Yahya Petra of Kelantan

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Yahya Petra
يحيى ڤيترا
Yahya Petra in 1960
Yang di-Pertuan Agong VI
Reign21 September 1975 – 29 March 1979
Installation28 February 1976
PredecessorAbdul Halim
SuccessorAhmad Shah
Sultan of Kelantan
Reign10 July 1960 – 29 March 1979
Coronation17 July 1961
PredecessorIbrahim
SuccessorIsmail Petra
Born(1917-12-10)10 December 1917
Istana Balai Besar, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Unfederated Malay States
Died29 March 1979(1979-03-29) (aged 61)
Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Burial30 March 1979
Langgar Royal Mausoleum, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
Spouse
(m. 1939)
Tengku Alexandria Binti Tengku Yusuf
(before 1979)
IssueTengku Merjan
Tengku Rozan
Tengku Salwani
Tengku Rohani
Tengku Ismail Petra
Tengku Mohamad Petra
Names
Tengku Yahya Petra ibni Tengku Ibrahim
Regnal name
Sultan Yahya Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim
HouseLong Yunus
FatherSultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Muhammad IV
MotherChe Puan Besar Embong Binti Daud
ReligionSunni Islam

Sultan Yahya Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim GCMG (Jawi: سلطان يحيى ڤيترا ابن المرحوم سلطان إبراهيم; 10 December 1917 – 29 March 1979) was Sultan of Kelantan from 1960, and the sixth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutional monarch of Malaysia, from 1975, until his death in 1979.

Early life[edit]

He was born on 10 December 1917, as Tengku Yahya Petra at Istana Balai Besar in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. He was the second son of Sultan Ibrahim (b. 1897; reigned 1944–1960) by his third wife, Cik Embong binti Encik Daud (1899–1971).[1]

The young Tengku Yahya Petra was raised by his childless uncle, Tengku Ismail (later Sultan Ismail). He was sent to the Francis Light School in Penang before continuing his studies in England. His uncle, Sultan Ismail, appointed him Tengku Temenggong Kelantan on 21 July 1939. He was later promoted to Tengku Bendahara Kelantan on 6 February 1945 by his father, Sultan Ibrahim. He served in various Kelantan civil service posts from 1941 to 1948.[2]

Kelantan succession dispute[edit]

Tengku Indra Petra was the eldest son of Sultan Ibrahim and elder brother of Sultan Yahya Petra. After Sultan Ibrahim succeeded his childless brother Sultan Ismail, Tengku Indra Petra was appointed heir apparent with the title of Raja Muda Kelantan on 25 October 1944. However, due to conflict with his father, he was dismissed from the post and removed from the line of succession by his father's decree on 1 February 1948. On the same day, Sultan Yahya Petra replaced his brother as heir apparent with the new title of Tengku Mahkota Kelantan.

Tengku Indra Petra became a politician and was elected a Member of Parliament (MP) in the first federal legislative election of 1955. Tengku Indra's descendants have since disputed their family's exclusion from the line succession of the Kelantan throne.[3]

Tengku Indra Petra did not preside over the installation of Sultan Yahya Petra's successor, Sultan Ismail Petra, It was Tengku Panglima Raja Tengku Ahmad who presided over installations of Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan Yahya Petra and Sultan Ismail Petra. Tengku Panglima Raja was the father of the former Sultanah of Johor, Sultanah Zanariah binti Tengku Ahmad.

Accession[edit]

Sultan Yahya Petra (as he became) succeeded his father a day after the latter's death on 9 July 1960. He was crowned on 17 July 1961 at Istana Balai Besar in Kota Bharu.

Election as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong[edit]

Sultan Yahya Petra served as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the federal deputy king between 21 September 1970 and 20 September 1975.

Election as Yang di-Pertuan Agong[edit]

During the election of the sixth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (the federal king), the most senior ruler Sultan Ismail of Johor declined to be considered. Sultan Yahya Petra also declined nomination at first due to having suffered a serious stroke, but changed his mind and was duly elected.[4] His term began from 21 September 1975.

Kingship[edit]

Malaysia's second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak died on 14 January 1976 less than four months into Sultan Yahya Petra's reign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

In 1977 a state of emergency was declared in his own state following a political crisis and violence.

