Tuanku Syed Putra
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Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail (November 25, 1920 – April 16, 2000) was the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong (a constitutional monarch with a five-year term) of Malaysia (September 1, 1960 – September 20, 1965), and sixth Raja of Perlis (1945–2000).
He was the son of Syed Hassan bin Syed Mahmud Jamalullail and his commoner wife Wan Teh binti Wan Endut. At the time of his birth, his great-uncle Syed Safi was the ruler. A palace intrigue led to the choosing of Syed Hassan as heir apparent (Raja Muda) to the Perlis throne instead of any of his two older uncles. On the death by drowning of Syed Hassan in 1935, the young Syed Putra became Raja Muda.
He was sent for education at Penang Free School and subsequently served as aide-de-camp to his great uncle. However, when the latter died in 1943, the Japanese occupying forces chose the younger half-brother of the deceased ruler, Syed Hamzah, as the new Raja. Syed Putra and his young family were exiled to Kelantan, where he sold cakes and sundry goods for his living.
The return of the British in 1945 led to the deposition of Raja Syed Hamzah, and Syed Putra assumed the throne in his place.
The sudden death of Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah, the second Yang di-Pertuan Agong, after barely six months in office, led to the election of Syed Putra. On 16th September 1963, Syed Putra presided over the creation of the Federation of Malaysia, comprised of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. He was the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong to complete his term of office and returned to Perlis as Raja on the 20th of September 1965.
At the time of his death on April 16, 2000, Syed Putra was the longest reigning monarch in the world, a position he inherited from Prince Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein in 1989. He was buried at the Royal Mausoleum in Arau, Perlis.
Syed Putra had at least two wives, of which Tengku Budriah binti Almarhum Tengku Ismail of the Patani Sultanate in Thailand served as his consort and Raja Permaisuri Agong.
| Preceded by: Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah (Sultan of Selangor) | Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Raja of Perlis) | Succeeded by: Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah (Sultan of Terengganu) Template:End boxid:Tuanku Syed Putra ms:Sultan Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail |