HOME
        TheInfoList






Click Here for Items Related To - Pengiran

The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics, which are used extensively in Brunei, Malaysia, and the southern Philippines.

Malaysia, Brunei and several provinces in Indonesia regularly award honorary and life titles. What follows in this article is specific to the Malaysian system. References to Brunei and Indonesia are given when pertinent.

In Malaysia, all non-hereditary titles can be granted to both men and women. Every title has a form which can be used by the wife of the title holder. This form is not used by the husband of a titled woman; such a woman will bear a title which is the same as a titled man.

Former use

Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders.

The Philippines historically used Malay titles during its pre-Hispanic period (especially under Bruneian influence), as evidenced by the titles of historical figures such as Rajah Sulayman, Lakandula and Dayang Kalangitan. Malay titles are still used by the royal houses of Sulu, Maguindanao, Buayan, and Maranao on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, but these are retained on a traditional basis, as the 1987 Constitution explicitly reaffirms the abolition of royal and noble titles in the republic.[1][2][3][4]

Indonesia, meanwhile, as a republic, does not recognize hereditary rulers and aristocratic systems. Nevertheless, their royal titles and honors are still used as courtesy titles.

Usage

The sequence that should be used when formally writing or addressing a person's name is: honorary style, professional rank, royal hereditary title, federal title, state title, non-royal hereditary title, Doctor (of medicine or philosophy), Haji/Hajjah (for Muslim men and women who have performed the Hajj), name.

For instance in the Brunei, the title for one of Bruneian traditional ministers (Pehin-Pehin Cheteria) whose honorary title would be Yang Berhormat, profession rank is Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Lela, state title is Dato Seri Setia, traditional Bruneian Malay prefix title for non-royalty is Awang.

When in the home state, the state title may precede the federal title. An example would be former Chief Minister of Sarawak, Adenan Satem, whose federal title is Tan Sri and state title is Pehin Sri. His title would be expressed as either:

  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tan Sri Pehin Sri Dr. Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem (federally)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Pehin Sri Tan Sri Dr. Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem (in his home state)

Another exception is when a person has received an award from a state other than the person's home state; when visiting the award-bestowing state, that state's title will take the place of a home state's title (if any). As an example, the former Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir will be titled as follows:

  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (federally)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (in Sabah)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Pehin Sri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (in Sarawak)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Dato Laila Utama Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (in Brunei)

A style carried by virtue of royal title always trumps those carried by non-royal titles. Male royals may choose to append "al-Haj" to their name instead of using "Haji". The following example is correct:

  • Yang Amat Mulia General Tengku Dato' (name) al-Haj

Malay royalty

The following titles are hereditary and reserved for royal families of the royal families of Brunei and nine royal states of Malaysia.

Brunei

The following styles and official titles are used for members of the royal house in Brunei:[provinces in Indonesia regularly award honorary and life titles. What follows in this article is specific to the Malaysian system. References to Brunei and Indonesia are given when pertinent.

In Malaysia, all non-hereditary titles can be granted to both men and women. Every title has a form which can be used by the wife of the title holder. This form is not used by the husband of a titled woman; such a woman will bear a title which is the same as a titled man.

Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders.

The Philippines historically used Malay titles during its pre-Hispanic period (especially under Bruneian influence), as evidenced by the titles of historical figures such as Rajah Sulayman, Lakandula and Dayang Kalangitan. Malay titles are still used by the royal houses of Sulu, Maguindanao, Buayan, and Maranao on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, but these are retained on a traditional basis, as the 1987 Constitution explicitly reaffirms the abolition of royal and noble titles in the republic.[1][2][3][4]

Indonesia, meanwhile, as a republic, does not recognize hereditary rulers and aristocratic systems. Nevertheless, their royal titles and honors are still used as courtesy titles.

Usage

The sequence that should be used when formally writing or addressing a person's name is: honorary style, professional rank, royal hereditary title, federal title, state title, non-royal hereditary title, Doctor (of medicine or philosophy), Haji/Hajjah (for Muslim men and women who have performed the Hajj), name.

