom for the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley and to visit His Majesty King George V. During the journey to the United Kingdom, he decided that he wanted to study law.[1] With the approval of his father Tuanku Muhammad, he stayed in the United Kingdom until he completed his studies and received a degree in law.

He stayed on to qualify as a barrister from Inner Temple. Three years later, in 1928, he was admitted to the bar.[1] In London, he was elected first President of the Kesatuan Melayu United Kingdom, one of the earliest Malay nationalist groups.

Upon returning to Malaya in December 1928, he served in the Malayan Civil Service in various parts of the country.[3] For the first few years, he worked hard until he became a Magistrate. Subsequently, he was appointed District Officer.

Election as Ruler of Negeri Sembilan

Signature of the Federation of Malaya Agreement, 1948, and the State Agreements, at King's House, Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday 21 January 1948.

In 1933, following the death of his father, he succeeded him onto the throne of Negeri Sembilan.[1] At that time, he was already an advocate, hence making him the only Malay ruler with an advocate and solicitor's qualifications.

Tuanku Abdul Rahman (as he became) admitted to British interrogators that he had made speeches in favour of the Japanese during the latter's military occupation of Malaya (1942–1945) but this had been done under duress and that the Japanese forcibly removed certain of his royal privileges.[4]

Although he subsequently signed the Malayan Union treaty, he repudiated it later and upon the suggestion of Sultan Badlishah of Kedah, engaged a London-based lawyer to represent the case of the Malay rulers against the Malayan Union plan of Clement Attlee's government.[5]

Election as King

Tuanku Abdul Rahman was elected first Yang di-Pertuan Agong or Paramount Ruler of independent Malaya on 31 August 1957 for a five-year term by eight votes to one, defeating the more senior Sultan Abu Bakar of Pahang.[6]

He had been the ruler of Negeri Sembilan for 24 years before being elected as the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Installation

Tuanku Abdul Rahman was installed as the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of independent Malaya on 2 September 1957 at the throne room of the Istana Negara.

As Malay rulers do not traditionally possess crowns, he was installed by kissing the royal kris of state (keris kerajaan) to the beat of the nobat, a tradition which has been followed by every Yang di-Pertuan Agong since.

In honour of Tuanku Abdul Rahman, all subsequent Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia have also used the headdress Dendam Tak Sudah (literally Unending Revenge), the fashion employed in Negeri Sembilan.[7]

Death and funeral

Tuanku Abdul Rahman died in his sleep at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur in the early morning of 1 April 1960. The lying in state was held at the Banquet Hall of the Istana Negara. On 2 April 1960, a state funeral procession was held in Kuala Lumpur, whereupon Abdul Rahman's teak coffin was then taken by train to Seremban and later by hearse to the Istana Besar, Seri Menanti. He was buried at the Royal Mausoleum in Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan on 5 April 1960.[8]

Legacy

Tuanku Abdul Rahman's portrait is still featured on the obverse of Malaysian Ringgit banknotes since the First series which was first issued in 1967.

Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (English: Tuanku Abdul Rahman School; abbr. STAR) is a premier, all-boys fully residential school in Malaysia funded by the Government of Malaysia and is named after the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Federation of Malaya, Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Tuanku Muhammad. It is located in Ipoh, Perak and was built in 1957.

Belief in democracy

Tuanku Abdul Rahman believed strongly in parliamentary democracy and one of his most memorable quotes was to a foreign dignitary from the Middle East who in 1959 complained about Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj's "high handed" manner and wanted the King to sack him. To this, the King replied: "Alas I can't sack him; he is elected by the people, and as Prime Minister of the country he can sack me!"[9]

Family life

Che Engku Maimunah bt Abdullah, former wife of Tuanku Abdul Rahman and mother of Tuanku Ja'afar. The Tuanku Ja'afar Royal Gallery, Seremban.

Tuanku Abdul Rahman married four times. His marriages were:

1. in 1919 to Dulcie Campbell, a Eurasian nurse who embraced Islam as Cik Maimunah (divorced)
2. in 1920 to Tunku Maharun binti Tunku Mambang, a member of the Negeri Sembilan royal family (divorced)
3. in 1929 to Tunku Kurshiah binti Tunku Besar Burhanuddin, a cousin, who became first Raja Permaisuri Agong or Queen of Malaya [10]
4. in 1948 to Tunku Zaidah binti Tunku Zakaria (1922–his death), another cousin [11]

Tuanku Abdul Rahman has three sons and five daughters. His second wife, Tuanku Maharum gave birth first to a boy, Tuanku Munawir, the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan. Cik Engku Maimunah, his first wife, gave birth to two boys and two girls. The eldest is Tunku Aidah, followed by Tuanku Jaafar (the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan), Tunku Sheilah and Tunku Abdullah.[12]

Two of his children succeeded him as Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan:

1. Tuanku Munawir (son of Tunku Maharun), who reigned 1960–1967
2. Tuanku Ja'afar (son of Dulcie Campbell), who succeeded his brother in 1967 and reigned till 27 December 2008

His grandson Tuanku Muhriz currently reigns as Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan.

