Putra of Perlis

{{Short description|Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1960 to 1965}}

{{EngvarB|date=September 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}

{{Infobox royalty

| name = Putra
{{lang|ms|{{Script|Arab|ڤوترا}}}}

| title =

| image = Bhumibol Adulyadej and Sirikit (1964.02.25) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Putra in 1964

| succession = King of Malaysia

| reign = 21 September 1960 – 20 September 1965

| coronation = 4 January 1961

| cor-type = Malaysia

| predecessor = Hisamuddin

| successor = Ismail Nasiruddin

| succession2 = Raja of Perlis

| reign2 = 4 December 1945 – 16 April 2000

| coronation2 = 12 March 1949

| cor-type2 = Installation

| predecessor2 = {{ill|Syed Hamzah Jamalullail|ms|Raja Syed Hamzah Jamalullail}}

| successor2 = Syed Sirajuddin

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1920|11|25}}

| birth_place = Arau, Perlis, Unfederated Malay States

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2000|04|16|1920|11|25}}

| death_place = Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

| spouse = {{plainlist|

  • {{marriage|Tengku Budriah binti Almarhum Tengku Ismail|1941}}
  • {{marriage|{{ill|Riam Pessayanavin|lt=Che Puan Mariam binti Abdullah (Riam Pessayanavin)|th|เรียม เพศยนาวิน|v=ib}}|1952|1986|end=died}}

}}

| issue = {{plainlist|

  • Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
  • Tengku Sharif Bendahara
  • Dato' Seri DiRaja Syed Badaruddin
  • Tengku Sharif Temenggong
  • Dato' Seri DiRaja Syed Amir Zainal Abidin
  • Tengku Sharif Laksamana
  • Dato' Seri DiRaja Syed Razlan
  • Tengku Sharif Panglima
    Dato' Seri DiRaja Tan Sri Syed Zainol Anwar
  • Tengku Puteri Utama
  • Dato' Seri DiRaja Sharifah Salwa
  • Dato' Seri DiRaja Sharifah Jalaina
  • Tengku Puan Laksamana Kelantan
  • Dato' Seri DiRaja Sharifah Azwan
  • Dato' Seri Sharifah Junetta
  • Dato' Seri Sharifah Endah
  • Dato' Seri Syed Zainal Rashid
  • Dato' Seri Syed Azni
  • Dato' Seri Syed Badlishah
  • Dato' Seri Sharifah Melanie

}}

| full name = Tuan Syed Harun Putra ibni Tuan Syed Hassan Jamalullail

| regnal name = Tuanku Syed Harun Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail

| father = Tuan Syed Hassan ibni Almarhum Tuan Syed Mahmud Jamalullail

| mother = Che Puan Wan Teh Binti Wan Endut

| house = Jamalullail

| religion = Sunni Islam

| burial_date = 17 April 2000

| burial_place = Arau Royal Mausoleum, Arau, Perlis, Malaysia

}}

Tuanku Sir Syed Harun Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCMG}} (Jawi: {{lang|ms|توانكو سر سيد هارون ڤوترا ابن المرحوم سيد حسن جمل الليل}}; 25 November 1920 – 16 April 2000) was the Raja of Perlis from 1945 until his death in 2000, and the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia), from 1960 to 1965.

Early career

Putra was born in Arau and was the son of Syed Hassan bin Syed Mahmud Jamalullail (1897 – 18 October 1935), sometime bakal raja or heir presumptive to the throne of Perlis, by his commoner wife Wan Teh binti Wan Endut (1898 – 27 December 1952).Finestone, Jeffrey and Shaharil Talib (1994) The Royal Families of South-East Asia Shahindera Sdn Bhd He was educated at the Arau Malay School and later at Penang Free School between 1937 and 1939.(27 December 2002) Penang Free School newsletter At 18, he joined the Perlis administrative service, becoming a magistrate and in 1940, was transferred to Kuala Lumpur to serve as Second Magistrate in the Criminal Court.Willan, HC (1945) Interviews with the Malay rulers CAB101/69, CAB/HIST/B/4/7

Perlis succession dispute

The fourth Raja of Perlis, Syed Alwi ibni Syed Safi Jamalullail (born 1881; {{Reign|1905|1943}}) was childless and had several half-brothers competing for the role of heir presumptive.Buyong Adil (1981) Sejarah Perlis pp 34–35 DBP Succession to the Perlisian throne was not automatic and an heir presumptive had to be confirmed in that post by the State Council comprising the raja and several others.Tang Su Chin, Julie (2002) Sejarah Kerajaan Perlis 1841–1957 p 231 MBRAS

