Abdullah of Pahang
Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah (Jawi: 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. 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.
Abdullah
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| Al-Mustafa Billah (He who is chosen by God) | |||||||||
Abdullah in 2019 | |||||||||
| Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI | |||||||||
| Reign | 31 January 2019 – 30 January 2024 | ||||||||
| Installation | 30 July 2019 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Muhammad V | ||||||||
| Successor | Ibrahim | ||||||||
| Sultan of Pahang | |||||||||
| Reign | 11 January 2019 – present | ||||||||
| Proclamation | 15 January 2019 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Ahmad Shah | ||||||||
| Heir apparent | Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah | ||||||||
| Born | 30 July 1959 Istana Mangga Tunggal, Pekan, Pahang, Federation of Malaya | ||||||||
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| House | Bendahara | ||||||||
| Father | Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah | ||||||||
| Mother | Tengku Ampuan Hajah Afzan Rahimahallah binti Almarhum Tengku Panglima Perang Tengku Muhammad | ||||||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||||||
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| Allegiance | Malaysia | ||||||||
| Service/ | Malaysian Army | ||||||||
| Years of service | 1978–present | ||||||||
| Rank | Field marshal Admiral of the Fleet Marshal of the Air Force | ||||||||
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Che Puan Besar Kalsom, the Che Puan Besar and stepmother of the Sultan
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| Polo | ||
| Representing Malaysia | ||
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| 1983 Singapore | Men's tournament | |
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. 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).
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.