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Sallehuddin صالح الدين | |||||||||
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Sultan of Kedah | |||||||||
Reign | 12 September 2017 – present | ||||||||
Installation | 22 October 2018 | ||||||||
Predecessor | Abdul Halim | ||||||||
Heir apparent | Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah | ||||||||
Menteris Besar | See list | ||||||||
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Born | (1942-04-30) 30 April 1942 (age 82) [fn 1] Istana Anak Bukit, Alor Setar, Kedah, Japanese-occupied British Malaya (now Malaysia) | ||||||||
Spouse | Sultanah Maliha binti Tengku Ariff | ||||||||
Issue |
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House | Mahawangsa | ||||||||
Father | Sultan Badlishah | ||||||||
Mother | Sultanah Asma | ||||||||
Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||||||
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Sultan Salehuddin, the Sultan
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Al-Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah (Jawi: الأمين الکريم سلطان صالح الدين ابن المرحوم سلطان بدلي شاه; born 30 April 1942) is the 29th Sultan of Kedah since ascending to the throne in September 2017 upon the death of his elder half-brother Abdul Halim.[1] As the fourth son of Badlishah of Kedah, that lived to adulthood he was initially not expected to inherit the throne.
Sultan Sallehuddin was born (as Tunku Mahmud Sallehuddin) and raised in Istana Anak Bukit, Alor Setar, Kedah.[2] He was the ninth of 14 siblings, to Sultan Badlishah, the 27th Sultan of Kedah, and Sultanah Asma, daughter of Sultan Sulaiman of Terengganu.
He was educated at the Alor Merah Malay School and continued his studies at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College. He graduated with a higher education from the College of Military Engineering, Poona in India.
Salehuddin's military career started when he underwent cadet training at the Indian Military AcademyinDehradun from 23 July 1962 to 30 June 1963. He was appointed Junior Lieutenant on 23 October 1963. On 12 February 1964, he was commissioned as a lieutenant and stationed with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment in Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. He was later promoted to the rank of colonel.[3]
During his service, Sallehuddin had been involved in several security operations at the border areas with Thailand.[3]
Sallehuddin was proclaimed as Tunku Temenggong of Kedah on 28 November 1981. He became one of members of the Council of Regency when his eldest brother, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, served as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 2011 to 2016, and chaired the council after the death of his elder brother, Tunku Annuar, in 2014.
Sallehuddin was proclaimed as Raja Muda of Kedah on 15 December 2016. He replaced Tunku Abdul Malik who died of natural causes on 29 November 2015 at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar.[4]
As Raja Muda, Sallehuddin held a number of important positions including as chancellor of the Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences and president of the Kedah Islamic Religious Council.[3]
Sallehuddin was proclaimed as the 29th Sultan of Kedah on 12 September 2017 at the Istana Anak Bukit by the Kedah Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah.[5] He succeeded his half-brother, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, upon his death on 11 September 2017. At the age of 75, he's the oldest monarch by the age at accession in South East Asia, surpassing King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand who ascended to the throne 11 months before at the age of 64. He's also the shortest serving heir-apparent for only 8 months 28 days before ascending to the Throne. He was officially enthroned as sultan on 22 October 2018 and was awarded the sobriquet Al-Aminul Karim in a televised ceremony, the first since 1959, at the Istana Anak Bukit's Balai Besar.
The event was attended by the Crown Prince of Brunei, Al-Muhtadee Billah and his wife, Crown Princess Sarah, on behalf of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, whose son, Mukhriz Mahathir, was the state's former Chief Minister.
As per his duties as sultan and head of the state of Kedah, he currently serves as the Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Malay Regiment.
Sultan Sallehuddin and Sultanah Maliha married on 26 November 1965 and have two sons:
Styles of Sallehuddin | |
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Reference style | His Royal Highness |
Spoken style | Your Royal Highness |
Alternative style | Tuanku |
Sallehuddin of Kedah House of Kedah Born: 30 April 1942 | ||
Regnal titles | ||
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Preceded by | Sultan of Kedah 2017–present |
Incumbent Heir apparent: Tunku Sarafuddin Badlishah, Raja Muda |