Hari Keputeraan Duli Tuanku Sultan Kedah Darul Aman Yang Ke-85: Dirgahayu Tuanku


January 19, 2013

Hari Keputeraan Duli Tuanku Sultan Kedah Darul Aman Yang Ke-85: Dirgahayu Tuanku

by Din Merican, DSDK

sultan-kedah-tuanku-abdul-halim-muadzam-shah-yang-di-pertuan-agong-ke-14

Tomorrow, Sunday January 20, 2013 is a very special day for all Kedahans at home and abroad. It is the Official Birthday of His Majesty the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and the Sultan of Kedah Darul Aman, Al Sultan Almu’tasimu Billahi Muhibbuddin Tuanku Alhaj Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah.

We, His loyal subjects, take this opportunity to wish Duli Tuanku Selamat Ulang Tahun Hari Keputeraan yang ke 85. May Duli Tuanku and Your Gracious Consort Tuanku Raja Permaisuri Agong and Sultanah Kedah, Tuanku Hajjah Haminah Hamidon, continue to be in good health, happiness and prosperity. May Duli Tuanku also Guide our country and our leaders with wisdom and compassion during these challenging times.

According to Tunku Sofiah Jewa, Royal Chronicler, Tuanku’s cousin, and author of the fine coffee table book titled The Return*, which was published in collaboration with the National Archives  of Malaysia to commemorate the coronation of Duli Tuanku as the 14th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong:

“His Majesty Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah is every inch a King—aDuli Tuanku Sultan Kedah Darul Aman great Ruler who commands the love and respect of the Rakyat. and a King to whom the nation owes its political stability. Many in Kedah would attribute the political stability in the State to His Majesty’s understanding of the responsibilities of Monarchy within a constitutional setting, as well as a firm grasp of the fundamentals of democratic governance, as expressed in the concept of separation of powers and Rule of Law (p. 151)…

“As Sovereign of Kedah, He was able to  perform His duties admirably, and has never yielded to anyone’s demands, nor subjected Himself to their whims and fancies, thanks to the fact that He has never been partisan on political matters, nor has He had to ask for favors from anyone, including the ruling government. But He is not a wealthy person either... (p.152)…

“In his dealings with His subjects, His Majesty Tuanku displays a great measure of wisdom, holding counsel with officials and elected representatives in His usual calm manner, thereby earning Him the respect and admiration of all those who have served in Kedah, be they civil servants. members of the judiciary or  His subjects at large…”(p.154)

As Destiny would have it, Duli Tuanku is our King for a second time, making Him the first Sultan in our nation’s history to earn that rare distinction. Kedahans are proud of Duli Tuanku’s Return, one that is full of symbolic significance and good tidings for Kedah and our country.

According to Tunku Sofiah, “[T]he concept of Return relates to  a promise. It is a promise of change…In our own context, the Return of the King promises a return to our dream of freedom and a return to the euphoria and vision of Merdeka.” (p.185).

Allow me to reproduce a poem in The Return by my grand niece Puteri Arina Merican (below) to celebrate His Majesty’s 85th Birthday. If you watch the youtube on the book launch ceremony at Istana Negara, Puteri Arina is the young lady who read the poem before Duli Tuanku and other dignitaries.  Semoga Allah lanjutkan Usia Duli Tuanku and semoga Negara kita selamat, aman, berjaya,  dan maju dibawah naungan Duli Tuanku.

The Return

Lo and Behold,
The King has Returned
to the Throne of Glory
to be Crowned a second time
at four score and five,
heralding a new era
of hope and promise
against the ravage of age
and the tyranny of Time.

Of old it hath been said
That a King is first servant,
and first magistrate
of the State;
and that Majesty
there is none so lofty
nor noble
as that of a righteous King
who wields not the sword of power,
but Reigns over the hearts of men,
with the sceptre of justice and the mantle of love.

The Return
of the Ruler
represents A Return
of the Rights to the Rakyat
for whom the Ruler represents
all that is Noble, Fair, Just and Right.

Returned He has,
As symbol
of a new Cycle
in the life of the Nation.

The millennial Return this may not be,
but a Return of Springtime this must be;
a fulfillment, a culmination
of dreams and vision.

A Return it is
to the euphoria and ideals of Merdeka,
A Return it is
to our Dream of Freedom, and
A Return it is
to the Golden Age of Ancient Glory.

