Tuanku Syed Harun Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail ( Jawi: ; 25 November 1920 – 16 April 2000) was the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya, and later of

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

and sixth Raja of Perlis.

Early career

He was the son of Syed Hassan bin Syed Mahmud Jamalullail (1897–18 October 1935), sometime ''Bakal Raja'' or

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

to the throne of Perlis, by his commoner wife Wan Teh binti Wan Endut (1898 – 27 December 1952). Born in

Arau Arau is the royal capital of Perlis, Malaysia with a population of around 20,000. The red-roofed Istana (Royal Palace) is a mixture of colonial and pseudo-Moorish architectural styles. This town is the disembarkation point for visitors travell ...

, he was educated at the Arau Malay School and later at Penang Free School between 1937 and 1939. At the age of 18, he joined the Perlis administrative service, becoming a magistrate and in 1940, was transferred to

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

to serve as Second Magistrate in the Criminal Court.

The Perlis Succession Dispute

The fourth Raja of Perlis, Syed Alwi ibni Syed Safi Jamalullail (born 1881; reigned 1905–1943) was childless. However, he had several half-brothers who were competing for the role of heir presumptive. The succession to the Perlis throne was not automatic and an heir presumptive had to be confirmed in that post by the State Council comprising the Raja and several others. Syed Putra's paternal grandfather Syed Mahmud (died 1919), was the oldest son of Raja Syed Safi ibni Almarhum Syed Alwi Jamalullail (the third Raja). He was also a half brother of Raja Syed Alwi. He served as Raja Muda until 1912 when he was convicted and jailed in Alor Star, Kedah until 1917. Two years later, he died in Alor Star. On 6 December 1934, Syed Mahmud's son Syed Hassan was, by a three to one vote, selected by the State Council as ''Bakal Raja'' or heir presumptive. However, Syed Hassan died on 18 October 1935. On 30 April 1938, again by a three to one vote, the State Council chose Syed Putra (son of Syed Hassan) as the ''Bakal Raja''. This choice was opposed by Syed Hamzah, the younger half-brother of Raja Syed Alwi and himself Vice-President of the State Council on the grounds that Syed Putra was too far removed from the throne under the Islamic inheritance laws (primogeniture did not then apply in Perlis). However, the British colonial rulers supported Syed Putra.

Japanese occupation

On the outbreak of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Raja Syed Alwi retreated to

Kuala Kangsar The Kuala Kangsar (Perak Malay: ''Kole Kangso'') is the royal town of Perak, Malaysia. It is located at the downstream of Kangsar River where it joins the Perak River, approximately northwest of Ipoh, Perak's capital, and southeast of ...

Perak Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...

. He returned to Perlis on 28 December 1941 but was already very ill and state affairs were exercised by Syed Hamzah. Syed Putra was at the time serving in the judiciary in

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

and had been advised by Sultan Musa Ghiatuddin Riayat Shah of

Selangor Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...

to remain there. In May 1942, Syed Hamzah persuaded Raja Syed Alwi to withdraw Syed Putra's appointment as ''Bakal Raja'' and instead Syed Hamzah himself was appointed to that post. Raja Syed Alwi died in Arau on 1 February 1943 and a day later, before the funeral, Syed Hamzah was proclaimed fifth Raja of Perlis, by the consent of the Japanese Military Governor of Kedah and Perlis. Syed Putra and his family stayed in Klang until 15 May 1942 when he returned to Perlis. He lived in a hut near the

railway station and received a $90 a month allowance from Raja Syed Alwi but this ceased on the latter's death. On 29 March 1945 he left for

Kelantan Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode"). Kelantan is located in the ...

, the home state of his consort

Tengku Budriah Raja Perempuan Besar Tengku Budriah binti Almarhum Tengku Ismail ( Jawi: راج ڤرمڤوان بسر تڠكو بدرية بنت المرحوم تڠكو إسماعيل; 28 March 1925 – 28 November 2008) was the Raja Perempuan of Perlis, wife o ...

, where he sold cakes and sundry goods for a living.

