Tengku Amir Shah flagged off several running events at the Shah Alam City Council anniversary celebration in August, including the Merdeka Run, the Rakan Muda Kaler Fun Run and the Selangor Youth and Sports Department’s Disabled People’s Association Run. — Photos from Selangor Royal Office Facebook page
THOSE who know Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah will attest to his humble and down-to-earth personality.
Former Selangor Youth Community (SAY) and Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor (YRMS) chief executive officer Izhar Moslim said in a 2017 interview that the Raja Muda is also a very considerate person.
He recalled that when Tengku Amir Shah attended the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona that year, the royal had picked up his own tab despite representing the state and carrying out official duties.
During the same trip, the Raja Muda and Izhar had also travelled to London to meet officials from The Prince’s Trust – the organisation that inspired the creation of YRMS by Tengku Amir Shah’s father, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, when he was the Crown Prince.
SAY was conceptualised and launched by Tengku Amir Shah to reach out to the youth in Selangor and provide a platform for them to explore opportunities for self-growth and improvement, while also serving the community.
The royal couple posing for a photo with children during the People’s Sports Programme in Shah Alam in November. — Photos from Selangor Royal Office Facebook page
During a 2021 SAY event, Tengku Amir Shah praised the participants for making meaningful contributions to society through the various programmes laid out by the organisation.
“I am proudest of the impact you have made, especially during the community project stage,” the Crown Prince said.
Tengku Amir Shah highlighted how one group of participants had engaged with an Orang Asli community, while another group had held an online forum on mental health.
His Highness also praised a third group that had helped homeless individuals at a shelter and a fourth one that organised a forum on domestic violence.
Tengku Amir Shah added that witnessing young people strive to uplift their communities while improving their own prospects is deeply inspiring.
In a previous interview, YRMS and SAY trustee Syed Haizam Hishamuddin Putra Jamalullail, who is also Tengku Amir Shah’s first cousin, said the Raja Muda had worked to create a bridge between the royal institution and the community.
The Raja Muda delivering the keynote address at the 2025 International Symposium on Education for Sustainable Rural Development at Beijing Normal University in China earlier this month.
According to Syed Haizam, Tengku Amir Shah believed the people would be closer to the monarchy if protocol was reduced at selected events.
Apparently, this had led to a system whereby protocol requirements were ranked one to five, with five representing full ceremonial observance at palace functions.
However, Tengku Amir Shah can also be stern when the need arises, such as when the Raja Muda took over the reins of the then troubled Football Association of Selangor in 2018.
At the time, Tengku Amir Shah had acted swiftly to resolve internal conflicts, and introduced a new structure to stabilise operations.
The Raja Muda had also duly dealt with those responsible for the disputes by reprimanding them, while also emphasising that unity was essential in building a strong football team.
Earlier this year at the Shah Alam Sports Complex (KSSA) development’s approval letter submission ceremony, Tengku Amir Shah said in his royal address that the complex is a development programme in entirety for the people.
Tengku Amir Shah with participants of the TVET Open Day hosted by YRMS in Hulu Langat in November, which showcased innovative technology and vocational education. — Photos from Selangor Royal Office Facebook page
“It’s more than a stadium. It’s a space for everyone, a place where people can come together to be involved in sports, in culture, in the arts and learning.
“It’s designed with the people in mind, built for the future, but steeped in the values and traditions we Selangorians hold dear,” Tengku Amir Shah had said.
He added that the new KSSA is an integral part of a vision and journey that had taken him seven years to realise.
“I envision a Selangor that is more inclusive, forward-thinking and focused on long-term sustainability, where everyone has the opportunity to grow, thrive and prosper,” said Tengku Amir Shah.
His Highness also shared his dream to make the KSSA amongst some of the world’s most renowned sites.
“I envision KSSA standing proudly among the world’s most iconic destinations and alongside places like the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, the Melbourne Sports Precinct or Marina Bay in Singapore.
“Not just as a stadium, but a living, breathing tapestry of voices, colours, and dreams,” the Raja Muda added.
Tengku Amir Shah was installed as the Crown Prince and heir to the Selangor throne on May 3, 2002, when His Highness was just 11 years old, and was officially proclaimed as Raja Muda on Oct 8, 2016.
During his installation ceremony, the Raja Muda underwent the traditional rites affirming his accession as Selangor’s heir apparent, took his oath as Raja Muda and signed the decree, witnessed by his uncle Tengku Laksamana Selangor Tengku Sulaiman Shah and other state dignitaries.
Born on Dec 12, 1990, in San Francisco, Tengku Amir Shah is the youngest of Sultan Sharafuddin’s three children, as well as the only son.
He received his early education at Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur before continuing at Wellington College in the United Kingdom from 2004 to 2009.
A graduate of Leeds University with a degree in Ecology and Environmental Biology, Tengku Amir Shah also trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
In June 2016, Tengku Amir Shah was commissioned as a Leftenan Muda in the 17th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment at Terendak Camp, Melaka.
The Raja Muda, who was once regarded as one of the country’s most eligible royal singles, ended his bachelorhood when he married Datin Paduka Seri Afzaa Fadini Datuk Abdul Aziz in October this year.
