KUALA KANGSAR: Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa and Raja DiHilir Perak, Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain Sultan Idris Shah yesterday took their oath as titled heirs to the Perak throne at Istana Iskandariah, Bukit Chandan, here.
The two took their oath before Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, before signing their letters of appointment, witnessed by Ipoh High Court judge Datuk Zainal Adzam Abdul Ghani.
Earlier, Orang Kaya Bendahara Seri Maharaja General (Rtd) Tan Sri Mohd Zahidi Zainuddin announced the proclamation of Raja Jaafar as the Raja Muda of Perak and Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain as Raja DiHilir Perak at the ceremony at 5pm.
Zahidi also announced the proclamation of the title of Raja Puan Besar Perak on Raja Jaafar’s wife, Raja Nor Mahani Raja Shahar Shah, and the title of Raja Puan Muda Perak on Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain’s wife, Tunku Soraya Sultan Abdul Halim, effective today.
Sultan Nazrin Shah then handed over the letters of appointment to Raja Nor Mahani and Tunku Soraya.
On June 20, the 159th meeting of Dewan Negara Perak chaired by Sultan Nazrin Shah decided that Raja Jaafar, who was at that time the Raja DiHilir Perak, be promoted to Raja Muda of Perak and Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain, who was then Raja Kechil Besar Perak, be made Raja DiHilir Perak with immediate effect.
Raja Jaafar, 73, was born on Sep 26, 1941, in Taiping and had his early education at Anderson School, Ipoh, and the Anglo-Chinese School in Teluk Intan before studying for his degree at Universiti Malaya.
He obtained his Master in Public Administration at Cornell University in the United States.
Raja Jaafar was sworn in as Raja DiHilir Perak on March 10, 1998, after he was appointed by the Dewan Negara Perak to replace Raja Ahmad Hisham Raja Abdul Malek, who died on Sept 21, 1997.
He and Raja Nor Mahani have a son, Raja Shah Azman, 40, and a daughter, Raja NorAzwina, 38.
Raja Jaafar has had wide experience in public administration, including as a management consultant at the Prime Minister’s Department, under-secretary at the Higher Education Division of the Education Ministry, secretary of the Foreign Investment Committee at the Economic Planning Unit and deputy secretary-general (Development and Finance) of the Defence Ministry before retiring in 1996.
Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain, 59, was born on Feb 8, 1955, in Kuala Kangsar and is the son of the 33rd sultan of Perak, the late Sultan Idris Shah and Raja Perempuan Perak, the late Raja Muzwin Raja Ariff Shah.
His marriage to Tunku Soraya had been blessed with three sons, Raja Nabil Imran, Raja Idris Shah and Raja Saifuddin, and two daughters, Raja Sarina Intan Bahiyah and Raja Safia Azizah. Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain received his early education at Clifford School here and continued his studies in London. Bernama