Syed Putra's paternal grandfather Syed Mahmud (died 1919), was the oldest son of Raja Syed Safi ibni Almarhum Syed Alwi Jamalullail (the third Raja). He was also a half brother of Raja Syed Alwi.Tang Su Chin, Julie (2002) Op Cit p 232 He served as raja muda until 1912Perlis State Council minutes (15 April 1912) CO273 1098a.386/22831 when he was convicted and jailed in Alor Star, Kedah until 1917. Two years later, he died in Alor Star.Secret Memorandum Howitt to Shenton Thomas (25 March 1937) Papers of John Hamer MSS ind. Ocn. s 316 Box 1 File 1 On 6 December 1934, Syed Mahmud's son Syed Hassan was, by a three to one vote, selected by the State Council as bakal raja or heir presumptive. However, Syed Hassan died on 18 October 1935.Tang Su Chin, Julie (2002) Op Cit p 232

On 30 April 1938, again by a three to one vote, the State Council chose Syed Putra (son of Syed Hassan) as the bakal raja. This choice was opposed by Syed Hamzah, the younger half-brother of Raja Syed Alwi and Vice-President of the State Council on the grounds that Syed Putra was too far removed from the throne under Islamic inheritance laws (primogeniture did not then apply in Perlis). However, the British colonial rulers supported Syed Putra.Tang Su Chin, Julie (2002) Op Cit p 262

Japanese occupation

At the outbreak of the Pacific War, Raja Syed Alwi retreated to Kuala Kangsar, Perak. He returned to Perlis on 28 December 1941 but was already very ill and state affairs were exercised by Syed Hamzah.Tang Su Chin, Julie (2002) Op Cit p 266 Syed Putra was at the time serving in the judiciary in Kuala Lumpur and had been advised by Sultan Musa Ghiatuddin Riayat Shah of Selangor to remain there. In May 1942, Syed Hamzah persuaded Raja Syed Alwi to withdraw Syed Putra's appointment as bakal raja and instead Syed Hamzah himself was appointed to that post. Raja Syed Alwi died in Arau on 1 February 1943 and a day later, before the funeral, Syed Hamzah was proclaimed fifth Raja of Perlis, by the consent of the Japanese Military Governor of Kedah and Perlis.Tang Su Chin, Julie (2002) Op Cit pp 267–268

Syed Putra and his family stayed in Klang until 15 May 1942 when he returned to Perlis. He lived in a hut near the Arau railway station and received a monthly allowance of $90 from Raja Syed Alwi but this ceased on the latter's death.Willan, HC (1945) Op Cit On 29 March 1945 he left for Kelantan, the home state of his consort Tengku Budriah, where he sold cakes and sundry goods for a living.Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail My Personal Experience Just Before and After the Japanese Occupation of Malaya in Papers of John Hamer MSS ind. Ocn. s 316 Box 1 File 1

Return of the British

The British Military Administration (BMA) under Lord Mountbatten refused to recognise Syed Hamzah as Raja. On 18 September 1945, Syed Hamzah abdicated.Willan, HC (1945) Op CitMahani Musa, Kongsi Gelap Melayu di Negeri-Negeri Utara Pantai Barat Semenanjung Tanah Melayu, 1821 hingga 1940-an, pg 150-160 He went into exile in Thailand and died in Arau on 20 February 1958.Finestone, Jeffrey and Shaharil Talib (1994) Op Cit

On 4 December 1945 the British proclaimed Syed Putra as sixth Raja of Perlis.Mahani Musa, Kongsi Gelap Melayu di Negeri-Negeri Utara Pantai Barat Semenanjung Tanah Melayu, 1821 hingga 1940-an, pg 150-160 He returned to Perlis from Kelantan, via Padang Besar. He was installed on 12 March 1949.Che Puan Temenggung Perlis (1995) Putra: Biografi yang diperkenankan tentang riwayat hidup DYMM Raja Perlis, Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail pp 53 and 56

Malayan Union

Raja Syed Putra objected to the Malayan Union treaty on the grounds that it contravened the 1930 British-Perlis Treaty giving governing power to the raja-in-council. However, his protests that he signed under duress was rejected by the British. Subsequently, like all other Malay rulers, Raja Syed Putra refused the Malayan Union treaty.Tang Su Chin, Julie (2002) Op Cit pp 279–297

Election as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Raja Syed Putra was elected Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong by the Malay rulers and served in that office from 14 April 1960 until the death of Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah on 1 September 1960.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Raja Syed Putra was elected as the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya and served in that office from 21 September 1960. At 39 years and 301 days, he is the youngest Yang di-Pertuan Agong ever elected. He was installed at the Istana Negara on 4 January 1961. On 16 September 1963 Malaya, British Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore unified into the Federation of Malaysia. He completed his term in office on 20 September 1965. His son, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin was elected as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong and served from 2001 to 2006 after the death of the incumbent, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.