For instance in the Brunei, the title for one of Bruneian traditional ministers (Pehin-Pehin Cheteria) whose honorary title would be Yang Berhormat, profession rank is Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Lela, state title is Dato Seri Setia, traditional Bruneian Malay prefix title for non-royalty is Awang.

When in the home state, the state title may precede the federal title. An example would be former Chief Minister of Sarawak, Adenan Satem, whose federal title is Tan Sri and state title is Pehin Sri. His title would be expressed as either:

  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tan Sri Pehin Sri Dr. Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem (federally)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Pehin Sri Tan Sri Dr. Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem (in his home state)

Another exception is when a person has received an award from a state other than the person's home state; when visiting the award-bestowing state, that state's title will take the place of a home state's title (if any). As an example, the former Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir will be titled as follows:

  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (federally)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (in Sabah)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Pehin Sri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (in Sarawak)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Dato Laila Utama Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (in Brunei)

A style carried by virtue of royal title always trumps those carried by non-royal titles. Male royals may choose to append "al-Haj" to their name instead of using "Haji". The following example is correct:

  • Yang Amat Mulia General Tengku Dato' (name) al-Haj

Malay royalty

The following titles are hereditary and reserved for royal families of the royal families of Brunei and nine royal states of Malaysia.

Brunei[<

The Philippines historically used Malay titles during its pre-Hispanic period (especially under Bruneian influence), as evidenced by the titles of historical figures such as Rajah Sulayman, Lakandula and Dayang Kalangitan. Malay titles are still used by the royal houses of Sulu, Maguindanao, Buayan, and Maranao on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, but these are retained on a traditional basis, as the 1987 Constitution explicitly reaffirms the abolition of royal and noble titles in the republic.[1][2][3][4]

Indonesia, meanwhile, as a republic, does not recognize hereditary rulers and aristocratic systems. Nevertheless, their royal titles and honors are still used as courtesy titles.

The sequence that should be used when formally writing or addressing a person's name is: honorary style, professional rank, royal hereditary title, federal title, state title, non-royal hereditary title, Doctor (of medicine or philosophy), Haji/Hajjah (for Muslim men and women who have performed the Hajj), name.

For instance in the Brunei, the title for one of Bruneian traditional ministers (Pehin-Pehin Cheteria) whose honorary title would be Yang Berhormat, profession rank is Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Lela, state title is Dato Seri Setia, traditional Bruneian Malay prefix title for non

For instance in the Brunei, the title for one of Bruneian traditional ministers (Pehin-Pehin Cheteria) whose honorary title would be Yang Berhormat, profession rank is Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Lela, state title is Dato Seri Setia, traditional Bruneian Malay prefix title for non-royalty is Awang.

When in the home state, the state title may precede the federal title. An example would be former Chief Minister of Sarawak, Adenan Satem, whose federal title is Tan Sri and state title is Pehin Sri. His title would be expressed as either:

  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tan Sri Pehin Sri Dr. Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem (federally)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Pehin Sri Tan Sri Dr. Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem (in his home state)

Another exception is when a person has received an award from a state other

Another exception is when a person has received an award from a state other than the person's home state; when visiting the award-bestowing state, that state's title will take the place of a home state's title (if any). As an example, the former Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir will be titled as follows:

  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (federally)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (in Sabah)
  • Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Peh

    A style carried by virtue of royal title always trumps those carried by non-royal titles. Male royals may choose to append "al-Haj" to their name instead of using "Haji". The following example is correct:

    • Yang Amat Mulia General Tengku Dato' (name) al-Haj

    Malay royalty

    The following styles and official titles are used for members of the royal house in Brunei:The following styles and official titles are used for members of the royal house in Brunei:[citation needed]

    • Sultan dan Yang di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam is the official title of the For those who have blood-ties with the royal family who are married, styled as Prince or Princess in English, and given the hereditary honorific prefix Pengiran:

