Abdullah of Pahang

Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah (السلطان عبدﷲ رعاية الدين المصطفى بالله شاه ابن المرحوم سلطان حاج أحمد شاه المستعين بالله; ; born 30 July 1959) is the Sultan of Pahang since the abdication of his father in 2019.

Abdullah, born as Tengku Abdullah ibni Tengku Ahmad Shah on 30 July 1959, at Istana Mangga Tunggal in Pekan, Pahang, is the eldest son of Sultan Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah and Tengku Ampuan Afzan.

He is the fourth child among eight siblings, with his eldest sibling being Tengku Meriam.

Abdullah's early education began in 1965 at Clifford School in Kuala Lipis.

He continued his primary education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Ahmad in Pekan from 1966 to 1969, followed by St. Thomas Primary School.

For his secondary education, he attended St. Thomas Secondary School from 1970 to 1974, both of which are located in Kuantan.

In pursuit of further education, Abdullah attended Aldenham School in Elstree, Hertfordshire, UK, from 1975 to 1977.

Abdullah assumed the role of Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, which translates to the crown prince of Pahang, on 1 July 1975.

His formal installation took place on 23 October 1977, at Istana Abu Bakar in Pekan.

Additionally, Abdullah was appointed as the Regent of Pahang on two occasions.

The first appointment occurred when his father was elected as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Subsequently, he enrolled at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK, where he studied from 1978 to 1979.

Abdullah embarked on his military career at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1978, where he initially served as an Officer Cadet.

During his time at Sandhurst, he formed friendships with several individuals, including Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who would later become the President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, as well as Zulkiple Kassim, who was his senior and later became the Chief of Army.

In 1979, Abdullah was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant by Queen Elizabeth II.

During this period, he served as Regent for a duration of five years, starting from 26 April 1979, and concluding on 25 April 1984.

He also pursued higher education at Worcester College, Oxford, and Queen Elizabeth College, United Kingdom from 1980 to 1981, graduating with a Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy.

His service led to his promotion to the rank of Captain in 1980, where he served as a cavalry officer in the Royal Armoured Corps.

In 1987, Abdullah achieved the rank of Major within the Royal Armoured Corps.

Later, he was appointed Captain of the Malaysian Royal Cavalry Corps and on 1 May 1999, he was assigned to the 505 Territorial Army Regiment.

During the same period, he received a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the 505 Territorial Army Regiment.

On 1 June 2000, he further advanced in rank to Colonel of the 505 Territorial Army Regiment.

Abdullah's dedication to his military career saw him rise to the rank of Brigadier General of the 505 Territorial Army Regiment on 1 April 2004, marking a significant milestone in his military service.

Beyond his royal responsibilities, Abdullah was actively engaged in the realm of international sports governance, serving as a distinguished member of the FIFA Council from 2015 to 2019.

The second time Abdullah assumed the role of Regent was in 2016 when his father's health began to deteriorate.

He served as Regent once again from 28 December 2016, until his ascension to the throne in 2019.

He was the sixteenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia, from 2019 to 2024, being sworn in just a few weeks after ascending to the throne as Sultan of Pahang.

Notably, just days after being proclaimed Sultan of Pahang, Abdullah was elected as the sixteenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the paramount constitutional monarch of Malaysia, a role he assumed on 31 January 2019.

On 15 January 2019, at the age of 59, Abdullah was officially proclaimed as the sixth Sultan of modern Pahang.

This proclamation came about due to his father's abdication from the throne, which was prompted by his ill health.

The ceremony marking Abdullah's ascension to the throne was held at Istana Abu Bakar, the official residence of the Sultan.

His reign was retroactively declared to have commenced on 11 January 2019, the day the Regency Council decided on his succession.

Upon becoming the Sultan of Pahang, Abdullah adopted the regnal title "Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah."

Furthermore, his royal consort, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, who held the title of Tengku Puan of Pahang (crown princess), was proclaimed as the Tengku Ampuan (Queen consort) of Pahang on 29 January 2019.

As per his duties as Sultan and head of the state of Pahang, he serves currently as Chancellor of University of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), and Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA).

On 24 January 2019, the Conference of Rulers elected Abdullah as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong or literally "King of Malaysia", replacing Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan, who had abdicated a few weeks earlier.

Abdullah was officially sworn in on 31 January 2019, in a public ceremony, taking up residence at the Istana Negara, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim.

During this time, the Conference of Rulers also elected Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah of Perak as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Abdullah played an unusually prominent role domestic politics, particularly during the 2020–22 Malaysian political crisis and the intricate negotiations that followed the 2022 general election, which resulted in a hung parliament.

As a result of this, he is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who reigned over the most prime ministers during his tenure (Mahathir Mohamad, Muhyiddin Yassin, Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Anwar Ibrahim).