Yahya Petra of Kelantan

Sultan Yahya Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim GCMG (Jawi:z سلطان يحي ڤيترا ابن المرحوم سلطان إبراهيم;z10 December 1917 – 29 March 1979) was the sixth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia from 21 September 1975 to his death, and twelfth (by some reckoning tenth) Sultan of Kelantan (1960–1979).

Yahya Petra
Yang di-Pertuan Agong VI Al-Sultan of Kelantan
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Reign	21 September 1975 – 29 March 1979
Installation	28 February 1976
Predecessor	Sultan Abdul Halim
Successor	Sultan Ahmad Shah
Prime Minister	See list Abdul Razak Hussein Onn
Sultan of Kelantan
Reign	10 July 1960 – 29 March 1979
Coronation	17 July 1961
Predecessor	Sultan Ibrahim
Successor	Sultan Ismail Petra
Born	(1917-12-10)10 December 1917 Istana Kota Lama, Sungai Kelantan, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Unfederated Malay States, British Malaya
Died	29 March 1979(1979-03-29) (aged 61) Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Burial	30 March 1979 Langgar Royal Mausoleum, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
Spouse	Tengku Zainab Binti Tengku Muhammad Petra ​ ( m. 1939; his death 1979) Tengku Alexandria Binti Tengku Yusuf
Issue	Tengku Merjan Tengku Rozan Tengku Salwani Tengku Rohani Tengku Ismail Petra Tengku Mohamed
Full name Tengku Yahya Petra ibni Tengku Ibrahim (as birth) Tuanku Yahya Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim (as Yang di-Pertuan Agong) Sultan Yahya Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim (as Sultan of Kelantan)
House	Long Yunus
Father	Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Muhammad IV
Mother	Cik Puan Besar Embong Binti Daud
Religion	Sunni Islam

Early life

He was born on at 4:00 pm. Monday 10 December 1917, Tengku Yahya Petra at Istana Kota Lama, Sungai Kelantan, in Kota Bharu. He was the second son of Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Muhammad IV (b. 1897; reigned 1944–1960) by his third wife, Cik Embong binti Encik Daud (1899–1971), who was later promoted to the style Che Ampuan Besar by her son.[1]

The young Tengku Yahya Petra was raised by his childless uncle, Tengku Ismail, later Sultan Ismail ibni Almarhum Sultan Muhammad IV. He was sent to the Francis Light School in Penang before continuing his studies in England. His uncle, Sultan Ismail, appointed him Tengku Temenggong on 21 July 1939. He was later promoted to Tengku Bendahara on 6 February 1945 by his father, then Sultan Ibrahim. He served in various Kelantan civil service posts from 1941 to 1948.[2]

Kelantan succession dispute

Tengku Indra Petra was the eldest son of Sultan Ibrahim and elder brother of Tengku Yahya Petra. After Sultan Ibrahim succeeded his childless brother Sultan Ismail, Tengku Indra Petra was appointed heir apparent with the title of Raja Muda on 25 October 1944. However, due to conflict with his father, he was dismissed from the post and removed from the line of succession by his father's decree on 1 February 1948. On the same day, Tengku Yahya Petra replaced his brother as heir apparent with the new title of Tengku Mahkota.

Tengku Indra Petra became a politician and was elected a Member of Parliament (MP) in the first federal legislative election of 1955. Tengku Indra's descendants have since disputed their family's exclusion from the line succession of the Kelantan throne.[3]

Tengku Indra Petra did not preside over the installation of Sultan Yahya Petra's successor, Sultan Ismail Petra, It was Tengku Panglima Raja Tengku Ahmad who presided over installations of Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan Yahya Petra and Sultan Ismail Petra. Tengku Panglima Raja was the father of the former Sultanah of Johor, Sultanah Zanariah binti Tengku Ahmad.

Accession

Sultan Yahya Petra (as he became) succeeded his father a day after the latter's death on 9 July 1960. He was crowned on 17 July 1961 at Istana Balai Besar in Kota Bharu.

Election as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Sultan Yahya Petra served as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the federal deputy king between 21 September 1970 until 20 September 1975.

Election as Yang di-Pertuan Agong

During the election of the sixth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (the federal king), the most senior ruler Sultan Ismail of Johor declined to be considered. Sultan Yahya Petra also declined nomination at first due to having suffered a serious stroke, but changed his mind and was duly elected.[4] His term began from 21 September 1975.

Kingship

Malaysia's second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak died on 14 January 1976 less than four months into Sultan Yahya Petra's reign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

In 1977 a state of emergency was declared in his own state following a political crisis and violence.