      • Pengiran Muda Mahkota is the official title of the heir-apparent and the crown prince, styled as Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri (His Royal Highness)
      • Pengiran Muda is the official title of a blood prince, they are styled differently.
        • The sons of the Sultan, if they do not have supplementary titles, are styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri (His Royal Highness).
        • The sons of the Pengiran Muda Mahkota are styled Yang Teramat Mulia (His Royal Highness)
      • Pengiran Anak Puteri is the title for the daughters of the Sultan. They are styled Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri (Her Royal Highness).
      • Pengiran Anak Isteri the consorts of the sons of the Sultan, it differs according to different princes.
        • The consort of the Pengiran Muda Mahkota is styled Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri (Her Royal Highness).
        • The consort of the Pengiran Perdana Wazir is styled Yang Teramat Mulia and has no English style.
        • The consort of the other sons of the Sultan is styled Yang Amat Mulia and has no English style.
      • Pengiran Anak is the title for the sultan's other grandch

        The titles for grandchildren apply to great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. For generations following that, the title is only Pengiran.

        A person who marries a distant member of the royal family (ie: Pengiran) is given the title Pengiran Anak; the title is lost if they divorce.

        • Pengiran Isteri the wife of a prince, usually with royal heritage
        • Pengiran Bini the wife of a prince, usually with non-royal heritage

        Unmarried distant royal children (Pengiran) have the title Awangku if male or Dayangku if female.[5]

        Another minor royal titles include:

        • Tengku Putera for male
        • Tengku Puteri for female

        Malaysia

        • Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia (KDYMM) (literally "He/She Whom is The Dust of The Almighty") is used for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and state rulers alike. The title is a reference to the rulers being subjected to the Law of God, with their powers being dust compared to the power of Allah. However, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong also uses the prefix "Seri Paduka Baginda" (literally, "Conqueror Majesty") and in English, his title is often translated as "His Majesty". However, the style differs from state to state as according to states' tradition.

        Federal

        The Tun title has existed in Malaysian society for hundreds of years. In ancient times, Tun was an honorific title used by noble people of royal lineage, inherited by the male descendants. Over time, the Tun title has become a title conferred by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to the most-deserving recipient who has highly contributed to the nation.

        Tun is the most senior federal title awarded to recipients of either the Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara (Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm) (SMN) or Seri Setia Mahkota (Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia) (SSM). However, the SMN and SSM are not the highest federal awards, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively. There may not be more than 25 living holders of each of these awards at any one time. The title for the wife of a Tun is called Toh Puan. The recipients and their wives are then bestowed with the style of Yang Amat Berbahagia or (The Most Felicitous).

        The SMN is usually awarded to newly appointed Yang di-Pertua Negeri (YDPN) and to all the retired Prime Ministers of Malaysia with the exception of Najib Razak (making him the first former Prime Minister without the Tun title). Most senior state title "Dato Seri Utama" and "Datuk Seri Utama" share equivalent rank with Tun.

        Examples:

        Tan Sri

        Tan Sri is the second-most senior federal title and a honorific used to denote recipients of the Panglima Mangku Negara (Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm) (PMN) and the Panglima Setia Mahkota (Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia) (PSM). The wife of a Tan Sri is called Puan Sri. The recipients and their wives are then bestowed with the style of Yang Berbahagia or (The Felicitous). State title "Dato Sri" and "Dato Seri" share equivalent rank with Tan Sri.

        Examples:

        Datuk

        Main article: Datuk

        Datuk is a federal title that has been conferred since 1965. It is limited to recipients of Panglima Jasa Negara (Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service) (PJN) and Panglima Setia Diraja (Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal Family of Malaysia) (PSD). There may be up to 200 living PJN holders and 200 living PSD holders at any one time. The wife of a Datuk is called a Datin. The recipients and their wives are then bestowed with the style of Yang Berbahagia (The Felicitous).

        Examples:

        State titles

        In Malaysia, state honours are awarded by the respective heads of the thirteen states. Such titles are honorary and non-hereditary. State titles may be revoked or suspended by the head of state or may be returned by the individual. Dato' Sri or Dato' Seri is the highest state title conferred by the Ruler on the most deserving recipients who have contributed greatly to the nation or state. It ranks below the federal title Tun and is an honour equivalent to federal title Tan Sri. The wife of a recipient is Datin Sri. In many cases, the number of Malaysian nationals who may hold a state title or honour at one time is limited. Such limits do not apply to foreigners.