Death and funeral[edit]

Sultan Yahya Petra died of an apparent heart attack at 3:45 pm at the National Palace on 29 March 1979. His coffin lay in state at the National Palace for a day and was then taken by plane to Kota Bharu where it was buried at the Kelantan Royal Mausoleum.[5]

Family life[edit]

He was married to Tengku Zainab binti Tengku Sri Utama Raja Tengku Muhammad Petra (1917–1993), who was styled Raja Perempuan Zainab II (her stepmother-in-law was Raja Perempuan Zainab I, consort of Sultan Ibrahim) and Raja Permaisuri Agong. Sultan Yahya Petra and Raja Perempuan Zainab II had one son and six daughters. However, their two daughters died when they were young. He also married Tengku Alexandria binti Tengku Yusuf and was given a son.[6][7][8]

Issue[edit]

Name Birth Date Birth Place Death Date Death Place Marriage
Date
Spouse Their children Their grandchildren
Tengku Merjan (1940-02-23)23 February 1940 15 October 2020(2020-10-15) (aged 80) Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 22 January 1960 Tengku Abdul Aziz bin Tengku Muhammad Hamzah Tengku Mohamad Rizam
Tengku Ramizan
Tengku Mohamad Rizal
Tengku Mohamad Ridzman
nine grandchildren
Tengku Rozan (1942-12-25) 25 December 1942 (age 81) 23 April 1969
- Divorced
Tengku Mohamed Nasrun bin Tengku Yusuf Tengku Rozanna Petri
Tengku Rozlynda Petri
three grandchildren
Tengku Salwani (1944-08-26) 26 August 1944 (age 79) Istana Batu, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 20 October 1966
- Divorced
Raja Aman Shah bin Raja Shahar Shah Raja Amir Saifuddin Shah None
Tengku Rohani (1947-10-14)14 October 1947 31 December 2021(2021-12-31) (aged 74) Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Bharu, Kelantan None None None None
Tengku Ismail Petra (1949-11-11)11 November 1949 Istana Jahar, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 28 September 2019(2019-09-28) (aged 69) Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Bharu, Kelantan 4 December 1968 Tengku Anis binti Tengku Abdul Hamid Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra
Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra
Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra
Tengku Amalin A’ishah Putri
five grandchildren
Tengku Mohamad Petra unknown Kota Bharu, Kelantan unknown unknown four children unknown

Awards and recognitions[edit]

Sultan Yahya Petra held the rank of Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force.[citation needed]

Honours of Kelantan[edit]

Honours of Malaysia[edit]

Foreign[edit]

Places named after him[edit]

Several places were named after him, including:

  • Petra Jaya, a suburb in Kuching, Sarawak
  • Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur (formerly Jalan Semarak/Jalan Henry Gurney)
  • Jalan Tuanku Yahya Petra, the main road on Penang Hill
  • Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra in Kota Bharu, Kelantan
  • Sultan Yahya Petra Mosque in Machang, Kelantan
  • SK Sultan Yahya Petra (1), a primary school in Kuala Krai, Kelantan
  • SK Sultan Yahya Petra (2), a primary school in Kuala Krai, Kelantan
  • SMK Sultan Yahya Petra 1, a secondary school in Kuala Krai, Kelantan
  • SMK Sultan Yahya Petra 2, a secondary school in Kuala Krai, Kelantan
  • Sultan Yahya Petra Bridge in Kota Bharu, Kelantan
  • Sultan Yahya Petra Second Bridge in Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Finestone, Jeffrey and Shaharil Talib (1994) The Royal Families of South-East Asia Shahindera Sdn Bhd
  2. ^ Risalah Pertabalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong VI Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia
  3. ^ (19 November 2005) Harakah
  4. ^ Tunku Abdul Rahman (1978) Viewpoints p 74 Heinemann, Kuala Lumpur
  5. ^ (1 April 1979) New Straits Times
  6. ^ Finestone, Jeffrey and Shaharil Talib (1994) Op Cit
  7. ^ Half-brother of Kelantan ruler an ingrate, says palace
  8. ^ Tengku Mohamad answers
  9. ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1958" (PDF).
  10. ^ List of recipients of DK I & DK II of Selangor (in Malay)
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Tuanku Abdul Halim
(Sultan of Kedah)
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
(King of Malaysia)

1975–1979
Succeeded by
Sultan Ahmad Shah
(Sultan of Pahang)
Preceded by Sultan of Kelantan
1960–1979
Succeeded by