Raja Syed Putra's term of office as Yang di-Pertuan Agong was marked by the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation between newly created Malaysia and its larger neighbour, Indonesia. He offered to stay on as Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the end of his term, to see out the end of confrontation, but this suggestion was rejected by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.Tunku Abdul Rahman (1977) Looking Back p 343 Pustaka Antara, Kuala Lumpur

As Yang di-Pertuan Agong, he instructed proper treatment of the royal regalia, which he believed was partly responsible for the mysterious illness and death of Sultan Hisamuddin of Selangor, his immediate predecessor.Tunku Abdul Rahman (1977) Op Cit p 342

Later role

Raja Syed Putra became the doyen of the Malay rulers, giving advice to more junior rulers especially during the constitutional crisis with the Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in 1983 and 1993.

Death

He died at the National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur on 16 April 2000 from a heart attack. At that time, he was the longest reigning monarch in the world, a position he inherited from Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein in 1989. He was buried at the Royal Mausoleum in Arau, Perlis.(18 April 2000) Utusan Malaysia

Family life

Tuanku Syed Putra married twice:

  1. in 1941 to Tengku Budriah binti Tengku Ismail (1924–2008) of the Patani Sultanate in Thailand. She served as his consort with the title of Raja Perempuan of Perlis and as Raja Permaisuri Agong. She is the mother of the current Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin as well as five sons and five daughters.
  2. in 1952 to Che Puan Mariam (née {{ill|Riam Pessayanavin|th|เรียม เพศยนาวิน}}; 23 April 1923–1986) by whom he had three sons and one daughter. She was a Thai Muslim from Bangkok and Miss Siam in 1939.{{Cite web |url=http://www.skn.ac.th/skl/project2/siam51/riam.htm |title=เรียม เพศยนาวิน |access-date=10 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174306/http://www.skn.ac.th/skl/project2/siam51/riam.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}

Awards and recognitions

=Honours of Perlis=

  • {{Flag|Perlis}}
  • 50px Recipient of the Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail (DK)
  • 50px Knight Grand Companion (Dato' Sri Setia) of the Most Esteemed Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail (4.12.1995) - SSPJ
  • 50px Knight Grand Commander (Dato' Sri Paduka) of the Most Illustrious Order of the Crown of Perlis (= the Star of Safi) - SPMP

=Malaysian Honours=

|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/v8/images/stories/1958.pdf|title=Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1958.}}

=Foreign Honours=

=Places named after him=

Notes

{{Reflist|2}}

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20110608142908/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F8%2F14%2Fnation%2F18581787&sec=nation A nostalgic tale of two Putras], The Star, 14 August 2007.

{{S-start}}

{{S-hou|House of Jamalullail|25 November|1920|16 April|2000}}

{{S-reg|}}

{{succession box

| before = Hisamuddin Alam Shah
(Sultan of Selangor)

| title = Yang di-Pertuan Agong
(Supreme King of Malaysia)

| years = 21 September 1960 – 20 September 1965

| after = Ismail Nasiruddin Shah
(Sultan of Terengganu)

}}

{{succession box

| before = Syed Hamzah

| title = Raja of Perlis

| years = 4 December 1945 – 16 April 2000

| after = Syed Sirajuddin

}}

{{S-end}}

{{Yang di-Pertuan Agong}}

{{Portal bar|Malaysia|Biography|Royalty|Monarchy}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Monarchs of Malaysia

Putra

Category:1920 births

Category:2000 deaths

Putra

Putra

Category:Malaysian Muslims

Category:Malaysian people of Malay descent

Category:Malaysian people of Arab descent

Category:Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm

Category:Members of the Royal Family Order of Kedah

Category:Grand Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu

Category:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak

Category:First Classes of Royal Family Order of Selangor

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

Category:Recipients of the Order of Al-Hussein bin Ali

Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia

Category:People from British Malaya

Category:20th-century Malaysian politicians

Category:Recipients of the Order of the Crown of the Realm