        Title Awarding state(s) Associated honour(s) Variant
        Dato Sri  Sarawak Knight Grand Commander of Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak (SBS) Pehin Sri
        Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak (PNBS) Dato Sri
        Dato' Seri  Kedah Member of the Supreme Order of Sri Mahawangsa (DMK) Dato' Seri Utama
        (SMDK) Dato' Seri Utama
        Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah (SHMS) Dato’ Seri Diraja
        Knight Grand Commander of the Glorious Order of the Crown of Kedah (SGMK) Dato’ Seri Wira
        Knight Grand Commander of the Exalted Order of the Crown of Kedah (SPMK) Dato’ Seri
        Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal House of Kedah (SSDK) Dato’ Seri
         Negeri Sembilan Principal Grand Knight of the Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan (SUNS) Dato’ Seri Utama
        Knight Grand Commander of the Grand Order of Tuanku Jaafar (SPTJ) Dato’ Seri
        Grand Knight of the Order of Loyalty to Tuanku Muhriz (SSTM) Dato’ Seri
        Grand Knight of the Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan (SSNS) Dato’ Seri
         Penang Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DUPN) Dato' Seri Utama
        Knight Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DPPN) Dato' Seri
        Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DGPN) Dato' Seri
         Perak Perak Family Order of Sultan Azlan Shah (Ordinary Class) (SPSA) Dato’ Seri Diraja
        Perak Family Order of Sultan Nazrin Shah (Ordinary Class) (SPSN) Dato’ Seri Diraja
        Grand Knight of the Azlanii Royal Family Order (DSA) Dato’ Seri
        Grand Knight of the Order of Cura Si Manja Kini (SPCM) Dato’ Seri
        Grand Knight of the Order of Taming Sari (SPTS) Dato’ Seri Panglima
        Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Perak State Crown (SPMP) Dato’ Seri
         Perlis Member of the Order of Dato’ Bendahara Sri Jamalullail (DBSJ) Dato’ Seri DiRaja Bendahara Negara
        Knight Grand Companion of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm) (SMN) or

        Tun is the most senior federal title awarded to recipients of either the Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara (Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm) (SMN) or Seri Setia Mahkota (Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia) (SSM). However, the SMN and SSM are not the highest federal awards, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively. There may not be more than 25 living holders of each of these awards at any one time. The title for the wife of a Tun is called Toh Puan. The recipients and their wives are then bestowed with the style of Yang Amat Berbahagia or (The Most Felicitous).

        The SMN is usually awarded to newly appointed Yang di-Pertua Negeri (YDPN) and to all the retired Prime Ministers of Malaysia with the exception of Najib Razak (making him the first former Prime Minister without the Tun title). Most senior state title "Dato Seri Utama" and "Datuk Seri Utama" share equivalent rank with Tun.

        Examples:

        Tan Sri is the second-most senior federal title and a honorific used to denote recipients of the Panglima Mangku Negara (Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm) (PMN) and the Panglima Setia Mahkota (Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia) (PSM). The wife of a Tan Sri is called Puan Sri. The recipients and their wives are then bestowed with the style of Yang Berbahagia or (The Felicitous). State title "Dato Sri" and "Dato Seri" share equivalent rank with Tan Sri.

        Examples:

        Datuk

        In Malaysia, state honours are awarded by the respective heads of the thirteen states. Such titles are honorary and non-hereditary. State titles may be revoked or suspended by the head of state or may be returned by the individual. Dato' Sri or Dato' Seri is the highest s

        Examples:

        State titles

        In Malaysia, state honours are awarded by the respective heads of the thirteen states. Such titles are honorary and non-hereditary. State titles may be revoked or suspended by the head of state or

        In Malaysia, state honours are awarded by the respective heads of the thirteen states. Such titles are honorary and non-hereditary. State titles may be revoked or suspended by the head of state or may be returned by the individual. Dato' Sri or Dato' Seri is the highest state title conferred by the Ruler on the most deserving recipients who have contributed greatly to the nation or state. It ranks below the federal title Tun and is an honour equivalent to federal title Tan Sri. The wife of a recipient is Datin Sri. In many cases, the number of Malaysian nationals who may hold a state title or honour at one time is limited. Such limits do not apply to foreigners.