Return of the British

The British Military Administration (BMA) under

Lord Louis Mountbatten Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of Germa ...

refused to recognise Syed Hamzah as Raja. On 18 September 1945, Syed Hamzah abdicated. He went into exile in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

and died in

on 20 February 1958. On 4 December 1945 the British proclaimed Syed Putra as sixth Raja of Perlis. He returned to Perlis from

, via Padang Besar. He was installed on 12 March 1949.

The Malayan Union experiment

Raja Syed Putra objected to the

Malayan Union The Malayan Union was a union of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government to simplify administratio ...

treaty on the grounds that it contravened the 1930 British-Perlis Treaty giving governing power to the Raja-in-council. However, his protests that he signed under duress was rejected by the British. Subsequently, like all other Malay rulers, Raja Syed Putra repudiated the Malayan Union treaty.

Election as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Raja Syed Putra was elected Deputy

Yang di-Pertuan Agong The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...

by the Malay rulers and served in that office from 14 April 1960 until the death of Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah on 1 September 1960.

Election as Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Raja Syed Putra was elected as the third

of independent

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

and served in that office from 21 September 1960. At 39 years and 301 days, he is the youngest Yang di-Pertuan Agong ever elected. He was installed at Istana Negara on 4 January 1961. On 16 September 1963 upon the proclamation of the Malaysian Federation comprising

British Borneo British Borneo comprised the four northern parts of the island of Borneo, which are now the country of Brunei, two Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Malaysian federal territory of Labuan. During the British colonial rule before Worl ...

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the M ...

and

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, he became

. He completed his term in office on 20 September 1965. His son,

Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail ( Jawi: توانكو سيد سراج الدين ابن المرحوم توانكو سيد ڤوترا جمال الليل; born 17 May 1943) is the 7th and current Raja of Perli ...

was elected as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong and served from 2001 to 2006 after the death of the incumbent, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.

Role as Yang di-Pertuan Agong

In September 1963,

was formed and Tuanku Syed Putra became known as the last King of

before changed to Malaysia as he was first king under new federation and the only King of Malaysia that

has ever

had HAD CCD is the name of a technology Sony implemented on some of their Charge-coupled device, CCD image sensors. List of HAD CCD sensors See also *Sony BIONZ *Exmor, Sony Exmor *Nikon EXPEED References

Sony image sensors {{photograp ...

in modern history. Raja Syed Putra's term of office as

was marked by the

Indonesian Confrontation Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...

between newly created Malaysia and its larger neighbour,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. He offered to stay on as

at the end of his term, to see out the end of Confrontation, but this suggestion was rejected by then prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. As

, he instructed proper treatment of the royal regalia, which he believed was partly responsible for the mysterious final illness and death of Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah, his immediate predecessor.

Later role

Raja Syed Putra became the doyen of the Malay rulers, giving advice to more junior Rulers especially during the constitutional crisis with the then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1983 and again in 1993.

Death

He died at the National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur on 16 April 2000 from a heart attack. At that time, he was the longest reigning

monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

in the world, a position he inherited from Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein in 1989. He was buried at the Royal Mausoleum in

, Perlis.

Family life

Tuanku Syed Putra married twice: # in 1941 to

Tengku Budriah binti Tengku Ismail Raja Perempuan Besar Tengku Budriah binti Almarhum Tengku Ismail ( Jawi: راج ڤرمڤوان بسر تڠكو بدرية بنت المرحوم تڠكو إسماعيل; 28 March 1925 – 28 November 2008) was the Raja Perempuan of Perlis, wife o ...

(1925–2008) of the Patani Sultanate in

. She served as his consort with the title of Raja Perempuan of Perlis and as

Raja Permaisuri Agong ''Raja Permaisuri Agong'' ( Jawi: راج ڤرمايسوري اݢوڠ; full title: ''Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong''; سري ڤدوک بݢيندا راج ڤرمايسوري اݢوڠ, literally ''The Que ...

. She is the mother of the current Raja of Perlis,

as well as five sons and five daughters. # in 1952 to Che Puan Mariam (née Riam Pessayanavin; 23 April 1923–1986) by whom he had three sons and one daughter. She was a Thai Muslim from

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

and Miss Siam in 1939.

