Compassionate and caring Ruler

Wani Muthiah, The Star

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah is known for being a well-read and knowledgeable Ruler who is able to speak on many topics and issues with finesse.

He always keeps abreast of happenings in the state and steps in whenever there is a need for him to do so.

Being a just man, Sultan Sharafuddin also speaks up when he feels and believes there is a violation of individual or collective rights.

In 2009, when the privacy of a state assemblyman was violated with private pictures of her being circulated in cyberspace, Sultan Sharafuddin immediately voiced his concern.

The Sultan issued a statement that he was upset and worried over the intrusion of privacy and private rights for the purpose of destroying a person’s dignity and reputation.

He added that he was saddened that private lives were being made public and subject to public scrutiny via the mass media.

Sultan Sharafuddin shaking hands with Selangor football veteran P. Somasundram

Sultan Sharafuddin also raised concerns over the plight of the orang asli (aborigines) and had asked for their rights, especially with regards to their land, to be returned to them.

He urged the state government to expedite the identification and gazetting of orang asli land in his speech during the opening of the state legislative assembly sitting in 2009.

Sultan Sharafuddin said in his speech that the orang asli community had undergone an erosion of identity and it is time their rights be returned to them with the resolution of their land problems.

“I want to stress the need to acknowledge and preserve orang asli land which had been seized from them in the last few years,’’ the Sultan had said.

Klang’s Orang Besar Daerah Datuk Setia DiRaja Datuk Abdul Ghani Pateh Akhir said the Sultan always put the people’s welfare first.

“Tuanku is always concerned about his subjects and emphasises that whatever projects planned by the government and other parties must first and foremost benefit the people,” he said.

He added that the Sultan also often stopped to speak to people whenever he attended public events or prayers at mosques.

Sultan Sharafuddin greeting the orang asli community at the perkampungan orang asli in Pulau Indah.

“He has never not stopped and listened and responded when people come forward to speak with him. Whenever he attends charitable events involving the needy, he would speak to them and ask them about the problems they faced,” said Abdul Ghani.

Sultan Sharafuddin’s love for books goes a long way back and he is the proud owner of a massive collection on all topics.

His private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani had been quoted in a previous interview saying Sultan Sharafuddin spent almost all his spare time reading.

“Tuanku is always reading whenever he has some free time. He also reads while travelling in the car,” Mohamad Munir said.

The Sultan’s collection of books is kept in his palace as well as several other locations and the ruler has also donated a substantial amount of books to libraries.

Sultan Sharafuddin is also known as a working Ruler and is said to use his vast experience as a former civil servant when carrying out his royal duties.

Tuanku had served in the Selangor state secretariat as well as the Kuala Lumpur district office and the police after returning from England upon completing his studies.

Sultan Sharafuddin is also known to be very direct and is a stickler for detail. However, any decision he makes is always after meetings and discussions with relevant parties.

Meanwhile, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the Sultan’s guidance in matters related to the state was valuable.

Sultan Sharafuddin looking through the titles available at the Raja Tun Uda Library in Section 13, Shah Alam during the handing over of books worth RM200,000 to the library. — Bernama

“We are blessed to have a capable Sultan who not only supports us but also guides us with the wisdom of his experience,” said Khalid.

Sultan Sharafuddin was born on Dec 24, 1945 at Istana Jemaah in Klang when his father, the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah was the Selangor Crown Prince.

Sultan Sharafuddin, whose birth name is Tengku Idris Shah, became the Raja Muda of Selangor at the age of 15 in 1960 when his father was installed as the Sultan of Selangor. He ascended the throne in 2001 after Sultan Salahuddin’s demise.

On his 68th birthday, the rakyat of Selangor wish Sultan Sharafuddin good health and many more blessed years ahead.

Daulat Tuanku!