        Title Awarding state(s) Associated honour(s) Variant
        Dato S

        This title is mainly used in Brunei and Sarawak. An example of the title in Brunei would be Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa, the former Minister of Home Affairs and the current Special Adviser to the Sultan of Brunei.[6] The titles refers to the traditional ministers posts in Brunei.

        JP

        Justice of Peace (JP) ranks below all Dato' or Datuk. In Malaysia, Justices of Peace have largely been replaced in magistrates' courts by legally-qualified (first-class) stipendiary magistrates. However, state governments continue to appoint Justices of Peace as honours. In 2004, some associations of JPs pressed the federal government to allow JPs to sit as second-class magistrates to reduce the backlog of cases in the courts.

        Special cases

        If a person has been awarded several honours from different states, the title used varies. For example, sometime Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad is usually referred to as YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad anywhere in Malaysia. However, different terms of address may be used in the states that he visits. In Sarawak, he will be referred to as YAB Tun Pehin Sri Mahathir Mohamad as he received the Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Sarawak (SBS) from the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak.

        While in Sabah, he is referred to as Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, as he received the Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) from the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah.

        Honorary styles

        The following are used as styles, both before a person's title and by themselves as forms of address:

        • Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT) (lit. "The Most Eminent Master") – the style of a state governor, equivalent to "Your/His Excellency" and also as a title for serving Ambassadors to Malaysia, e.g. T.Y.T. Tuan Christopher J. LaFleur. Previously, the archaic equivalent to the style His Excellency was Paduka Yang Mulia (PYM). This was used by Singapore, Indonesia and in Malaysia for other Republic's leaders while the style for Governors/Yang di-Pertuas were Yang Terutama.
        • Yang Amat Berhormat (YAB) (lit. "The Most Honourable") – the style of the prime minister, the deputy prime minister, the chief ministers and the Menteri Besars of the states and Tuns who are members of parliament.
        • Yang Berhormat (YB) (lit. "The Honourable") – the style of members of parliament and state legislative assemblymen."Yang Berhormat" is also used for recipients of the First Class Order of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ) regardless of whether a member of parliament or not.
        • Yang Berhormat Mulia (YBM) (lit. "His Highness The Honourable") - the style for a prince who is a member of parliament (e.g. Yang Berhormat Mulia Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, the MP for Gua Musang).
        • Yang Amat Arif (YAA) (lit. "The Very Wise") – the style of the Chief Justice of Malaysia, the President of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia, the Chief Judge of the High Court of Malaya and the Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak.
        • Yang Arif (YA) (lit. "The Wise") – the style of a judge of the Federal Court or Court of Appeal, as well a judicial commissioner or judge of the High Court of Malaya or the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak. It does not apply to session court judges or magistrates.
        • Yang Amat Berbahagia (YABhg) (lit. "The Most Felicitous") – the style of persons with the titles Tun or Toh Puan, and the spouses of state governors, the spouse of the prime minister, the spouse of the deputy prime minister, as well as the spouses of state chief ministers.
        • Yang Berbahagia (YBhg) (lit. "The Felicitous") (and variants thereof) – the styles of persons with a chivalrous title.

        The English versions of these styles follow British usage. Thus the prime minister, cabinet ministers, senators, state executive councillors and judges of the High Court and above are styled the Honourable or the Right Honourable, although technically it is a solecism to style the prime minister or heads of courts Right Honourable as they are not members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.