So Rejoice, Rejoice
O Ye People of the Land, Rejoice
For the King has returned,
Look within!
For He is Enthroned
in the Hearts of Men.

–Puteri Arina Merican

* The Return–An Authorised Biographical rendition of the life, times and thoughts of His Majesty Al Sultan Almu’tasimu Billah Muhibbuddin Tuanku Alhaj Abdul Halim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah, the Fifth and Fourteenth King of Malaysia by Tunku Sofia Jewa in conjunction with Akib Negara Malaysia (The National Archives of Malaysia), (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2012)

35 thoughts on “Hari Keputeraan Duli Tuanku Sultan Kedah Darul Aman Yang Ke-85: Dirgahayu Tuanku

  1. I join Dato Din and his fellow Kedahans in extending my sincere good wishes to His Majesty. May He receive the Blessings of All Mighty Allah for continued good health and happines. My wishes also to His Majesty’s Consort, Tuanku Hajjah Haminah Hamidon, Raja Permaisuri Agong.

  2. A timely and well meaning poem.

    May the hopes and promise for change and return of Nobility, Fairness, Justice and Righteousness be fulfilled and transcend beyond its poetic form to culminate with a Malaysian Spring.

    Our beloved Malaysia is in serious need of a major catharsis to remove all the rot that is impeding her development.

    Daulat Tuanku. Selamat Hari Keputeraan and many more to come.

  3. Tunku Sofiah’s The Return is an excellent book not only about His Majesty Yang diPertuan Agong but also the history of the Kedah Sultanate and pre- and early independent Malaya/Malaysia. Being a member of the Kedah Royal Family, she was able to capture in a very intimate way the rich tapestry and cultural aspects of Kedah Royalty. The state boasts of being the oldest Sultanate dating back to the 10th Century.

    I recommend The Return for your reading pleasure. The author writes lucidly and with passion. The photographs provided by the National Archives and those of Tuanku’s days at Oxford provided by The British High Commission) show how Kedah has been transformed under His Majesty’s reign which began in 1958 following the passing of his late father, Almarhum Sultan Badlishah.–Din Merican

  4. I watched the installation on Youtube. Just. He looks so frail. I see they have abandoned the ‘sembah’ and in its place comes the awkward bow. It is most unfortunate for that is part of the adat. The gesture is symbolic, graceful and regal. Malaysians will have to learn how to do the bow from the Japanese. A deep and lingering bow is a mark of the utmost respect. Done casually it is like shaking hands with your boss. Done wrongly it becomes awkward and almost disrespectful.

    The ‘sembah’ is unlike prostrating yourself before the King or Emperor. To say that you only ‘sembah menyembah’ only to Allah is to take it one step in the wrong direction. It is absurd.
    __________________
    Our politicians change things that need not be changed. Respect for the Ruler (sembah) must be done according to tradition. When a nation does not respect its traditions and rich history, it is bereft of dignity and self-respect. The Ruler is a symbol of civilisational dignity and pride of a people. It is indeed regrettable, Bean.–Din Merican

  5. Mongkut,

    This culture of not to sembah was introduced by none other than Dr. Mahathir. Thereafter, mamak Kadiak, then Tourism Minister, decided that all hotel staff put one hand on the c..k and another hand on the chest as Malaysian way of greetings.

    I will never do that in my lifetime. I would rather mount our kerbau than to rub here and there when meeting others.

    This how the late M. Jackson sembah, Mongkut.

  6. lol ….. good one Tean !

    If they want to do away with monarchy, then call a national referendum. But there is no need to show disrespect for tradition. As manners maketh man so tradition maketh a nation. If the intention was to make Malaysia into a republic then the time has come and gone.

    Dato,

    I feel sad just watching him trying to get through the ceremony, somewhat angry seeing Najib forcing the poor man to sit and listen to his rambling self-serving speech about how his father and now he has come to serve the same Agong.

    He may be Agong but he is family. His mother was my grandmother’s younger sister and his grandfather was my great grandfather’s older brother. Today no less than 1,000 people gotta die in one master stroke before I could come home to claim the Kedah throne.

    I will then appoint Tean-Rean to be Kedah special envoy for life to Thailand.
    __________________
    Monarchy is an integral part of our constitutional democracy. We must and will protect the position of Raja-Raja Melayu. There is no reason for us to change the system. We can, however, demand for free and fair elections.–Din Merican

  7. Bean, don’t get disheartened. The sembah Raja is different from sembah Tuhan (i’m afraid to use Allah here) Basically it boils down to the weak vocabulary of the Malay language whereby we use the word sembah to mean prostate or pray to God almighty and sembah to also bow down our heads and clasp our hand and raise the hands to our foreheads to sembah the Raja.

  8. Bean,

    As you probably know,my granduncle, Dato Ismail Merican was legal advisor to Sultan Abdul Hamid and for some time to Sultan Badlishah. My grandfather, Kassim Merican, was Director of Mines based in Kulim, where my father was born. My father(dec.1946) and mother served in Kedah in the medical service under both Sultan Badlishah and Tuanku Sultan Abdul Halim. My Mom received the BCK (Bintang Cemerlang Kedah) from Tuanku Sultan Halim and I got the DSDK from Tuanku in 2011.

    Three generations of my family served Kedah with distinction. I was also a Kedah State scholar at MU. I am proud, therefore, to be His Majesty’s subject. Kedah took care of me and gave me the start to be what I am today. –Din Merican

  9. I refer to Tean Rean’s comment on the sembah.

    In the first place I find her language very uncouth. This person forgets history. For her information it was our first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman who started the tradition of the Prime Minister or retired Prime Minister not to sembah the Agong or the Sultan but to just put his hate down slightly as a show of respect.

    This tradition was followed by Tun Razak, Tun Hussein Onn, Tun Mahathir, Tun Abdullah and our current Prime Minister.

    it is a pity that Tean Rean or whoever she is was not invited to watch the launching of YTM Tunku Sofiah’s book on her illustrious and gracious cousin our beloved king. I am attaching a copy of the video clip for Tean Rean to admire what she missed (and unfortunately the author YTM Tunku Sofiah also missed because of unfortunate accident) that night.

  10. Please note spelling error of my earlier letter. “Hate in the second para (force line) should read ‘head’.

    By the way i wonder whether Tean Rean had read Tunku Sofiah’s “The Return”

    Tunku Sofiah is both forthright and brave-a person who is not afraid to call a spade a spade. Even in the preface to her book, she was blunt in stating that it took the mettle of two Prime Ministers, her uncle Tunku Abdul Rahman and fellow Kedahan Tun Dr Mahathir (page H VII para 3 of the book) to curb the excesses of royal households where many others have disregarded the legal infractions by royalty as “palace matters” falling outside the pale of public scrutiny or the courts.

    I obtained my book from Kinokuniya, worth every ringgit i paid. I salute our Beloved king. His Majesty’s cousin Tunku Sofiah equally deserve our salute for her courage in stating facts which our own judiciary seems shy to touch on.
    ________________
    Yes, Tunku Sofiah highlighted, for example, the difference between Kedah where Tuanku appointed a Council of Regency to administer the state in His absence and another state where the powers of an ailing Sultan was usurped by a young pretender. And the courts did not act to prevent a dangerous precedent. Well, it is water under the bridge now. I have make no bones about praising Tuanku for his kingly qualities. He is the Ruler of my state, Kedah, who respects the Rule of Law and Justice.–Din Merican

  11. Some correction is perhaps due. Tok Tam apparently found it difficult to give the full sembah because the Agong was his nephew and probably improvised a different one for himself.

    Tean-Rean is the resident gate keeper, if you will, aka altar boy of the nearby Wat Siam. You gotta ask him.

  12. Kedah was Thai territory for the most part of its history. The Japanese returned it to its rightful owner and the Brits wrested it back after the War. Thai influence can be seen in its food and in its music and customs and tradition. In fact tracing back for only five hundred years, Kedah rulers had Thai names because they were Thais.

    Tunku Abdul Rahman’s mother was Thai, Nueng Nandanakorn or better known as Che Manjalara. Tean-Rean epitomizes an aspect of Kedah life and tradition that sits uncomfortably with carpet baggers from PAS.

