Tengku Muhammad Fa-iz is Kelantan crown prince

KOTA BARU: Tengku Muhammad Fa-iz Petra ibni Sultan Ismail Petra, the younger brother of the Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Muhammad V, was appointed the Tengku Mahkota Kelantan and heir to the Kelantan throne with immediate effect.

State Secretary Datuk Mohd Aiseri Alias said the decision was made by the State Council of Succession which met Monday and chaired by its chairman, Tengku Abdul Halim Al-Haj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim.

The ceremony to present the letter of appointment as Tengku Mahkota Kelantan was held at Istana Negeri in Kubang Kerian at 2pm.

Mohd Aiseri told a press conference that the meeting of the Council of Succession was attended by 14 of its 15 members except Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah whose membership ceased automatically for being absent before without the permission of the council.

Tengku Muhammad Fa-iz, 36, is second of four children of the former Kelantan Sultan, Tuanku Ismail Petra. His other two siblings are Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra and Tengku Amalin A-Ishah Putri.

Tengku Muhammad Fa-iz, who was born at Istana Kota Lama on June 20, 1974, was appointed Tengku Bendahara Kelantan on March 30, 1989 and is the head of the Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council since June 21, 2009.

Mohd Aiseri said that according to the Kelantan State Constitution, Tengku Muhammad Fa-iz could be the ruler or regent when the Sultan is abroad for a period of more than 12 months or unable to carry to out his duties as the ruler over the same period.

He said the Council of Succession did not discuss the appointment of Tengku Temenggong as Monday's meeting was only to determine the heir to the throne.

The title of Tengku Temenggong was previously held by Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra but it was withdrawn by Sultan Muhammad V recently. - Bernama