        Other Malay titles by inheritance

        • Permata or Paramata, jewel or princess
        • Raja Muda (Malay), or Radiamoda (Philippines), crown prince or heir apparent.
        • Simban, literally means "worshipped"
        • Pengiran, equivalent to Tengku or prince
        • Raja (Malay), or Radia, Rajah (Philippines), ruler determined by hereditary lineage.
        • Ungku, equivalent to Tengku or prince. A hereditary (paternal) title from one of the lineages of the Royal Family of Johor.
        • Raden, a royal family name used in the several Malay Sultanates in Kalimantan, used extensively by the Pontianak Malays.
        • Abang is a title that is particularly found in Sarawak. Its use is rooted in the appointments of Datuk Patinggi, Datuk Temenggung, Datuk Bandar and Datuk Imam, centuries before the British colonisation. The children of these state dignitaries carry the title Abang (male) and Dayang (female). When an Abang marries a Dayang or a commoner, the issue will get to keep the title. The issue of a Dayang does not carry a title if he or she has a non-Abang father. However, if a Dayang marries a male aristocrat bearing a different title than hers, her issue will be named according to the husband's given title.
        • Awang is the term used for addressing men in Brunei equivalent to Mr. or as a given hereditary name amongst Sarawakian Malay. Anyone who inherited the name of Awang and Awangku through patrilineal family lineage may later claim the title Pengiran since they are also related to the Brunei Sultanate. This, however, requires the approval of elders who must consider if he is mature enough to carry the title – or once he has married. The change is only eligible for those who inherit the name Awang from their family line. As for the rule of inheritance of the name, it is the same as Abang.
        • Dayang is the term used for addressing women in Brunei and it is equivalent to Ms. Dayang is also the female issue of an Abang and an Awang (see Abang and Awang).
        • Syed (Malay), Sayyid or Sayed (Philippines), is a title inherited by male descendants, through the male line, from the Prophet Muhammad via his grandsons Hassan and Hussein. Female descendants are known as Syarifah, Sharifah, or Sayyidah.
          • Meor is a title inherited by the male issue of a Syarifah and non-Syed father. For females, the first letter of the name comes with 'Ma' as in "Ma Mastura". This is typically used in Perak and few other states such as Terengganu and Kelantan.
        • Megat (Malay), or Pamegat or Gat (Philippines), is a title inherited by male descendants of Pagaruyung Prince Megat Terawis, who was the first bendahara of Perak. Megats along with Puteris and Tuns are typically found in Perak in Malaysia, and among Tagalogs and Kapampangan people in the Philippines. "Megat" is also styled by a half-blood royal male descendant of a female royal of Pahang. In the Philippines, this survives in common high-born surnames Gatdula and Gatsalian along with the Order of the Philppines Gat (similar to a knight).
          • Puteri is a title inherited by the female descendant of a Megat. In the Philippines, Puteri, commonly spelled as Putri, Potri, Potli or Potre, is used to denote any royal princess of hereditary issue.
          • Tun is a title inherited by the issue of a Puteri, the female descendant of a Megat and a commoner father, in turn inheritable through the male line. In Pahang, it is the title of a male or female descendant of a Sultan through the female line. In the upper part of Terengganu, Tun is a title inherited by descendants of the now-abolished Bendahara of Terengganu,
        • Wan is a title inherited through the male line, given to a son or a daughter of a royal-family mother who married a commoner. This is typically found in Patani, Pahang, Kelantan, Kedah, Terengganu and Natuna-Anambas. In Kedah, Wan is the title used by descendants of certain former chief ministers of the state, e.g. the descendants of Wan Mohd Saman. Wan can also be used as the title for a girl's name, though this is uncommon, e.g. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. Wan can also be found in Sarawak, and is somehow related to the state's Syed lineage. A female issue of Wan carries the title Sharifah. A Wan may later claim the title Tuanku. This, however, can only be done after he gains the approval of the elders and is considered mature enough to carry the title. The change is only eligible for those who inherit the name Wan from their family line. The issue of a Sharifah does not carry a title if he/she has a non-Wan father.
        • Nik is a title inherited by the issue of a male Nik. It is typically found in Patani, Kelantan and Terengganu.
        • Che is a title inherited by the issue of a male Che descendants and were also used by some Malay nobles in ancient time. Certain lineage of Raja Jembal descendants also uses the Che title. However the Che title can also be passed down from a descendant of a female Nik and non-Nik male. The Che title is commonly found in Pattani, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