  13. “As you probably know,my granduncle, Dato Ismail Merican was legal advisor to Sultan Abdul Hamid and for some time to Sultan Badlishah. My grandfather, Kassim Merican, was Director of Mines based in Kulim, where my father was born.” — Dato Din Merican

    Dato,

    You come from a family with a tradition of public service. Your mom carried that tradition to new heights and brought honor to the family. Now it is your turn.
    _____________
    Thanks, Bean. It is difficult for a plain speaking person like me to do much since the environment is very hostile. But if I am called upon to serve my country, I will certainly respond. I know my services are no longer needed, given the fact that there are many young and well qualified individuals in the government service and the private sector who the political masters can count on. Furthermore, I am now a nuisance factor.–Din Merican

  14. “I know my services are no longer needed, given the fact that there are many young and well qualified individuals in the government service and the private sector who the political masters can count on. ” — Dato

    Ambassadors are almost always chosen from career diplomats and you certainly qualify albeit with a break when you were serving BNM and Sime. Since when have they made such posts political appointees? Over here people are working beyond the age of 65.

  15. Datin Lena Paramaesvaran, 21/1/13 Sydney.Dato Dr.Tunku Sofiah Jewa is the perfect biographer for “The Return”.The colourful events and the selective moments of memory, magnifies the writer’s wisdom.She has written an interesting account of a particular province of her life, and the genealogical order of the Kedah Royal Family.Syabas for a masterly dissertation Tunku!

  16. Tunku Sofiah has done an excellent job in writing and publishing The Return to commemorate the return of Duli Tuanku Sultan Kedah as the Agong/King of Malaysia for the second time.

    I have always had a lot of respect for the character and religiosity of Duli Tuanku. He is a living example of what a good Monarch should be. May Duli Tuanku take care of us Malaysians as we face some tension in the ensuing months due to elections.

    I have just purchased a copy of The Return and after reading the Preface, I am looking forward to reading it in its entirety. The photographs are great, thanks to the National Archives and The British High Commission (for the photographs of Duli Tuanku’s days at Oxford). I can see that our state has been transformed under Duli Tuanku’s reign. Those pictures remind me of my days as a boy in a small town.

    When I was growing up in Alor Setar in the 1950s, the Clock Tower was the tallest structure followed by the Balai Nobat. Ah, the Majid Zahir is still enchanting and beautiful. Now there are many tall buildings in the capital of Kedah including Menara Telekon (the Telecom Tower). Gunong Jerai which has guide seafarers over centuries to Kedah too is now a preferred holiday resort. It is the symbol of resilience and durability of Kedahans under the wise reign of Duli Tuanku. Majulah Kedah Darul Aman.

    Daulat Tuanku, Daulat Tuanku, Daulat Tuanku. Fellow Kedahans and I love and hold Duli Tuanku dear to our hearts. Semoga Allah lanjutkan usia Tuanku dan Duli Tuanku Raja Permaisuri Agong,Tuanku Hajjah Haminah Hamidon.

  17. That is a nice piece from Proud anakKedah. I can identify with his comments. Alor Setar is a great place to be. Sadly, Empire Theatre and Royal Theatre are gone. The former is integrated with Pekan Rabu and the latter is replaced by a new building. Wat Siam, where Bean and I used to haunt is still there, although there are cosmetic changes in the complex.

    The food is really lazat/delicious and great, and prices are still reasonable. I love the udang galah, ikan bakar, Laksa Pak Din, Mee Abu, sambal belachan ala Alor Setar, and shopping at Pekan Rabu. –Din Merican

  18. I refer to Mr. Bean’s comment on January 20, 2013 at 8:44 pm, when he said:

    “Some correction is perhaps due. Tok Tam apparently found it difficult to give the full sembah because the Agong was his nephew and probably improvised a different one for himself.”

    He refers to “Tok Tam”. I guess he meant Tunku Abdul Rahman and Mr. Bean must therefore be a nephew (distant or otherwise) of our great first Prime Minister. I remember reading an article by Tunku Sofiah in a book called “Prince Among Men” where she referred to Tunku Abdul Rahman as “Ayah Tam”.

    From his comment on the reason why Tunku Abdul Rahman “found it difficult to give the full sembah because the Agong was his nephew and probably improvised a different one for himself”, I think, with respect, Mr. Bean was not born yet when our country achieved independence in 1957. For Mr. Bean’s information, I was already a teenager on Merdeka year.

    Our first Agong was not Tuanku Abdul Halim but Tuanku Abdul Halim’s father-in-law from Negeri Sembilan, coincidentally having the same name as Tunku Abdul Rahman i.e Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

    So Mr. Bean, I would advise you to re-learn your history and not blame our beloved Tun Dr. Mahathir for everything you find not according to your liking.

