Tengku Amir celebrating with Selangor’s team of under-16 players after they beat Singapore 2-0 during the 17th Sultan of Selangor’s Cup at Shah Alam Stadium in August 2018. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS / The Star
THE Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has over the years metamorphosed into an assertive man who, like his father, does not mince his words.
His assertiveness can clearly be seen in the way he has handled past issues plaguing the Selangor Football Association (FAS) and is currently manoeuvring it towards the right path as its president.
In a previous interview, Tengku Amir Shah’s cousin Datuk Syed Haizam Hishamuddin Putra Jamalullail had said the Crown Prince helmed FAS knowing how much football meant to Selangorians.
“This was the main reason why he decided to take on the responsibility to revamp and produce a football team the people would be proud of,” Syed Haizam had said.
He also said that Tengku Amir had encountered many challenges, but his steely determination and stern leadership had helped him counter all adversities.
Tengku Amir looking on as Shah Alam deputy mayor Mohd Rashidi Ruslan (left) and Selangor FC chief executive officer Dr Johan Kamal Hamidon present a FIFA certificate during the launch of a synthetic football field in Shah Alam. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
The Raja Muda is also known to reach out to the state’s youth through various initiatives via the Selangor Youth Community (SAY), which he conceptualised. Under his guidance, SAY has advocated various community-based programmes for youth in Selangor.
Tengku Amir Shah is also the royal patron of Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor (YRMS), which was initiated by Sultan Sharafuddin when he was the crown prince of Selangor. YRMS has provided many opportunities to marginalised and underprivileged youth over the years.
In a previous interview, Syed Haizam, who is YRMS and SAY trustee, had said Tengku Amir’s main aim was to connect the royal institution with the community at large.But there is also the question of protocol when the Crown Prince goes to the ground to mingle with the people. Apparently, he had opined that people could become closer with royalty if protocol was minimised for certain events.
“So, we devised a system where the level of protocol was numbered from one to five, with five being the observance of full protocol at formal events held at the palaces,’’ Syed Haizam had said.
As the FAS president, Tengku Amir Shah aims to bring the team to the international arena.
“I want to make FAS compete for championships and trophies every year. The biggest goal is to take FAS to the international stage. That would be awesome,’’ Tengku Amir Shah has been quoted as saying.
Tengku Amir posing with participants of a children’s bike race held in conjunction with the Smart Cycling Fest 2022. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
Those close to Tengku Amir say he is an unassuming person. Former SAY chief executive officer Izhar Moslim recalled in a previous article how the Raja Muda had personally picked him up for a meeting.“Tuanku called me as I was about to leave my house, asking me how I was getting to the meeting. He asked me to go with him and said he would pick me up at my house in Shah Alam,” said Izhar.The Raja Muda arrived five minutes later, driving his own car.
Another YRMS trustee, Puan Sri T.D. Ampikaipakan, also recalled in a previous article how Tengku Amir, when he was 18, had attended incognito a self-discovery workshop organised by YRMS for Form Five students who were not academically inclined.
He was introduced as a visitor from England and addressed as Abang Amir by the other students as he participated alongside them in the various activities organised.
“The students only found out the next day that he was the Raja Muda of Selangor. They were thrilled that he was so unpretentious in his encounter with them,’’ Ampikaipakan had said.
To support Selangor’s business initiatives, Tengku Amir Shah has also attended international trade expos and events. One of them was the Astana Expo 2017 in Kazakhstan, where he spoke in a panel discussion dubbed “In Conversation with the Crown Prince on a Green Future for Us”.
The Crown Prince greeting the young players of SMK Dato Harun before the final match of the Boys Under-15 Dato Mokhtar Dahari Cup. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
He spoke on the need to create a platform to encourage youth to become more environmentally responsible and productive.
Tengku Amir Shah was installed as the Crown Prince and heir to the Selangor throne on May 3, 2002, when he was just 11 and was officially proclaimed in October 2016. The heir to the Selangor throne was born in San Francisco, the United States, on Dec 12, 1990, and is Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s only son.
Tengku Amir’s American mother, Che Puan Nur Lisa, and Sultan Sharafuddin divorced in 1997. He received his early education at the Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur before studying at Wellington College in the UK from 2004 to 2009.
Tengku Amir underwent training at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in the UK and holds a degree in Ecology and Environmental Biology from Leeds University, which he obtained in 2014.
The Raja Muda, who is a lover of extreme sports, has also been commissioned Leftenan Muda in the 17th battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment at Terendak Camp, Melaka.
