Hisamuddin Alam Shah

Infobox_Monarch | name =Almarhum Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah
title =Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia (King of Malaysia) and Sultan of Selangor


caption =Almarhum Sultan Sir Hisamuddin Alam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Sir Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah

reign =Sultan of Selangor - 4 April, 1938 - 1 September, 1960
Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia - 14 April - 1 September, 1960
coronation =
predecessor =Sultan Sulaiman
successor =Sultan SalahuddinAbdul Aziz Shah
suc-type =Raja Muda
heir =Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah
consort =Tengku Ampuan Jemaah
issue =Tengku Bariah
Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah
royal house =
royal anthem =
father =Sultan Sulaiman
mother =Hasnah binti Pilong
date of birth =birth date|1898|5|13|df=y
place of birth =Selangor
date of death =death date and age|1960|9|1|1898|5|13|df=y
place of death =Kuala Lumpur
buried =Royal Mausoleum, Klang|

In full, Almarhum Sultan Sir Hisamuddin Alam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Sir Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah, KCMG (May 13, 1898 - September 1, 1960) was the second Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from April 14 to September 1, 1960, and fifth Sultan of Selangor between 1938-1942 and again from 1945-1960.

Early career

He was the first son of Almarhum Sultan Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah ibni Almarhum Raja Muda Musa (1893-1938) by Cik Puan Hasnah binti Pilong, a commoner wife. Named Tengku Alam Shah at birth, he was not expected to succeed as he had two elder half-brothers.

Educated at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Malay College Old Boys Association(MCOBA) in 1929. In 1931, he was appointed Tengku Laksamana of Selangor, having previously served as Tengku Panglima Raja.

The Selangor Succession Dispute

Sultan Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah had many children, his first three sons in chronological order being Tengku Musa Eddin, Tengku Badar Shah and Tengku Alam Shah. The first two sons were children by his royal consort, Tengku Ampuan Maharum binti Tengku Dhiauddin of the royal house of Kedah. In 1903, Tunku Musa Eddin had been made "Tengku Mahkota" and was promoted to "Raja Muda" or heir apparent in 1920. [ Buyong Adil 1971 "Sejarah Selangor" DBP ]

However, at the instigation of the British Resident, Theodore Samuel Adams (b. 1885 - d. 1961; in office 1935 - 1937), Tengku Musa Eddin was dismissed as "Raja Muda" in 1934 for alleged "misbehaviour". Adams had accused Tengku Musa Eddin as a spendthrift and wastrel with a penchant for gambling. However, many Malays in Selangor believed the real reason for Tengku Musa Eddin's dismissal was his refusal to follow Adam's orders. [ Buyong Adil "op cit" ]

Although Sultan Sulaiman pleaded for the case of Tengku Musa Eddin (even petitioning the Secretary of State for the Colonies and discussing the issue directly with him in London), Tengku Alam Shah was instead proclaimed "Raja Muda" or heir to the throne over the head of his other half-brother Tengku Badar. [ Willan, HC (October 7, 1945) Interview with the Malay Rulers CAB 101/69, CAB/HIST/B/4/7 ] The appointment occurred on July 20, 1936. [ Buyong Adil "op cit" ]

First Reign

Tengku Alam Shah was proclaimed Sultan on April 4, 1938 four days after the death of his father. On January 26, 1939, he was crowned at Istana Mahkota Puri in Klang. Tengku Musa Eddin, then Tengku Kelana Jaya Putera, presided over the ceremony. [ Buyong Adil "op cit" ]

Japanese Occupation

On January 15, 1942, Colonel Fujiyama, the Japanese Military Governor of Selangor, invited Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah to King's House in Kuala Lumpur. In an interview with Major-General Minaki the Sultan confessed that he had made speeches in support of the British war efforts but had been persuaded by the British resident to do so. After being told to surrender the regalia to his older brother, the Japanese removed Sultan Alam Shah and in November 1943, proclaimed Tengku Musa Eddin as the new Sultan Musa Ghiatuddin Riayat Shah of Selangor. [ Willan, HC (October 7, 1945) Interview with the Malay Rulers CAB 101/69, CAB/HIST/B/4/7 ]

Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah declined to work with the Japanese and from 1943, refused their allowance awarded to him and his children. [ "ibid" ]

econd Reign

The return of the British finally brought Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah back to the throne, while ex-Sultan Musa was exiled to the Cocos Keeling Islands. [ Buyong Adil "op cit" ]

Although he had signed the Malayan Union treaty, like all other Malay rulers, he later repudiated it and gave open support to Malay nationalist effort to overthrow the plan. On March 1, 1946 Sultan Alam Shah officiated the First Malay Unity Congress at the Sultan Sulaiman Club in Kuala Lumpur which was instrumental in creating UMNO. The Congress was organised by the Selangor Malay Society (PMS) which had as its president the scholar Zainal Abidin bin Ahmad (Za'ba), a critic of British colonial rule.

Election as Deputy King

On August 3, 1957, by eight votes to one, Sultan Alam Shah was elected Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong of independent Malaya. [ (August 4, 1957) "Sunday Times," Singapore ]

Election as King

Sultan Alam Shah was elected second Yang di-Pertuan Agong or federal Paramount Ruler of independent Malaya (the present Malaysia before the accession of British North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore in 1963) on the death of Tuanku Abdul Rahman. His term of office began from April 14, 1960.

On July 30, 1960 he proclaimed the end of the Emergency in Malaya. [ Buyong Adil "op cit" ]

Death and Funeral

Sultan Alam Shah died of a mysterious illness at Istana Tetamu in Kuala Lumpur on September 1, 1960 - the day fixed for his installation. According to then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, the ruler had been struck down by illness after using the royal regalia in advance of his installation. [ Tunku Abdul Rahman (1977) "Looking Back" Pustaka Antara, Kuala Lumpur ] His death occurred after twenty seven days of illness. He was buried at the Royal Mausoleum near Sultan Sulaiman Mosque in Klang, Selangor on September 3, 1960. [ Buyong Adil "op cit" ]

Personal and Family Life

Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah was married at least twice:
# in 1920 to Raja Jemaah binti Raja Ahmad (1900-1973), a member of a junior branch of the Selangor royal family, who served as Tengku Ampuan of Selangor and Raja Permaisuri Agong
# in 1927 to Kalsom binti Mahmud (1913-1990), who was the mother to Tengku Ampuan Besar Bariah of Terengganu.

He was succeeded by his son by Raja Jemaah, Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah, as Sultan of Selangor, taking the title of Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. Sultan Salahuddin later became the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong and also died while in office like his father.

Trivia

# Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah (previously known as Kolej Islam Kelang), was named after him
# Sekolah Alam Shah (now Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah), first in Cheras and then in Putrajaya, was named after him
# The City of Shah Alam and Istana Alam Shah in Klang was also named in his honour
# Jalan Sultan Hisamuddin "(formerly Victory Avenue)", Kuala Lumpur was named after him
# His reign was the shortest ever for any Yang di-Pertuan Agong, lasting only 139 days. His son's reign between September 21, 1999 and November 21, 2001 was the second shortest at two years and sixty two days.
# He is the only Yang di-Pertuan Agong never to have been officially installed.
# He is the only Yang di-Pertuan Agong who has never lived at Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur
# He was the last Yang di-Pertuan Agong to read the Friday sermon himself

Notes