KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 – The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’azam Shah, 85, is a ruler who is very close to the people and always goes to the ground to meet them.
This is his second tenure as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The appointment was made on Dec 13, 2011. His first appointment as Yang di-Pertuan Agong was on Feb 20, 1971 when he was 42 years old.
Tuanku Abdul Halim is also involved in many activities that involve his subjects as reflected by his patronage of 27 associations and clubs, including the Badminton Association of Malaysia, and is also the patron of Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad and the Sultanah Bahiyah Foundation.
He is a ruler who is concerned about education and every year, he makes it a point to attend the various activities organised by the various learning institutions.
On most occasions, he is accompanied by the Raja Permaisuri Agong. Tuanku Abdul Halim is the chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Mara, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Pertahanan Malaysia and Universiti INSANIAH Negeri Kedah.
He likes golf and is a football fan, always keeping abreast with the development of the national football team and also the Kedah team. The king also loves nature and is concerned with the conservation of flora and fauna.
Born on Nov 28, 1927, Tuanku Abdul Halim received his early education at Sekolah Melayu Titian Gajah and then continued his studies at Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Alor Setar, Kedah.
In 1952, he left for the United Kingdom to pursue studies in Social Science and Public Administration at Wadham College, Oxford, London and returned in 1955 after completing his studies.
Tuanku Abdul Halim was appointed the Raja Muda of Kedah on Aug 6, 1949 and ascended the Kedah throne on July 14, 1958, following the death of his father, bSultan Badlishah, and was proclaimed the Sultan of Kedah on Feb 20, 1959.
Tuanku Abdul Halim married Tuanku Hajah Bahiyah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (now deceased) on March 10, 1956, at Istana Menanti, Negeri Sembilan, and they had three daughters.
He married Tuanku Hajah Hamimah on Dec 25, 1975.
– BERNAMA