Issue

Name	Birth Date	Birth Place	Death Date	Spouse	Issue	Grandchildren
YM Che Engku Maimunah binti Abdullah (kahwin 1919, telah bercerai)
YAM Tunku Aida	27 May 1920		29 May 1937	YM Tunku Ma’amor bin Tunku Usoh	YM Tunku Datuk Sri Mizan
					YM Tunku Ainunnisa
					YM Tunku Ainah
					YM Tunku Maztom	3 daughters
					YM Tunku Puan Sri Arishah	2 sons and 3 daughters
DYMM Tuanku Ja’afar	19 July 1922	27 December 2008	8 August 1942	DYMM Tunku Najihah binti Almarhum Tunku Besar Burhanuddin	YAM Tunku Tan Sri Naquiah	YM Tunku Nadzimuddin YM Tunku Datin Mir'atun Madihah YM Tunku Nasaifuddin YM Tunku Nasruan Adil
					YAM Tunku Dato' Seri Utama Naquiyuddin	YM Tunku Mohamed Alauddin YM Tunku Alia Nadira YM Tunku Nadia Sahiya YM Tunku Khairul Zaim
					YAM Tunku Tan Sri Imran	YM Tunku Khairil Imran YM Tunku Tarrant YM Tunku Abdul Rahman Aminullah
					YAM Tunku Puteri Puan Sri Dato' Seri Jawahir	YM Tengku Azra Jahan Juzaila YM Tengku Aslahuddin Ja’afar YM Tengku A'zran Abdul Jawaad
					YAM Tunku Dato' Seri Irinah	YM Tengku Alam Shah Amiruddin YM Tengku Aiman Shahirah
					YAM Tunku Dato Seri Nadzaruddin	YM Tunku Muhammad Hazim Shah Raden YM Tunku Muhammad Mish’al Raden YM Tunku Ines Najiha Raden
YAM Tunku Sheilah	2 May 1924		23 August 1942	YM Tunku Daud bin Tunku Besar Burhanuddin	YM Tunku Ivy Mu’hsinah	Putri Sian Shaharia binti Sharif Winter
					YM Tengku Datuk Munasir	YM Tunku Mutalib YM Tunku Muzaffar YM Tunku Maisura Adibah
					YM Tunku Mu’tasim	YM Tunku Mahzuz YM Tunku Mahir YM Tunku Masna
					YM Tunku Mukhrizah
					YM Tunku Roxana	Paul Kamil Lafrance Sarah Melane Lafrance
YAM Tunku Tan Sri Abdullah	2 May 1925	19 August 2008	22 April 1946 (cerai 1958)	YM Tunku Zahara binti Tunku Zakaria	YM Tunku Dato’ Sri Iskandar	YM Tunku Idalyn Mazura YM Tunku Izrina Mazuin YM Tunku Izora Mulaika
					YM Tunku Hajjah Marina Ashraf	Mazran Zamani bin Dato’ Zulkifly Mazlina Zairin binti Dato’ Zulkifly Mizfarah Zara binti Dato’ Zulkifly Mazrah Zuraihan binti Dato’ Zulkifly
					YM Tunku Dato’ Kamil Ikram	YM Tunku Shazwan Kaiyisha YM Tunku Arina Nakita YM Tunku Arina Nashita
			6 August 1959 (cerai 30 March 1966)	YM Che Ho Yuzin binti Abdullah	YM Tunku Dato’ Yaacob Khyra	YM Tunku Elana Khyra YM Tunku Leana Khyra YM Tunku Amaan Khyra YM Tunku Nadya Khyra YM Tunku Omaan Khyra YM Tunku Imaan Khyra YM Tunku Rmaan Khyra
					YM Tunku Yahaya	YM Tunku Mikael
					YM Tunku Halim	YM Tunku Kristina Radin YM Tunku Adam Radin
			30 March 1966 (cerai 20 February 1970)	Cik Khadija binti Abdullah	YM Tunku Soraya Dakhlah
			21 April 1973 (cerai 1991)	Che Engku Chesterina binti Abdullah	Tiada
			10 August 1991 (cerai 1996)	Cik Engku Maimunah binti Abdullah	Tiada
			25 April 1997	YM Puan Sri Che Engku Rozita binti Ahmad Baharuddin	YM Tunku Muhammad Shah	Tiada
					YM Tunku Intan Kursiah	Tiada
YAM Tuanku Ampuan Maharunnisa binti Tunku Mambang (kahwin March 1921, bercerai 1923)
DYMM Tuanku Munawir	29 March 1922	14 April 1967	1 January 1940	DYMM Tuanku Ampuan Durah binti Almarhum Tunku Besar Burhanuddin	YAM Tunku Umpa Munawirah	YM Tengku Mu'adzam Sadruddin YM Tengku Munawir Islahuddin Tengku Mu'amir Izzuddin
					YAM Tunku Mudziah	Syed Mashafud-din bin Syed Badaruddin Jamalullail Sharifa Basma Alawiya binti Syed Badaruddin Jamalullail Sharifa Bahiya Abla binti Syed Badaruddin Jamalullail Sharifa Bashira Asma binti Syed Badaruddin Jamalullail
					DYMM Tuanku Muhriz	YAM Tunku Ali Redhauddin YAM Tunku Zain 'Abidin YAM Tunku Alif Hussein Saifuddin Al-Amin
					YAM Tunku Datin Anne Dakhlah	Siti Mazeera Siti Mazlina Siti Mazlynda
					YAM Tunku Deborah	2 orang puteri
					Almarhumah YAM Tunku Datin Deanna	YM Tengku Amera Nafisah YM Tengku Nadia Azrina YM Tengku Dahira Azirah
DYMM Tuanku Kurshiah binti Almarhum Tunku Besar Burhanuddin (kahwin 21 March 1929)
Kebawah DYMM Sultanah Bahiyah	24 August 1930	26 August 2003	9 March 1956	Kebawah DYMM Al-Sultan Almu'tasimu Billahi Muhibbuddin Tuanku Al-Haj Almarhum Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah	YTM Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Shafinaz	Tiada
YAM Tunku Hajah Shahariah	8 April 1932		25 October 1956	YAM Tunku Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail	YAM Tunku Abu Bakar	YM Tunku Kurshiah Aminah Atiah YM Tunku Abdul Rahman Burhanuddin YM Tunku Aishah Johara
YTM Tunku Zaidah binti Tunku Zakaria (kahwin 1948)
YAM Tunku Noraida Zakia	6 December 1950	Tiada maklumat		Encik Abdul Rahim bin Abdul Manaf	Putri Norashiqin