    I have read The Return four times already. Tunku Sofiah is full of respect and affection for Tun Mahathir. You Mr. Bean, unfortunately seems to have blinkers over your eyes and cannot appreciate the good Tun Dr. Mahathir has done for our country and others such as the Palestinians, the Bosnians and millions others suffering as a result of war committed by people like Bush and Blair who, I am sad to observe, have a lot of admirers the world over despite being war criminals.

    By the way, Tunku Sofiah wrote (at page 152) the following passage which I think sums up her affection and admiration for her cousin Agong in the following words:

    “It is a matter of pride for the people of Kedah that the rakyat has always been united in peace and harmony under His Majesty’s Reign and there has hardly been any major crisis within palace circles or amongst the rakyat. An important factor accounting for political stability is the priority that the Kedah royal household has always accorded for the cultivation of such family virtues as respect and good morality. It may well be mentioned here that unlike the situation in a neighbouring state, no Ruler in Kedah has ever been replaced merely on account of ill-health or perceived inability to carry out His duties and functions. The fortunes of a King may even be overturned through machinations and intrigues within one’s own family. The pathos of infidelity is best expressed in the words of Shakespeare’s King Lear:

    …How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is
    To have a thankless child!”

  19. Some of us here in this blog don’t share Tunku Sofiah’s admiration for Dr M. Our views are known and have found expression here. But then you are entitled to your own opinion. So it is no big deal, Chili Padi. Yes, The Return is a good book to read and keep in one’s library. It is about Duli Tuanku who is above politics.–Din Merican

  20. Chili Padi probably has a lot more he wanted to say but is showing restraint.

    That one-liner was in a light hearted response to another comment and may contain ambiguity in the use of language and perhaps even facts but not so inaccurate. as to mean the writer does not know his history.

    I used ‘Tok Tam’ not as a term of endearment but that was what the man was to me. The cousins, aunts and uncles all had their residences in a cluster those days bordering Lorong Wat Siam on the far left, Lorong Sena in the middle and Lorong Kelompang and more had their residences across the main road. My grandmother who was first cousin to Tunku Aminah had hers at the corner of Lorong Sena in the ’50s and early ’60s. I remember Tok Tunku Minah because I would go visit her on occassions as a young boy growing up in the ’50s with my grandmother, mother and later when her husband was Kedah MB in the mid ’60s in their MB residence ‘down the road’ and the last was when I got married in ’74 (Tunku Osman Jewa by then a retired army chief was guest of honor at my wedding). I lived most of my adult life in KL. And now being away from Malaysia for more than two decades you will have to excuse me if nostalgia got the better of me as it often does on this blog with Dato here.

    Now as for Dr Mahathir he was my father’s classmate and our family physician. He would make house calls. When my father passed away Dr Mahathir, then not yet an MP, came. DYMM Sultan came because he was his aunt’s son-in-law. He came again when she passed on in ’69.

    So you see Chilli Padi I am not very much younger than you are. and I would like to think I know my history.
    __________________
    Being nostalgic is being human. The roads and places like Jalan Kelompang are familiar.Jalan Kelompang has meaning to me because Tunku Om lived there. I remember Tunku Om fondly as she was dedicated to all anak anak yatim. I was one and she was also very close to my late mother, Hajjah Fatimah Merican ( known affectionately as Missi Dorall). May Allah Bless her soul.

    Tunku Dr Sofiah Jewa, the author of The Return is married to Dr. Yaccob Merican and her brother the Tunku Ismail was a close friend. I met his son Tunku Farid and family at Yaccob and Tunku Sofiah’s place yesterday for tea. You mentioned General Tunku Osman Jewa. I had the pleasure of attending meetings which he chaired on security matters during the period of Indonesian Confrontation. King Ghaz made me Wisma Putra’s representative and liaison with the Police Special Branch, the Military, and British military intelligence.

    Of course you and I know history of that period (60s) because we lived it. Chilli Padi should be aware of that, and come off his high horses.–Din Merican

  21. (Dato, ,my earlier response to Chili Padi seems lost in cyber space. Pls confirm. Maybe Tean can go out to cyber space and pull it back to earth?)

