Ahmad Shah III of Pahang

Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah (Jawi: ; 24 October 1930 – 22 May 2019) was Sultan of Pahang from 1974 until his abdication in 2019, and the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia), from 1979 to 1984. His abdication as sultan was decided by the Royal Council at an extraordinary meeting on 11 January 2019. A special amendment was made to the state constitution that gave the body more power for this decision, citing the Sultan's incapability to rule due to his failing health. The abdication was announced the next day which was retroactively effective on the day of the Royal Council meeting, paving the way to his son, Abdullah to succeed him as sultan immediately, and subsequently be elected as the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong later the same month.

Biography

Ahmad Shah was born on 24 October 1930 at the Istana Mangga Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang. He was the only son of Sultan Abu Bakar of Pahang by his official and royal consort, Tengku Ampuan Besar Raja Fatimah binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Shah Kaddasullah (1910–1988), a princess of Perak's royal family.

A student of the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, he received diplomas in public administration from Worcester College, Oxford and the University of Exeter. He succeeded his father as sultan in 1974.

His election as the 7th Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 1979 was marked with controversy as he was said to be at odds with the incoming prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. However, the rumours proved to be untrue and he proved to be a keen admirer of the prime minister. Twenty-two years earlier, his father Abu Bakar had failed five times to be elected as the first Agong.

A controversial, headstrong personality, he has often forced his chief ministers in Pahang to resign over minor differences.

His favourite hobbies were playing football, golf, polo, and equestrian activities.

Sultan Ahmad Shah was a keen sportsman and was the President of the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) from 1984 until 2014, the President of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) until 2002 and Asean Football Federation (AFF) from 2011 until 2019.

His official and royal consort, Tengku Ampuan Afzan, a member of the Terengganu royal family, served as his Raja Permaisuri Agong but died of cancer on her return to Pahang on 29 June 1988. They had seven children, Tengku Meriam, Tengku Muhaini, Tengku Aishah Marcella, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Tengku Abdul Rahman, Tengku Nong Fatimah and Tengku Shahariah. Sultan Ahmad Shah's second wife Kalsom Abdullah (nee Anita), was designated as the Sultanah of Pahang in 1991. They then had a child, Tengku Fahad Mua'adzam Shah.

Abdication and death Flag of Pahang is flown at half-mast at the Chin Swee Caves Temple as a mark of respect to the late Sultan. After being ill for some time, Sultan Ahmad Shah abdicated with effect from 11 January 2019 (when it was Pahang's turn to provide the Agong) upon the amendment of the state's constitution. On 22 May 2019, Sultan Ahmad Shah died at 8:50 am at the National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur at age 88. He was laid to rest next to the grave of his late wife, Tengku Ampuan Afzan at the Pahang Royal Mausoleum near Abu Bakar Royal Mosque in Pekan, Pahang. The state of Pahang observed 40 days of mourning, and Pahangese flags across the state were flown at half-mast, while all entertainment events for the next 3 days were cancelled.