        Other titles

        • Haji (or Hajjah for female) can be used by people who have completed the Hajj. This title is abbreviated as "Hj." or "Hjh.".
        • Tuan literally means "master". Due to its colonial overtones, this term is mostly obsolete, although the title can still be added to Syed and Haji. It is used for non-titled members of Parliament and State Assemblymen. In some states like Kelantan, it could also denote one of the royal family. As an equivalent of Sir, it is used in formal correspondence. When addressing an audience, the plural form "tuan-tuan" (gentlemen) is used, usually combined as "tuan-tuan dan puan-puan" (gentlemen and ladies).
        • Encik (abbreviated "En.") is equivalent to Mr. and can be used by all men. Warrant Officers in the Singapore Armed Forces are also referred to as Encik informally.
        • Puan (abbreviated "Pn.") can be used by all married women. It is equivalent to Madam, not Mrs., as most married women in Malay-speaking countries do not use the names or surnames of their husbands. For married women who use their husbands' names, they can be addressed as "Puan (husband's name)". It is also used in formal correspondence. When addressing an audience, the plural form "puan-puan" (ladies) is used, usually combined with "tuan-tuan" as "tuan-tuan dan puan-puan".
        • Cik is equivalent to Miss and can be used by all unmarried women.

        Related issues

        Not all Datuks have lived exemplary lives and some have been convicted of crimes. The various rulers have recently taken steps to ensure the integrity of the institution by means of consultation and the revoking of the given titles.

        Mahathir Mohamad mentioned that one of the problems with titles in Malaysia is the numbers of them given out. He stated in an interview "Personally, I feel if you want to give value to anything, it must be limited...if you produce a million Ferrari cars, nobody will care about buying a Ferrari."[This quote needs a citation]

        The Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak, stated "That is my view. You degrade the award and the Ruler has the right to revoke it. In my opinion, it should be taken away." He also stated that "Sometimes, I think we give away too many datukships...it dilutes and devalues the award."[This quote needs a citation]

        In the first government following the independence of Malaya in 1957, 5 of 15 cabinet Ministers were Datuks. The Minister of Finance of Malaysia at the time, Tan Siew Sin, held the title Justice of Peace. Later, he was granted a Federal award which carried the title Tun. The father of Malayan independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, received no awards and carried the title "Tunku", which he inherited as the prince of the state of Kedah. He was honorarily referred to as "Yang Teramat Mulia" (YTM). The Senate held only 14 Datuks and House of Representatives held only 7.

        The Malacca government was criticised for awarding the Datuk title to a non-Malaysian Indian actor, Shah Rukh Khan, for making movies and promoting the Malacca state internationally.[7]

        Negeri Sembilan

        Pahang

        • The Sultan of Pahang revoked the titles of two Dato's in 2004.

        Selangor

        • The Dato's of Selangor attempted to set up an association of Selangor Dato's. It received approval from the registrar of societies but was shelved when the Sultan forbade any Dato' from joining or otherwise risk losing their title.
        • Four Datuks were removed in 2003 by the Sultan of Selangor.
        • Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim had his title revoked by the Sultan of Selangor on 3 November 2014.[9]
        • In 2019, the Sultan of Selangor suspended the state honours bestowed upon Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, pending the outcome of their court trials.[10]

        See also

        References

        1. ^ Islam reaches the Philippines. Malay Muslims. WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 9 July 2002. ISBN 9780802849458. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
        2. ^ "The Royal House Of Sultan Council. The Royal House Of Kapatagan Valley". Royal Society Group. Countess Valeria Lorenza Schmitt von Walburgon, Heraldry Sovereign Specialist. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
        3. ^ "The Royal House of the Sultanate Rajah Buayan". Royal Society Group. Countess Valeria Lorenza Schmitt von Walburgon, Heraldry Sovereign Specialist. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
        4. ^ "KIRAM SULTANS GENEALOGY". Royal Sulu. Royal Hashemite Sultanate of Sulu and Sabah. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
        5. ^ "pengiran". Malay Dictionary. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
        6. ^ Rozan Yunos. "The Daily Brunei Resources: A Pehin in Brunei".
        7. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan dapat Datuk". Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
        8. ^ "Negeri ruler strips Najib, Rosmah of Datuk Seri titles". Bernama. Malaysiakini. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
        9. ^ "Selangor Sultan strips Anwar of 'Datuk Seri' title". malaymail online.
        10. ^ "Selangor ruler suspends titles bestowed on Najib, Rosmah pending court cases". Malaysiakini. 10 May 2019. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.

        External links