REGAL STATUS: The rakyat wait with abated breath the announcement of the title to be bestowed upon Raja Zarith Sofiah after her coronation
JOHOR BAHRU: TO the uninitiated, it is difficult to differentiate the fine lines of the status of Johor royalty. On one hand, we have the Royal Family or Kerabat Damping, consisting of the Sovereign's immediate family who are accorded protocol and privileges according to their precedence.
On the other is Johor royalty descended from the non-ruling house broadly known as kerabat or anak raja.
Other than the Sovereign, his Consort and the Heir Apparent, the other members of the royal family have the honorific "Yang Amat Mulia" before their names and may fly their official flags or the flag of the Kerabat at official ceremonies.
The state constitution empowers the Sovereign to appoint from among his relatives the immediate members of his family defined as and include the sovereign, his consort and their children, his mother, siblings, paternal uncles and aunts descended from the late sultans, and the consorts of the late sultans, if any.
Listed are the members of the Johor Royal Family, their modes of address, and their precedence:
The Sovereign
Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, DK, DK (Perak), DK (Kelantan), DK (Perlis), DK (Selangor), DK (Negeri Sembilan), DK (Terengganu), SPMJ, SSIJ, SMN, SPMT, SPMK, PIS. Sultan dan Yang Dipertuan Bagi Negeri dan Jajahan Takluk Johor Darul Ta'zim (His Royal Highness The Sultan and Sovereign Ruler of The State and Territory of Johor Darul Ta'zim)
JOHOR BAHRU: TO the uninitiated, it is difficult to differentiate the fine lines of the status of Johor royalty. On one hand, we have the Royal Family or Kerabat Damping, consisting of the Sovereign's immediate family who are accorded protocol and privileges according to their precedence.
On the other is Johor royalty descended from the non-ruling house broadly known as kerabat or anak raja.
Other than the Sovereign, his Consort and the Heir Apparent, the other members of the royal family have the honorific "Yang Amat Mulia" before their names and may fly their official flags or the flag of the Kerabat at official ceremonies.
The state constitution empowers the Sovereign to appoint from among his relatives the immediate members of his family defined as and include the sovereign, his consort and their children, his mother, siblings, paternal uncles and aunts descended from the late sultans, and the consorts of the late sultans, if any.
Listed are the members of the Johor Royal Family, their modes of address, and their precedence:
The Sovereign
Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, DK, DK (Perak), DK (Kelantan), DK (Perlis), DK (Selangor), DK (Negeri Sembilan), DK (Terengganu), SPMJ, SSIJ, SMN, SPMT, SPMK, PIS. Sultan dan Yang Dipertuan Bagi Negeri dan Jajahan Takluk Johor Darul Ta'zim (His Royal Highness The Sultan and Sovereign Ruler of The State and Territory of Johor Darul Ta'zim)
The Consort
Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah Binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah, DK, SPMJ, SPCM. (Her Royal Highness Raja Zarith Sofiah)
Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah Binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah, DK, SPMJ, SPCM. (Her Royal Highness Raja Zarith Sofiah)
The Heir Apparent
Duli Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, DK, SPMJ, SSIJ, PIS.
Tunku Mahkota Johor.
(His Royal Highness Tunku Mahkota Johor)
Tunku Temenggong
Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Idris Iskandar Ismail Abdul Rahman Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, DK., SPMJ., PIS.
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Idris Iskandar Tunku Temenggong Johor)
(His Highness Tunku Idris Iskandar Tunku Temenggong Johor)
Tunku Mahkota Johor.
(His Royal Highness Tunku Mahkota Johor)
Tunku Temenggong
Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Idris Iskandar Ismail Abdul Rahman Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, DK., SPMJ., PIS.
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Idris Iskandar Tunku Temenggong Johor)
(His Highness Tunku Idris Iskandar Tunku Temenggong Johor)
Mother of the Sovereign
Yang Amat Mulia Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom Binti Abdullah, DK.
(Her Highness Enche' Besar)
Yang Amat Mulia Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom Binti Abdullah, DK.
(Her Highness Enche' Besar)
Brother of the Sovereign
Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Majid Idris Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, DK, SPMJ.
Tunku Aris Bendahara Johor
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Majid Idris Tunku Aris Bendahara Johor)
(His Highness Tunku Abdul Majid Idris Tunku Aris Bendahara Johor)
(Spouse: Yang Mulia Tunku Teh Mazni Binti Tunku Yusuf, SPMJ.)
(Her Highness)
Daughter of the Sovereign
Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Tun Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Sultan Ibrahim, DK, DPMJ, PIS.
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Tun Aminah)
(Her Highness Tunku Tun Aminah)
Sons of the Sovereign
1. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Jalil Iskandar Ibrahim Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, DK, DPMJ, PIS. Tunku Laksamana Johor
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Jalil Tunku Laksamana Johor)
(His Highness Tunku Abdul Jalil Tunku Laksamana Johor)
2. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Hassanal Jeffri Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, DK, DPMJ, PIS, Tunku Panglima Johor
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Panglima Johor)
(His Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Panglima Johor)
3. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abu Bakar Mahmood Iskandar Ibrahim Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, DK. Tunku Putera Johor
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abu Bakar Tunku Putera Johor)
(His Highness Tunku Abu Bakar Tunku Putera Johor)
1. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Jalil Iskandar Ibrahim Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, DK, DPMJ, PIS. Tunku Laksamana Johor
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Jalil Tunku Laksamana Johor)
(His Highness Tunku Abdul Jalil Tunku Laksamana Johor)
2. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Hassanal Jeffri Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, DK, DPMJ, PIS, Tunku Panglima Johor
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Panglima Johor)
(His Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Panglima Johor)
3. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abu Bakar Mahmood Iskandar Ibrahim Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, DK. Tunku Putera Johor
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abu Bakar Tunku Putera Johor)
(His Highness Tunku Abu Bakar Tunku Putera Johor)
Sisters of the Sovereign
1. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Kamariah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, DK, SPMJ. Tunku Puteri Johor
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Kamariah Tunku Puteri Johor)
(Her Highness Tunku Kamariah Tunku Puteri Johor)
(Spouse: Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Sulaiman Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, DK, SPMJ, SPMS, SJMK, PIS. Tengku Panglima Selangor)
(His Highness)
2. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Besar Zabedah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, DK, SPMJ, PIS.