Issue Name Birth date Birth Place Death date Death place Marriage Date Spouse Their children Their grandchildren Tengku Meriam Istana Abu Bakar, Pekan, Pahang 24 April 1976 - Divorced Tengku Dato’ Sri Kamil Ismail bin Tengku Idris Shah (divorced) Dato' Seri Mohamad Toufic Al-Ozeir Y.M. Tengku Aidy Ahmad Shah Y.M. Tengku Nurul Kamalia Y.M. Tengku Madina Kamilia Y.M Puteri Noor Afzan Y.M Tengku Abdullah Amir Ahmad Shah Puteri Nadra Raniya Puteri Shakira Nurjenna Tengku Muhaini Istana Manggal Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang 22 January 1981 - Divorced Tengku Dato’ Ibrahim Petra bin Tengku Indra Petra (divorced) Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Hj Affendi bin Hj Buang (Chief Of Defense Forces)Puteri Munawwarah Syammiyah Tun Putera Abdul Mubin Shah Tengku Aishah Marcella Istana Manggal Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 23 October 1980 - Divorced, 2 July 1987 Tunku Kamil Ikram bin Tunku Abdullah (divorced) Dato’ Muhammad Johan bin Dato’ Muhammad Yusuf Y.M. Tunku Shazwan Kaiyisha Y.M Tun Putra Ahmad Aizuddin Shah Y.M Putri Afzan Shakira Nabila Tun Putra Shakeel Abdullah Shah Tun Putera Khyrie Ahmad Shah Puteri Khaira Layna Puteri Sofia Khadijah Aishah Tengku Abdullah Istana Manggal Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang 6 March 1986, 1991 Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah binti Almarhum Baginda Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj Che Puan Julia binti Abdul Rais Y.A.M Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim (Adopted) Almarhum Y.A.M Tengku Ahmad Iskandar Shah (Died 24 July 1990) K.D.Y.M.M Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Y.A.M Tengku Muhammad Iskandar Ri'ayatuddin Shah Y.A.M Tengku Ahmad Ismail Shah Y.A.M Tengku Puteri Afzan Aminah Hafizatullah Y.A.M Tengku Puteri Jihan Azizah Athiyatullah Y.A.M Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan Y.A.M Tengku Puteri Ilisha Ameera Y.A.M Tengku Ilyana Y.M Tengku Adam Ibrahim Shah Y.M Tengku Sulaiman Abdullah Shah Y.M Tengku Zayn Edin Shah Y.M Tengku Nuh Muhammad Shah Y.M Tengku Aleya Norlini Tengku Abdul Rahman Istana Manggal Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang 27 July 2002, 2012 Che Puan Muda Julita Aishah binti Abdul Latif Che Puan Nur Bahiyah binti Mohd Akip Y.M Tengku Eddie Akasya Y.M Tengku Ahmad Firhan Shah Y.M Tengku Ameera Asya Y.M Tengku Armaan Alam Shah Tengku Nong Fatimah Dato’ Haji Muhammad Moiz Y.M Puteri Suraiya Afzan Tun Putera Yasir Ahmad Shah Y.M Tengku Adam Ibrahim Shah Y.M Tengku Sulaiman Abdullah Shah Y.M Tengku Nuh Muhammad Shah Tengku Shahariah Dato' Baharim Puteri Amida Afsha Afzan Puteri Ameera Azwa Asyrah Tengku Fahad Mua'adzam Shah

Awards and recognitions Honours

As the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1979 to 1984, Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah was automatically designated under constitutional provisions as the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, holding the rank of the Field Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Admiral of the Royal Malaysian Navy and Field Marshal of the Army.

Until he stepped down in 2019 he was the RMAF's Colonel in Chief and appeared at official RMAF ceremonies.

Honours of Pahang

National (as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, 29 March 1979 – 25 April 1984)

Foreign

Places named after him Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Campus (Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) branch campus) in Muadzam Shah, Pahang Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Science Secondary School (SEMSAS), a secondary school in Kuantan, Pahang Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Science School Pekan (SHAH Pekan), a secondary school in Pekan, Pahang Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Mustain Billah Vocational College, a vocational college in Kuala Lipis, Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang Islamic University College (KUIPSAS) Sultan Ahmad Shah Polytechnic (POLISAS), a polytechnic in Kuantan, Pahang Ma'ahad As-Sultan Ahmad Shah Ad-Dini, a secondary school in Bandar Tun Razak, Jengka, Pahang Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Mustain Billah Mosque in Temerloh, Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah Mosque in Kuantan, Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah Bridge (Temerloh Bridge) on Federal Route 2 at Temerloh Sultan Ahmad Shah II Bridge (Semantan Bridge) on East Coast Expressway at Semantan Sultan Ahmad Shah III Bridge (Chenor Bridge) in Chenor, Pahang Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (formerly Northam Road) in George Town, Penang Jalan Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Kuala Lumpur (formerly Jalan Khidmat Usaha) Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport, an airport in Kuantan, Pahang Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital (formerly Hospital Temerloh) in Temerloh, Pahang Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Cup (Charity Shield Malaysia) Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Mosque, International Islamic University Malaysia Gombak Campus Sekolah Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, a primary school in Pekan, Pahang SMK Sultan Ahmad Shah, a secondary school in Cameron Highlands, Pahang Taman Pertanian Jubli Perak Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah in Kuantan, Pahang Pusat Jagaan Taman Pengasih Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah in Kuantan, Pahang Institut Latihan Sultan Ahmad Shah in Kajang, Selangor Pusat Kokurikulum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri Pahang Dewan Jubli Perak Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah in Kuantan, Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah International Convention Center (SASICC) in Kuantan, Pahang Akademi Maritim Sultan Ahmad Shah (AMSAS) in Kuantan, Pahang Pusat Pentadbiran Sultan Ahmad Shah (PPSAS) in Kuantan, Pahang

Ancestry