Milestone celebration for monarch

The Sultan and Sultanah at the breaking of fast event held in conjunction with his actual birthday on April 30.

KEDAHANS celebrate in jubilation the 80th birthday of His Royal Highness Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah today.

The people will come together to rejoice and show their heartfelt affection for their Sultan, whom they revere and have the utmost respect for all that the monarchy has done for the state.

Gazetted as a public holiday, today marks the official birthday of the 29th Sultan of Kedah whose actual birthday falls on April 30. The Ruler will grace the investiture ceremony at Istana Anak Bukit, Alor Setar.

Sultan Sallehuddin was born on April 30, 1942 in Alor Setar and is the ninth of 14 siblings of the late Sultan Badlishah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, the 27th Sultan of Kedah.

The Ruler’s mother, Almarhumah Sultanah Asma Almarhum Sultan Sulaiman, was the daughter of the Sultan of Terengganu, Almarhum Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah.

His Royal Highness began his early education at Sekolah Melayu Alor Merah before continuing his studies at Sultan Abdul Hamid College, where he had the opportunity to interact with students from the different races.

He was actively involved in various activities including rugby, football and the debate team.

His most unforgettable experience was his participation in the four-day bamboo rafting expedition from Sungai Sik to Sungai Kuala Muda in 1958.

Upon completing the Senior Cambridge examinations, Sultan Sallehuddin worked as a temporary teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Iskandar, Alor Setar, in 1962.

Acting on the advice of his elder brother, the late Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, and coupled with his deep interest in the military, he chose to undergo cadet training and was sent to the Indian Military Academy in Dehra Dun, India, from July 23, 1962 to June 30, 1963.

The Kedah royal family.

Upon returning to his homeland, the monarch was commissioned as a Lieutenant on Feb 12, 1964 and subsequently posted to the 2nd Battalion Royal Malay Regiment in Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Baru in Kelantan.

During his time in the service, he was engaged in security operations along the common border with Thailand in the states of Kelantan, Kedah and Perak.

A critical stint was the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation where his battalion was active at Kalabakan and the Indonesia-Malaysia border such as Kampong Mentadah, Simpang Tiga and Apas Balong.

The 2nd Battalion was later transferred to Pengkalan Chepa in 1965 and subsequently to Kem Sungai Besi in 1966.

The following year, the battalion was based in Sarawak conducting operations at the Indonesia-Malaysia border until 1968.

In 1969, Sultan Sallehuddin was stationed at Tok Jalai Camp in Kedah. During the critical ‘May 13’ incident in 1969, his battalion was involved in an operation in Penang.

His Royal Highness retired from the Armed Forces on Feb 14, 1974. During his retirement break, he underwent training at the National Productivity Council (NPC) and Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) and he took up management courses in the United States.

He has wide experience in the corporate world especially in areas concerning property development, logging and construction.

His involvement in the various fields has certainly made His Royal Highness more sensitive and aware of public development issues, such as the importance of education, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), basic facilities, water treatment, housing, agriculture, plantation, transportation, roads, natural resources and waqf.

Sultan Sallehuddin also cares deeply about history, especially the history of Kedah.

He believes that historical literacy will develop the people’s mind to love the state and country.

His love and concern for the people’s well-being and environment sustainability have been constantly reflected in his speeches, especially at the policy-making stage, such as during the opening of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly.

This deep concern has also led the Ruler to constantly visit, remind others and be briefed on the impact of development in the state.

Sultan Sallehuddin greeting his subjects at a gathering with the people in Kulim in February 2020.

His views on the needs and aspirations of the people have made it possible for him to articulate the various aspects of social and physical development.

His speeches always emphasise the importance of scholarship which is based on theology, humanity, organised society and sustainable environment.

Highly revered by his subjects, Sultan Sallehuddin has a friendly but firm character when it comes to decision-making, and is very meticulous about his appearance.

His military training had instilled the values of discipline, loyalty, hard work and respect besides shaping his persona into someone who is strict and precise.

These qualities greatly influenced his outlook towards life outside the palace.

The Ruler was conferred the rank of Brigadier General in 2007 and served as advisor to the Territorial Army when he was the Tunku Temenggong Kedah, and later the Crown Prince.

Now a Sultan, he is the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Malay Regiment and also the Royal Ordinance Corps.

He was conferred the Pahlawan Angkatan Tentera, which is the most gallant order of the military service by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2012 for his exceptional service in the Malaysian Armed Forces.

The Sultan is very active in sports and is an avid golfer. He loves animals just like his late father. He keeps cats of various breeds as pets.

During his leisure, he likes to go sightseeing and traveling with his children and grandchildren.

The monarch met his consort Her Royal Highness Sultanah Maliha Almarhum Tengku Ariff, who is from the royal family of Kelantan, when he was posted there with the Royal Malay Regiment.

The happy couple got married on Nov 26, 1965 and were blessed with two sons – Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah (who is the current Tuanku Raja Muda Kedah) on March 2, 1967 and Datuk Tunku Shazuddin Ariff (who is the current Tunku Laksamana Kedah) on April 27, 1970.

Tengku Sarafudin is married to Che Puan Muda Zaheeda and they have two children, a prince and a princess.

Sultan Sallehuddin was proclaimed as the Tunku Temenggong Kedah on Nov 28, 1981.

He was also appointed as a member of the Kedah Council of Regency when his eldest brother Almarhum Sultan Abdul Halim served as the King from 2011 to 2016.

He later chaired that Council after the demise of his older brother Almarhum Tan Sri Tunku Annuar in 2014 and held the post until Dec 12, 2016.

His Royal Highness was proclaimed as the 19th Raja Muda of Kedah on Dec 15, 2016, succeeding another elder brother Almarhum Tunku Abdul Malik, who passed away on Nov 29, 2015.

Sultan Sallehuddin ascended the throne on Sept 12, 2017, succeeding his brother, Almarhum Sultan Abdul Halim.

The monarch holds several key positions, among them are Chancellor of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah (UniSHAMS).

His Royal Highness was conferred the title of Darjah Seri Paduka Mahkota Kelantan Yang Amat Mulia (SPMK) on Nov 28, 2016 and Darjah Kerabat Yang Amat Di-Hormati (Al-Yunus), D.K (Kelantan) on Sept 30, 2017.

He was bestowed with the Darjah Kerabat Kedah on Jan 15, 2017, Darjah Kerabat Johor Yang Amat Di-Hormati Pangkat Pertama D.K 1 on Oct 30, 2017, and Darjah Kerabat Di-Raja Yang Amat Di-Hormati Perak on Dec 4, 2017.

Sultan Sallehuddin also received the Darjah Kerabat Yang Amat Di-Hormati Selangor on Jan 25, 2018, Darjah Kerabat Negeri Sembilan on Aug 21, 2018, Darjah Kerabat Baginda Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail (Perlis) on Sept 13, 2018, Darjah Mahkota Negara (DMN) from the Prime Minister on Oct 15, 2018, and Darjah Kerabat Sri Indera Mahkota Pahang on Sept 5, 2019.