    “Our first Agong was not Tuanku Abdul Halim but Tuanku Abdul Halim’s father-in-law from Negeri Sembilan, coincidentally having the same name as Tunku Abdul Rahman i.e Tuanku Abdul Rahman” — Chili Padi

    The confusion is on your part and not mine. I have no quarrel with the above facts.

  22. “The roads and places like Jalan Kelompang are familiar.Jalan Kelompang has meaning to me because Tunku Om lived there. I remember Tunku Om fondly as she was dedicated to all anak anak yatim. I was one and she was also very close to my late mother, Hajjah Fatimah Merican ( known affectionately as Missi Dorall). May Allah Bless her soul.” — Dato Din Merican

    Yes, I remember Tok Tunku Om. And who doesen’t remember your mom, Dato? God rests their souls. Like I said earlier, you come from a family dedicated to public service and the name ‘Merican’ carries weight among royals in Kedah. I have asked my sis (who worked with you in Sime Darby) to send me a copy of the ‘Return’. Until then I reserve my comments.

  23. I read with some amusements Mr Bean’s attempt to respond to a critic of his article over what he stated on the issue of the proper way to sembah our Rulers.

    “Some correction is perhaps due. Tok Tam apparently found it difficult to give the full sembah because the Agong was his nephew and probably improvised a different one for himself.”

    I also read Cili Padi response which clearly stated that Mr Bean’s allegation as stated above is clearly wrong.

    My point is if you had made a wrong allegation, just admit it. Don’t go beating about the bush!

    Dato Din, you have a highly respected blog but I am sad by your comments to Chili Padi when you said after Cili Padi had properly corrected Mr Bean in the following words.

    “Of course you and I know history of that period (60s) because we lived it. Chilli Padi should be aware of that, and come off his high horses.”

    Be a sport Dato Din. Apologise where you too have made an unfair and uncalled for remarks. If you do that you gain respect not of only from me but also from all your readers (with the possible exception of Mr Bean of course).

  24. So much venom being poured on the host for doing the exact same thing? I never knew that a harmless personal observation made in good faith years too late perhaps, could attract that much flak. With Tunku Abdul Rahman (the Prime Minister) he delivered the ‘royal sembah’ in the only way it ought to be done when his nephew took to the Throne. That was before he stepped down – or didn’t he? Correct me if I am wrong as my memory is a little foggy. In 1971 I was a young graduate.

    Wasn’t Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-haj the Prime Minister when this Agong first took to the throne? Wasn’t the Agong his nephew? He had trouble with that ‘sembah’ because of that. He of course knew the ‘sembah’ was to the Throne and not the man. That didn’t make it any easier for him. That I know..

  25. “My point is if you had made a wrong allegation, just admit it. Don’t go beating about the bush!” — Cherokee

    My point being learn to respect diversity of opinion. It is the facts that need correction.

  26. “I read with some amusements Mr Bean’s attempt to respond to a critic of his article over what he stated on the issue of the proper way to sembah our Rulers” — Cherokee

    I did no such thing. Please read my posting(s) again. Who am I to point what is the proper way to do anything?

    It was a personal observation on my part that the ‘sembah to the Throne’ during the installation ceremony has been done away with and I add my regrets. In my opinion it was just ‘adat’ abd ‘adat’ has to be respected; and when it is not it is no longer ‘adat’. In the context of the installation ceremony it takes away a piece of our history. The simple, graceful and regal gesture is unlike having to prostrate yourself before the King. They did away with the sembah but still make the man walk backwards so many steps – and down the steps backwards. One day somebody is going is to slip and fall.

    Bowing should be from the waist as a mark of deep respect. Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj who served under several Agongs showed Malaysians how to respect their Agong. He did it with respect and dignity. Dr Mahathir Mohammad is a commoner , an opportunist nurturing his connections with the royals in Kedah over many years, later to stab Tunku in the back and rose to be Prime Minister himself only to clip their wings and mocked the coutnry’s top judge and reduced the country’s judiciary to an appendange of the UMNO machinery. I wonder what Tunku Sofiah has to say about that..

    Governments may change with changes in the ruling party but tradition remains. It provides a sense of permanence and continuity. Politicians must not be allowed to change tradition as easily as they have done.

  27. Din Merican, Was Muhammad Ismail Merican from the Noordin family? Because I found a record in the newspaper, Che Ismail Merican bin Vapoo Merican Noordin.
    Khoo Salma

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