Sultan of Kelantan’s Birthday in Malaysia Date in the current year: September 29, 2024

Kelantan is located in the north-eastern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Its first mention dates back to the 13th century. Early Kelantan was a tributary state of various kingdoms, including Majapahit, Srivijaya and Siam. In the early 15th century, Raja Kumar of Kelantan achieved independence from Siam, but it didn’t last long. By the end of the century, Kelantan became a vassal state of Malacca.

In 1511, the Malacca Sultanate was conquered by the Portuguese, and Kelantan was divided into several fiefdoms ruled by petty chiefs, who were subject to the neighboring Pattani Kingdom. Around 1760, a Pattani warlord succeeded in reuniting Kelantan under a single ruler. The first ruler of Kelantan to have the title of Sultan was Muhammad I. He came to power in 1800 by overthrowing his brother-in-law.

For a long time, Kelantan was a vassal state of Siam. It became a British protectorate in 1909 under the terms of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty, along with Kedah, Perlis and Terengganu. Kelantan joined the Malayan Union in 1946 and then the Federation of Malaya in 1948. Following the formation of present-day Malaysia in 1963, it became one of its states. The hereditary monarch of Kelantan is the constitutional head of state vested with executive power.

As of 2023, the incumbent Sultan of Kelantan is Muhammad V. He was born on October 6, 1969 to the then-Crown Prince (Tengku Mahkota) Ismail Petra. Muhammad received his early education in Malaysia and then attended an independent public school in England. After that, he studied diplomacy in Oxford, graduating in 1991, and continued his education in Ontario, Berlin and London.

Muhammad was proclaimed the Crown Prince of Kelantan in 1979, following his father’s succession to the throne, but the formal installation ceremony was held on his sixteenth birthday (October 6, 1985). In May 2009, Sultan Ismail Petra suffered a stroke, and Muhammad was appointed regent of Kelantan.

More then a year later, Sultan still hadn’t recovered from the stroke. The Constitution of Kelantan stipulated that a Sultan could no longer rule if unable to perform his duties for more than a year. In accordance with this provision, his son was proclaimed the 29th Sultan of Kelantan on September 13, 2010. Ismail Petra tried to challenge his appointment in the Federal Court, but he didn’t succeed.

In October 2011, Sultan Muhammad V was elected Deputy Supreme Ruler of Malaysia. Five years later, the Conference of Rulers elected him the next Supreme Ruler (Yang di-Pertuan Agong). Although the head of state of Malaysia is elected for a five-year term, Muhammad V reigned for a little over two years before stepping down from the throne in January 2019. However, he remained the Sultan of Kelantan.

Kelantan is one of the states that celebrate the Sultan’s official birthday instead of the actual one, so that the date of the holiday doesn’t have to be changed when a new ruler ascends to the throne. Therefore, the Sultan’s birthday is celebrated for two days in November, although the incumbent Sultan was born on October 6. It used to be celebrated in November, but was moved to September beginning in 2023.