Death and funeral

Sultan Yahya Petra died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack at the National Palace on 29 March 1979. His coffin lay in state at the National Palace for a day and was then taken by plane to Kota Bharu where it was buried at the Langgar Royal Mausoleum.[5]

Family life

He was married to Tengku Zainab binti Tengku Sri Utama Raja Tengku Muhammad Petra (1917–1993), who was styled Raja Perempuan Zainab II (her stepmother-in-law was Raja Perempuan Zainab I, consort of Sultan Ibrahim) and Raja Permaisuri Agong. Sultan Yahya Petra and Raja Perempuan Zainab II had one son and six daughters. However, their two daughters passed away when they were young. He also married Tengku Alexandria binti Tengku Yusuf and was given a son.[6]

Issue

Name	Birth Date	Birth Place	Death Date	Death Place	Marriage Date	Spouse	Their children	Their grandchildren
Tengku Merjan	(1940-02-23) 23 February 1940				22 January 1960	Tengku Abdul Aziz bin Tengku Muhammad Hamzah	Tengku Mohamad Rizam Tengku Ramizan Tengku Mohamad Rizal Tengku Mohamad Ridzman	nine grandchildren
Tengku Rozan	(1942-12-25) 25 December 1942				1969 -Divorced	Tengku Mohamed Nasrun bin Tengku Yusuf	Tengku Rozanna Petri Tengku Rozlynda Petri	three grandchildren
Tengku Salwani	(1944-08-26) 26 August 1944	Istana Batu, Kota Bharu, Kelantan			22 October 1966 -Divorced	Raja Aman Shah bin Raja Shahar Shah	Raja Amir Saifuddin Shah	None
Tengku Rohani	(1947-10-14) 14 October 1947				None	None	None	None
Tengku Ismail Petra	(1949-11-11)11 November 1949	Istana Jahar, Kota Bharu, Kelantan	28 September 2019(2019-09-28) (aged 69)	Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Bharu, Kelantan	4 December 1968	Tengku Anis binti Tengku Abdul Hamid	Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra Tengku Amalin A’ishah Putri	three grandchildren
Tengku Muhammad Petra	1966	Khota Bharu, Kelantan			unknown	unknown	two sons and two daughters

Awards and recognitions

Sultan Yahya Petra held the rank of Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

Honours of Kelantan

• Recipient (21 July 1939) and Grand Master (1960–1979) of the Royal Family Order of Kelantan or "Star of Yunus" (DK)
• Knight Grand Commander (SPMK, 9 August 1950) and Grand Master (1960–1979) of the Order of the Crown of Kelantan or "Star of Muhammad"
• Knight Grand Commander (SJMK, 9 August 1959) and Grand Master (1960–1979) of the Order of the Life of the Crown of Kelantan or "Star of Ismail"
• Founding Grand Master and Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Loyalty to the Crown of Kelantan or "Star of Ibrahim" (SPSK, 10 December 1967 – 29 March 1979)
• Grand Master of the Order of the Most Distinguished and Most Valiant Warrior (PYGP, 9 July 1960 – 29 March 1979)

Honours of Malaysia

•  Malaysia :
  • Recipient of Order of the Royal House of Malaysia (DKM, 1975-1979)
  • Recipient (17 July 1961) and Grand Master (1975-1979) of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (DMN)
  • Grand Master (1975-1979) of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
  • Grand Master (1975-1979) of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
  • Grand Master (1975-1979) of the Order of Merit of Malaysia
  • Grand Master (1979-1979) of the Order of the Royal Household of Malaysia
  • Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN, 31 August 1958)[7]
•  Kedah :
  • Member of the Royal Family Order of Kedah (DK, 5 July 1969)
•  Pahang :
  • Member 1st class of the Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang (DK I)
•  Perlis :
  • Recipient of the Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail (DK, 13 February 1978)
•  Selangor :
  • First Class of the Royal Family Order of Selangor (DK I, 21 July 1966) [8]
•  Terengganu :
  • Member first class of the Family Order of Terengganu (DK I, 23 June 1964)
•  Sarawak :
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DP)

Foreign

•  Brunei :
  • Dato Laila Utama of the Royal Family Order of Brunei (DK, 1961)
•  United Kingdom :
  • Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG – 1952)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) – 1972
  • Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1953)

Places named after him

Several places were named after him, including:

• Petra Jaya, a suburb in Kuching, Sarawak
• Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur (formerly Jalan Semarak/Jalan Henry Gurney)
• Jalan Tuanku Yahya Petra, the main road on Penang Hill
• Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra in Kota Bharu, Kelantan
• Sultan Yahya Petra Mosque in Machang, Kelantan
• SK Sultan Yahya Petra (1), a primary school in Kuala Krai, Kelantan
• SK Sultan Yahya Petra (2), a primary school in Kuala Krai, Kelantan
• SMK Sultan Yahya Petra 1, a secondary school in Kuala Krai, Kelantan
• SMK Sultan Yahya Petra 2, a secondary school in Kuala Krai, Kelantan
• Sultan Yahya Petra Bridge in Kota Bharu, Kelantan
• Sultan Yahya Petra Second Bridge in Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Notes

1. Finestone, Jeffrey and Shaharil Talib (1994) The Royal Families of South-East Asia Shahindera Sdn Bhd
2. Risalah Pertabalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong VI Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia
3. (19 November 2005) Harakah
4. Tunku Abdul Rahman (1978) Viewpoints p 74 Heinemann, Kuala Lumpur
5. (1 April 1979) New Straits Times
6. Finestone, Jeffrey and Shaharil Talib (1994) Op Cit
7. "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1958" (PDF).
8. List of recipients of DK I & DK II of Selangor (in Malay)

Regnal titles
Preceded by Tuanku Abdul Halim (Sultan of Kedah)	Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) 1975–1979	Succeeded by Sultan Ahmad Shah (Sultan of Pahang)
Preceded by Ibrahim IV of Kelantan	Sultan of Kelantan 1960–1979	Succeeded by Ismail II Petra of Kelantan