The consort of Al-Sultan Abdullah Shah, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, will be bestowed the Tengku Ampuan Pahang title while their son Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Abdullah will be named Tengku Mahkota and Regent of Pahang next week.
The announcement is scheduled to be made at the Pahang Royal Council meeting in Kuantan tomorrow (Jan 22) followed by a ceremony on Jan 29.
Tengku Hassanal, who reported to the Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in the United Kingdom earlier this month, obtained special leave to return for the royal affair.
This comes after Al-Sultan Abdullah was proclaimed the Sultan of Pahang at Istana Abu Bakar in Pekan, Pahang on Jan 15.
Al-Sultan Abdullah, who turns 60 on July 30, took over from his father Sultan Ahmad Shah who is said to be unwell. The 88-year-old Sultan Ahmad had been the ruler of Pahang since May 7, 1974.
Twentytwo13 was the first to reveal, on Jan 7, that efforts were under way to make Al-Sultan Abdullah the next Sultan, en route to him becoming the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The move will see Al-Sultan Abdullah as the most likely choice to become Malaysia’s new King after Sultan Muhammad V abdicated on Jan 6. It remains unclear why the Kelantan ruler stepped down.
Following the rotation system, the next in line to become King is Sultan Pahang, followed by Sultan Johor and Sultan Perak.
Perak’s Sultan Nazrin Shah currently serves as the acting Agong.
The Malay rulers are scheduled to meet on Jan 24 to discuss and decide on the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The new King will take his oath on Jan 31.
Tunku Azizah, who will become Tengku Ampuan Pahang, is the sister of Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar. Born on August 5, 1960, she is passionate about cooking and fine arts.
She appreciates the art of Tenun Pahang Diraja and often holds activities and workshops for inmates, believing they deserve a second chance in life.
She is also involved in several organisations, including as founder and life president of Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation and is the first Royal Patron of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts’ fundraising arm, Friends of Asia Pacific.
Born on Sept 17, 1995, Tengku Hassanal is the third child of Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah.
He graduated from the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations in Switzerland with a degree in International Relations last year.
