Tuanku Sir Syed Harun Putra ibni Almarhum

Tuanku Sir Syed Harun Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail was the sixth Raja of Perlis and the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong (head of state) of Malaysia. He was born in Arau, Perlis on 25 November 1920. He was the son of Syed Hassan bin Syed Mahmud Jamalullail, who was the heir presumptive to the throne of Perlis, and his commoner wife Wan Teh binti Wan Endut. He was educated at the Arau Malay School and later at Penang Free School. At the age of 18, he joined the Perlis administrative service, becoming a magistrate and later a district officer. He was also involved in the resistance movement against the Japanese occupation during World War II. He became the Raja of Perlis on 4 December 1945, succeeding his uncle Syed Hamzah who died without an heir. He was installed as the Raja on 12 March 1949. He was one of the rulers who supported the formation of the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and later the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. He also played a role in drafting the Perlis Constitution in 1959, which established a constitutional monarchy system in the state. He was elected as the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia by the Conference of Rulers and served from 21 September 1960 to 20 September 1965. During his reign, he officiated the opening of the National Mosque of Malaysia and the Parliament House. He was also the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong to host a state visit by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1963. He was married twice, first to Tengku Budriah binti Almarhum Tengku Ismail, who was a member of the royal family of Terengganu, in 1941. They had seven children, including the current Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin. His second wife was Che Puan Mariam binti Abdullah, who was a Thai national of Mon-Burmese descent, in 1952. They had four children. He was known for his interest in sports, especially golf and football. He was the patron of the Malaysian Golf Association and the Perlis Football Association. He was also a keen reader and a patron of the arts and culture. He was awarded several honours and titles, both locally and internationally, including the Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1958. He died of heart failure on 16 April 2000 at the National Heart Institute of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. He was buried at the Arau Royal Mausoleum the next day. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, as the Raja of Perlis.