Awards and recognitions

He has been awarded:

Honours of Perlis

* : **

MY-PERL Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail - DK

Recipient of the Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail (DK) ** MY-PERL Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail - Knight Grand Companion - SSSJ

MY-PERL Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail - Knight Grand Companion - SSSJ

Knight Grand Companion (Dato' Sri Setia) of the Most Esteemed Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail (4.12.1995) - SSPJ ** MY-PERL_Order_of_the_Crown_of_Perlis_-_Knight_Grand_Commander_-_SPMP

MY-PERL_Order_of_the_Crown_of_Perlis_-_Knight_Grand_Commander_-_SPMP

Knight Grand Commander (Dato' Sri Paduka) of the Most Illustrious Order of the Crown of Perlis (= the Star of Safi) - SPMP

Malaysian Honours

* (as

1960-1965) : ** MY Darjah Kerabat Diraja Malaysia - Royal Family Order of Malaysia - DKM

Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Malaysia - DKM (1966, after reign) ** Grand Master (1960-1965) of the

Order of the Crown of the Realm The Most Exalted Order of the Crown of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Utama Seri Mahkota Negara) is a Malaysian federal award. It is ranked lower than the Order of the Royal Family of Malaysia. It should not be confused with the Order of Loyalty to the ...

** Grand Commander (SMN) and Grand Master (1960-1965) of the Order of the Defender of the Realm ** MY Panglima Setia Diraja - Order of the Royal Household - PSD

Founding Grand Master (3–20 September 1965) of the

Order of the Royal Family of Malaysia The Most Excellent Order of the Royal Family of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Maha Utama Kerabat Diraja Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award conferred to the Malay rulers who were appointed as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. It only has one r ...

* : ** Recipient of the

(DMN, 31 August 1958) * : **

Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Johor - ribbon bar

First Class of the

Royal Family Order of Johor The Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Johor (Bahasa Melayu : ''Darjah Kerabat Johor Yang Amat Dihormati''),World Medal IndexDecorations of Johor/ref>Colecciones Militares (Antonio Prieto Barrio)Decorations of Johor/ref> is a chivalrous order a ...

(DK I) * : ** MY-KED Royal Family Order of Kedah (DK)

Member of the Royal Family Order of Kedah (DK) * : ** MY-KEL Royal Family Order - Star of Yunus - DK

Recipient of the Royal Family Order or ''Star of Yunus'' (DK) * : ** MY-NEG Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan - DKNS

Member of the Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan (DKNS) * : ** MY-PAH Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang - DK I

Member 1st class of the Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang (DK I, 24 October 1980) * : ** MY-PERA_Royal_Family_Order_of_Perak_-_DK_(before_2001)

Recipient of the

Royal Family Order of Perak Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

(DK) (1985) * : ** MY-SEL Royal Family Order of Selangor - DK I

First Class of the

Royal Family Order of Selangor The Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Selangor (Malay: ''Darjah Kerabat Selangor Yang Amat Dihormati'') is an order awarded by Sultan of Selangor to members of the Selangor and other Royal families, and to high officers of state. It is the high ...

(DK I) (1970) * : ** MY-TER Family Order of Terengganu 1st class - DK I

First Class Member of the Royal Family Order of Terengganu (DK I) * : ** MY-SAB_Order_of_Kinabalu_-_SPDK

Grand Commander of the

Order of Kinabalu The Illustrious Order of Kinabalu (Malay: ''Darjah Yang Amat Mulia Kinabalu'') is the only order conferred by the Governor of Sabah, Malaysia. Background The Illustrious Order of Kinabalu is established by virtue of Section 3(a) of State Honou ...

(SPDK) - Datuk Seri Panglima (1971) * : ** Knight Grand Commander of the

Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak The Darjah Yang Amat Mulia Bintang Kenyalang Sarawak (Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak) is the second highest order group (in the group of orders) of the orders, decorations, and medals of Sarawak. The order was instituted in 1970, and was r ...

(DP) - Datuk Patinggi

Foreign Honours

* : **

Companion of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

(CMG) (1948) ** Ribbon_-_QE_II_Coronation_Medal

Recipient of the

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du couronnement de la Reine Élizabeth II) is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded a ...