Hobbies and interests

Tuanku Abdul Rahman had a keen interest in sports such as cricket, football and tennis. However, his favourite sport was boxing. In fact, when he was young, he loved wearing boxing gloves to box with his sons.

Awards and recognitions

Honours

• King George V Silver Jubilee Medal–1935
• King George VI Coronation Medal–1937
• Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal–1953
• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG)–1957 (KCMG–1934)
• Order of the Crown of the Realm (Darjah Utama Seri Mahkota Negara)-1958
• Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei (Darjah Kerabat Mahkota Brunei)–1959

Places named after him

Several places were named after him, including:

• Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a road in Kuala Lumpur
• Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a boys school in Ipoh, Perak
• Tuanku Abdul Rahman Mosque in Sarikei, Sarawak
• Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi, Negeri Sembilan
• SK Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a primary school in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan
• SMK Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a secondary school in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan
• SMK Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a secondary school in Nibong Tebal, Penang
• SMK Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a secondary school in Rawang, Selangor
• Tuanku Abdul Rahman Residential College, a residential college at University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur

Notes

1. Hoiberg, Dale H., ed. (2010). "Abdul Rahman, Tuanku". Encyclopædia Britannica. I: A-ak Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, Illinois: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. pp. 21. ISBN 978-1-59339-837-8.
2. Abdul Samad Idris (1961) Takhta Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan Utusan Printcorp Sdn Bhd
3. ibid
4. Stockwell, A.J. (1995) Malaya: Part I The Malayan Union Experiment 1942–1948 HMSO
5. Ismail Haji Saleh (1989) The Sultan Was Not Alone State Museum, Kedah Darul Aman
6. (4 August 1957) Sunday Times, Singapore
7. Fish, William ed. (1959) The Straits Times Annual
8. Mubin Sheppard (1960) The Death and Funeral of His Late Majesty Tuanku Abdul Rahman Malaya in History Vol 6 No. 1 Malayan Historical Society, Kuala Lumpur
9. Tunku Abdul Rahman (1977) Looking Back, p. 205, Pustaka Antara
10. Finestone, Jeffrey and Shahril Talib (1994) The Royal Families of South East Asia pp. 198–199 Shahindera Sdn Bhd
11. Mubin Sheppard ‘’op cit
12. Halim, Tunku. Tunku Abdullah – A Passion for Life. All-Media Publications, 1998, pp. 25–26.

External links

• Malaysia National Library's Tuanku Abdul Rahman biography.
• Council of Rulers' Tuanku Abdul Rahman biography (in Malay).
• Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Malaysian Monarchy)

Regnal titles
Preceded by office created	Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Supreme King of Malaysia) 31 August 1957 – 1 April 1960	Succeeded by Hisamuddin Alam Shah (Sultan of Selangor)
Preceded by Tuanku Muhammad	Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan 3 August 1933 – 1 April 1960	Succeeded by Tuanku Munawir