The Persona ; Sultan Yusuf Izzuddin Shah

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Welcome to my blog.

The topic regarding of the Sultanate of Perak and the Perakian Royalty currently became a hot topic for this several days, and probably for 2 or 3 weeks to come. The trends also led me to make some revision and research regarding of Perakian Royalty. And I have thought to post two articles regarding of the biography of the Sultan of Perak for this month. For the first Persona segment in this month, lets us see the father of present day Sultan of Perak, the late Sultan Yusuf Izzudin Shah.

Sultan Yusuf Izzuddin Shah was the 32nd Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan. He ruled the State of Perak for 15 years from 1948 - 1963. It is a short period of reign, not rare in the State of Perak due to the time this respective Sultan spend as a Hereditary Princes in the line of succession. Even though his reign is a short one, His Royal Highness have witnessed the important events occur to the State of Perak. Namely the insertion of Perak into the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and the independence of Malaya in 1957. He does not live long enough to witness the increasing number of States of the Federation following the participation of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapura.

HISTORY

Sultan Yusuf Izzuddin Shah were born at Bukit Chandan in the Royal City Kuala Kangsar on 15th January 1890. His was the eldest son of Sultan Abdul Jalil Nasiruddin Shah by his first wife, Cik Yong Sofia. The Perakian Royal Princes does not enjoy the privileges automatically lining in the line of succession as those privilege came with an appointment. He was appointed as the Hereditary Prince and invested with the title of Raja Di Hilir of Perak on 25th January 1919 during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Shah Al-Kaddasullah, a year after the death of his father. He rise to the position of second in line to the throne and invested the title as Raja Bendahara of Perak in 1921. A title that has been dissolved nowadays.

After the death of Sultan Iskandar Shah Al-Kaddasullah, he was appointed as the Heir Apparent to the throne with the title as Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Perak on 15th October 1938. After 10 years holding the position as the Crown Prince, the time have finally come for him to ascend the throne following the death of his cousin, Sultan Abdul Aziz Al-Mu'tasim Billah Shah on 29th March 1938. He was proclaimed as the Sultan of Perak at Royal City Kuala Kangsar on 31st March 1948 and was officially installed at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar on 16th April 1949.

CONSORT AND FAMILY

The Sultan Yusuf Izzuddin Shah married for several times in his lifetime. Some of them ended up in divorce.

Raja Perempuan Taayah

He was first married to Raja Taayah binti Raja Abdul Hamid, who is a Perakian royalty by birth. They were married at Istana Negara, Kuala Kangsar on 7th March 1912. Raja Taayah later becoming his Raja Perempuan when he ascended the throne. She remains to be his wife until her death in 1962. The marriage produced 2 sons and a daughter :-

1. Raja Al-Ikram Shah (1918 - 1978)
2. Raja Zairan
3. Raja Saidatuliz
   

Toh Puan Khadija

The Sultan married his second wife on 1925. She was a commoner name Khadija binti Dato Wangsa Ahmad. After the marriage, she was invested the title as Toh Puan Besar in 1925. The marriage ended up in divorced, even though it is unknown when she been divorced. Possibly prior to World War II, as she was living in Batu Gajah during the war. The marriage produced 2 sons :-

1. Raja Baharom Shah (1926 - 2009)
2. Sultan Azlan Muhibbudin Shah (1928 - present)
   

Tengku Permaisuri Safura

It is much unknown about the consort of Sultan Yusuf name Tengku Permaisuri Safura. What I've known up until now is her name, Teh Safura. Possibly be invested with the title of Tengku Permaisuri in 1952. Also possibly ended up in divorced.

Che Norizan

Norizan binti Muhammad Noor also among another famous consort of Sultan Yusuf, notably because of her beauty and how she was divorced. It is unknown whether she was invested with the Tengku Permaisuri title, but she was married to Sultan Yusuf Izzuddin Shah in 1954. Why she was divorced? She was in love to Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh, a famous film producer by his name of P.Ramlee. The Sultan also like P.Ramlee, thus blessed the love between them and divorced Norizan in 1955 so she can be married to P.Ramlee.

EARLY CAREER

Sultan Yusuf received his early education in the Malay School, later further his studies in Clifford School and Maktab Babu'd Darjat. After finishing his studies in 1911, he was admitted and received training as Malay Official Trainee in Perak State Secretary Office in Taiping, Perak. Later, he work as tax collector and judge in Kuala Kangsar. He also has served in District Officer in Parit and Beruas. In 1924, he joined in Malayan Volunteer Infantry (MVI) in Perak receiving the rank of Lieutenant. In 1933, he quit from MVI and joined the Perak branch of Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces (FMSVF) as a reserved officer.

DEATH

Sultan Yusuf Izzuddin Shah died on 4th January 1963 in the age of 73 after ruling the state of Perak for 15 years. The remainder of late Sultan Yusuf Izzuddin Shah were buried Royal Mausoleum Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar. His posthumous name is Marhum Ghafarullah.