(1953) **

Knight Commander of the

(KCMG) - Sir (1956) * : ** BRU_Royal_Family_Order_of_the_Crown_of_Brunei

Recipient of the

Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei The Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei ( ms, Darjah Kerabat Mahkota Brunei) is an order of Brunei. It was established on 15 August 1982 by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The order carries the post-nominal letters "DKMB". Recipients Bruneian ro ...

(DKMB) (24 September 1958) * : ** KHM_Ordre_Royal_du_Cambodge_-_Grand_Croix_BAR

Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia (21 December 1962) * : ** EGY_Order_of_the_Nile_-_Grand_Cordon_BAR

Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile (17 April 1965) * : ** JPN_Daikun%27i_kikkasho_BAR

Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum (15 June 1964) * : ** JOR_Al-Hussein_ibn_Ali_Order_BAR

Collar of the

Order of al-Hussein bin Ali The Order of al-Hussein bin Ali is the highest order of the Kingdom of Jordan. It was founded on 22 June 1949 with one class (i.e. Collar) by King Abdullah I of Jordan with the scope of rewarding benevolence and foreign Heads of State. The class ...

(24 April 1965) * : ** Order_of_Pakistan

1st class of the

Nishan-e-Pakistan The Nishan-e-Pakistan ( ur, , , ''Order of Pakistan'') is the highest civilian award of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is awarded for "those who have rendered services of highest distinction" to the national interest of Pakistan. Nishan i ...

(28 December 1961) * : ** PHI_Order_of_Sikatuna_2003_Grand_Collar_BAR

Grand Collar of the Order of Sikatuna (GCS) (10 February 1961) * : ** Decoration without ribbon - en

Collar of the

Order of the Badr Chain Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

(3 April 1965) * : ** Order_of_the_Rajamitrabhorn_(Thailand)_ribbon

Grand Cross of the

Order of the Rajamitrabhorn The Most Auspicious Order of the Rajamitrabhorn ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นมงคลยิ่งราชมิตราภรณ์; ) is the highest royal order of Thailand. It ...

(20 June 1962)

Places named after him

Several places were named after him, including: *

Jalan Syed Putra Jalan Syed Putra (formerly Lornie Drive), Federal Route 2 is a major highway in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was named after Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail of Perlis, the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which used ...

, a stretch of the Federal Highway (

route Route or routes may refer to: * Route (gridiron football), a path run by a wide receiver * route (command), a program used to configure the routing table * Route, County Antrim, an area in Northern Ireland * ''The Route'', a 2013 Ugandan film * Ro ...

) between the old Kuala Lumpur railway station and

Mid Valley Megamall Mid Valley Megamall is a shopping mall in Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It sits at the entrance of Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur. Developed by IGB Berhad, the complex was opened in 1999. The mall has garnered media attention with even ...

. * Tuanku Syed Putra Mosque in Kangar, Perlis *

SMS Tuanku Syed Putra Sekolah Menengah Sains Tuanku Syed Putra ( en, Syed Putra Science Secondary School; abbreviated SMSTSP; formerly known as Sekolah Menengah Sains Perlis) is a premier boarding school located in Kangar, Perlis, Malaysia. In 2010, the school was a ...

in Kangar, Perlis * Tuanku Syed Putra Stadium in Kangar, Perlis * Kompleks Sukan Tuanku Syed Putra in Kangar, Perlis * Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra, MRSM Beseri, Perlis * SK Putra, a primary school in Kangar, Perlis * Bangunan Tuanku Syed Putra in Penang * Jambatan Tuanku Syed Putra in Kuala Perlis, Perlis * Persiaran Syed Putra in Kuala Lumpur * Kem Syed Putra, a military camp in Ipoh, Perak * Tuanku Syed Putra Football Cup * Tuanku Syed Putra Junior International Tennis Championship

Notes

A nostalgic tale of two Putras
The Star, 14 August 2007. {{Authority control Monarchs of Malaysia Rajas of Perlis 1920 births 2000 deaths House of Jamalullail of Perlis People from Perlis Malaysian Muslims Malaysian people of Malay descent Malaysian people of Arab descent Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Members of the Royal Family Order of Kedah Grand Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak First Classes of Royal Family Order of Selangor Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George People of British Malaya 20th-century Malaysian politicians Recipients of the Order of the Crown of the Realm