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Besar)
(Her Highnesss Tunku Besar)
1. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Kamariah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, DK, SPMJ. Tunku Puteri Johor
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Kamariah Tunku Puteri Johor)
(Her Highness Tunku Kamariah Tunku Puteri Johor)
(Spouse: Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Sulaiman Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, DK, SPMJ, SPMS, SJMK, PIS. Tengku Panglima Selangor)
(His Highness)
2. Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Besar Zabedah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, DK, SPMJ, PIS.
(Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Besar)
(Her Highnesss Tunku Besar)
Consort of the late Sultan
Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Puan Nora Ismail, DK, SPMJ, SSIJ.
(Her Highness Tunku Puan Nora)
Surviving members descended from the late Tunku Aris Bendahara Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim, the late Tunku Temenggong Ahmad Sultan Ibrahim, and the late Tunku Bendahara Abdul Rahman Sultan Ismail are included as members of Johor royalty. They have the honorific Yang Mulia (His/Her Highness) to their names. However, they are not eligible to fly the flag of the kerabat.
The uninitiated are often confused with the titles Tunku, Tengku and Ungku for Johor royalty.
A 1924 decree by Sultan Ibrahim categorically defined the higher status of Tunku (Prince/Princess) was designated for his offspring and their children being immediate members of the ruling house. He decreed the title Tunku was to transcend to the fourth generation of the ruling house after which they are to be titled Tengku.
The procedure was not implemented in full, perhaps because of complexities of registration of births, which later became a Federal responsibility. This resulted in some distant members of the royal family being titled as Tunku.
An Ungku is a descendent of Sultan Abu Bakar's siblings.
Sultan Ibrahim with the concurrence of the Council of the Royal Court has agreed to revive the decree of 1924.
A rule of thumb is to use the pronoun "patik" in place of "I" or "me" when addressing a Tunku. The pronoun patik is left to one's discretion when conversing with a Tengku or Ungku.
Johor royal traditions provide the Consort of the Sovereign will only be bestowed a title after her coronation. The rakyat wait with bated breath the announcement of the title to be bestowed upon Raja Zarith Sofiah. Sultan Ibrahim conferred the title "Enche' Besar" to his mother, a title once bestowed by Sultan Abu Bakar to his consort, Enche' Besar Zubaidah.
The common gender title "Tun" was used by the young Abu Bakar before ascending the throne. Sultan Sir Ibrahim conferred the title to Sultanah Aminah in 1950. The title was passed on to Tunku Maimunah, the daughter of Sultan Ismail. After Maimunah's demise, Sultan Ibrahim conferred the title to his daughter, Tunku Aminah, on Nov 22, last year.
Dato' Abdul Rahim Ramli is secretary of the Council of the Royal Court.
This is the fifth article in a series of 13 articles on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar's birthday.
Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Puan Nora Ismail, DK, SPMJ, SSIJ.
(Her Highness Tunku Puan Nora)
Surviving members descended from the late Tunku Aris Bendahara Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim, the late Tunku Temenggong Ahmad Sultan Ibrahim, and the late Tunku Bendahara Abdul Rahman Sultan Ismail are included as members of Johor royalty. They have the honorific Yang Mulia (His/Her Highness) to their names. However, they are not eligible to fly the flag of the kerabat.
The uninitiated are often confused with the titles Tunku, Tengku and Ungku for Johor royalty.
A 1924 decree by Sultan Ibrahim categorically defined the higher status of Tunku (Prince/Princess) was designated for his offspring and their children being immediate members of the ruling house. He decreed the title Tunku was to transcend to the fourth generation of the ruling house after which they are to be titled Tengku.
The procedure was not implemented in full, perhaps because of complexities of registration of births, which later became a Federal responsibility. This resulted in some distant members of the royal family being titled as Tunku.
An Ungku is a descendent of Sultan Abu Bakar's siblings.
Sultan Ibrahim with the concurrence of the Council of the Royal Court has agreed to revive the decree of 1924.
A rule of thumb is to use the pronoun "patik" in place of "I" or "me" when addressing a Tunku. The pronoun patik is left to one's discretion when conversing with a Tengku or Ungku.
Johor royal traditions provide the Consort of the Sovereign will only be bestowed a title after her coronation. The rakyat wait with bated breath the announcement of the title to be bestowed upon Raja Zarith Sofiah. Sultan Ibrahim conferred the title "Enche' Besar" to his mother, a title once bestowed by Sultan Abu Bakar to his consort, Enche' Besar Zubaidah.
The common gender title "Tun" was used by the young Abu Bakar before ascending the throne. Sultan Sir Ibrahim conferred the title to Sultanah Aminah in 1950. The title was passed on to Tunku Maimunah, the daughter of Sultan Ismail. After Maimunah's demise, Sultan Ibrahim conferred the title to his daughter, Tunku Aminah, on Nov 22, last year.
Dato' Abdul Rahim Ramli is secretary of the Council of the Royal Court.
This is the fifth article in a series of 13 articles on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar's birthday.
