Keeper of the Rulers' Seal


The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal is the government official in Malaysia charged with custody and use of the Rulers' Seal of Malaysia on behalf of the Conference of Rulers. The Rulers' Seal is the symbol of the traditional authority of the royal institutions in Malaysia, namely the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the hereditary rulers of the states of Malaysia. The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal is the secretary to the Conference of Rulers and convenes the Conference three times a year, or at the request of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He is appointed by the Conference as specified in the Constitution of Malaysia.
His most publicly visible role is to announce the beginning of fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the dates of the Muslim religious holidays, Aidilfitri and Aidiladha, in Malaysia.

History

The office of the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal was established in preparation for the first meeting of the Conference of Rulers on February 18, 1948. Prior to independence, the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal was a senior government position, equal in stature to the most senior Menteri Besar among the states in the Federation of Malaya. This changed after independence in 1957, when all the rulers became constitutional monarchs under the federal and state constitutions.

Role

The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal's primary administrative responsibility is to convene the Conference of Rulers by serving notices to the nine hereditary rulers and four non-hereditary Yang di-Pertua Negeri. His office is responsible for arranging the transportation of the rulers and governors from their respective states to the meeting venue. During special meetings of the Conference to elect a new Yang di-Pertuan Agong, he is responsible for distributing and then counting the ballot papers, which are kept secret.
The second highest position in the Office of the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal is the Assistant Secretary of the Conference of Rulers, who assists in managing the Conference's meetings and elections.

List of Keepers of the Rulers' Seal

Listed below are Keepers of the Rulers' Seal from 1948 to present:
#Keeper of the Rulers' SealFromTo
1Raja Ayob Raja BotFebruary 1948May 1948
2Abdullah NordinJune 1948December 1949
3Raja Shahar Shah Raja HaronApril 1949December 1949
4Tengku Husin Tengku YahayaJanuary 1950May 1950
5Tunku Ya'acob Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim ShahMay 1950January 1952
6Mustafa Al-Bakri HasanFebruary 1952January 1954
7Tunku Ya'acob ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim ShahFebruary 1954December 1955
8Mustafa Al-Bakri HasanJanuary 1956August 1957
9Abdul Rahim Abdul RaufSeptember 1957May 1963
ActingTunku Shahriman Tunku SulaimanJune 1963August 1963
ActingAziz ZakariaOctober 1963September 1963
10Ahmad HusinOctober 1963September 1980
11Ahmad Zainal Abidin Muhammad YusofOctober 1980September 1988
ActingAbdul Rahim Kassim, Assistant Secretary of the Conference of RulersOctober 1988December 1988
12Engku Ibrahim Engku NgahJanuary 1989January 2011
13Syed Danial Syed AhmadJanuary 2011present