King's father, former Pahang Sultan, dies at age 88

KUANTAN: The former Sultan of Pahang, Paduka Ayahanda Sultan Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah ibni Al Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mu'adzam Shah, has passed away.

Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail announced that Sultan Ahmad Shah died at the National Heart Institute at about 8.50am on Wednesday (May 22).

He was 88.

The former Pahang ruler was born on Oct 24, 1930, at Istana Mangga Tunggal in Pekan, and was the only son of Sultan Abu Bakar and Tengku Ampuan Fatimah.

He had his early education at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar and his higher education at Worcester College, Oxford, and the University of Exeter in the fields of public administration and local government.

Sultan Ahmad Shah married Tengku Ampuan Afzan Tengku Panglima Perang Tengku Muhammad in 1954 and the couple was blessed with two sons and five daughters.

They are Tengku Puteri Seri Lela Wangsa Pahang Tengku Tan Sri Meriam, Tengku Puteri Seri Teja Pahang Tengku Datuk Muhaini, Tengku Puteri Seri Kemala Pahang Tengku Datuk Aishah, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Tengku Muda Pahang Tengku Abdul Rahman, Tengku Puteri Seri Lela Manja Pahang Tengku Datuk Nong Fatimah and Tengku Puteri Seri Bongsu Pahang Tengku Datuk Shahariah.

Tengku Ampuan Afzan passed away in 1988.

Sultan Ahmad Shah ascended the throne of the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia on May 7, 1974 following the passing of Sultan Abu Bakar.

He also served as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1979 to 1984.

In 1991, Sultan Ahmad Shah married Sultanah Kalsom, and from the union, they had a prince Tengku Arif Temenggong Pahang Tengku Fahd Mua'adzam.

The Sultan was known as a keen sportsman who loved football, golf and polo. He was the Football Association of Malaysia president from 1984 to 2014.

Sultan Ahmad Shah had been ill for some time and thus an amendment to the state constitution was made to allow the Pahang royal council to conduct his abdication earlier this year.

His eldest son Al-Sultan Abdullah was subsequently proclaimed the sixth Sultan of Pahang of the modern era on Jan 15, 2019, paving the way for him to become the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.