About HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah - About | Economic History Malaysia

About

ABOUT HRH SULTAN NAZRIN SHAH, SULTAN OF THE STATE OF PERAK

We must be clear that a nation’s development is linked not only to how much money we have, or to how many modern buildings and highways we can construct.

There are countries with the finest state-of-the-art buildings that money can buy, yet where unemployment and poverty – in the sense of economic as well as spiritual poverty – are still widespread. True development, rather, entails holistic progress in all areas, and must include its non-material elements and inner dimensions."

HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah
IKIM International Forum on the Royal Professor Ungku A. Aziz, December 2022
Transitioning to a better world … It must be made real. In order to get there, policies and incentives must be adapted to ensure that growth continues, but in a way that is sustainable and inclusive.

Economic growth is necessary, especially for those poorer countries which desperately need to catch up. But it must be achieved in a way that stays within our existing planetary boundaries.”

HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah
Transitioning to a Better World: CIMB Cooler Earth Sustainability Summit, September 2022
The task of a historian—it is often said—is not to judge but to explain. History is complex. It is long, winding, and ever changing, filled with countless perspectives and opinions. Indeed, young historians could spend their whole life ‘looking down’ when they do research, and by the time they look up they would be as old as Malaysia itself.”

HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah
Launch of Striving for Inclusive Development, July 2019
In navigating our future course towards high-income status, Malaysia faces many challenges, which must be carefully considered and discussed if they are to be faced effectively.

We must also seek a better balance between competing demands on the environment and on our natural resources, for the benefit of this and all future generations."

HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah
ISIS Malaysia’s Praxis Seminar: A Time for Transitions: The Malaysian Economy to 2020, October 2018
As we look forward into an uncertain future, we can also learn lessons from history. The story of our recent past is one of previously undreamt of human progress, however uneven and incomplete.

We must now ensure that the even more amazing gains that are likely to be made this century are managed effectively and for the greater good."

HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah
The Pangkor Dialogue 2017: Rethinking Development, September 2017
Education contributes to development by empowering individuals to reach and fulfil their potential. At the same time, education is instrumental in generating economic growth by boosting productivity and enabling populations to contribute more effectively. This direct relationship makes it imperative for education systems and methods to stay ahead of the game in our competitive and challenging times."
HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah
National Defence University of Malaysia, 2016
The young generation represent our collective hope for the future, and they are our greatest resource. It will be up to them to take the lead in responding to the formidable global challenges we currently face, whether from environmental degradation; from poverty; from war, terrorism and geopolitical instability; and from the exciting but potentially dangerous impacts of the accelerating progress in technology in various fields."

HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah
Third World Conference on Islamic Thought and Civilization, 2016
As we move forward, I believe that it is important for Malaysia to continue to be a home for all. As the rising tide of the Asian century lifts our collective fortunes, such fruits of prosperity should be equitably shared. This means that access to opportunities must be made more inclusive by transcending socioeconomic barriers, particularly the chasm of poverty. At the same time, growth must also be sustainable across generations and be able to support an optimal quality of life for those living within this economic ecosystem.
The ethos of inclusiveness and sustainability should form the lynchpin of our economic philosophy in the years to come. At the same time, Malaysia must be equipped with the innovative and institutional capabilities to capitalise on our own growing fortunes as well as that of the region, which would pose both a source of opportunities and competitive challenges.”
HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah
Khazanah Megatrends Forum, 2014
The monarchy in Malaysia has discretionary powers set out in the Constitution, but also responsibilities that go beyond what is written to what is intended. The Rulers are not, nor can they be, deaf, blind and dumb to the critical issues on which the nation is hinged. Theirs are the voices of impartiality, fairness and reason when such are necessary, and they must speak with clarity and firmness especially for those who cannot. As the nation experiences political, economic and social change, the institution of the monarchy will have to adapt to the new realities if it is to remain fresh and vibrant."
HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah
Oxford and Cambridge Society Dinner, 2008

A friend of intellectuals everywhere, HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah, the Sultan of Perak, who is also the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, has a seemingly insatiable appetite for knowledge. Serving as Chancellor of the University of Malaya his diligence, erudition and fairness are a source of inspiration to staff and students alike. See link https://www.um.edu.my/sultan-nazrin-shah

Historical and contemporary economic, social and political development—nationally, within ASEAN and globally—are among Sultan Nazrin’s personal research interests. HRH reaches out to diverse groups including young Malaysians, university graduates, professional groups such as the Inter Pacific Bar Association and the international Islamic banking and finance community as well as in regional and international fora. Presentational topics include a wide range of issues including constitutional monarchy, nation building, good governance, ethno-religious relations, education and socio-economic development.

The Sultan’s interest in the twentieth century economy of Malaysia (and Malaya) began during his Ph.D studies at Harvard University and has continued to the present. In 2001, HRH presented a paper on historical national accounts at a workshop in Tokyo, and in 2002 and 2006, HRH presented papers on the economy of Malaya at the XIII and XIV International Economic History Congresses in Buenos Aires and Helsinki. He is currently working on several scholarly publications.

HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah is an outspoken advocate of nation building, the principles of good governance, multiculturalism, tolerance and Islamic history. Like his father, HRH Sultan Azlan Shah, he has a passion for the rule of law and for the independence of the judiciary. HRH acknowledges the role of his parents in inculcating uncompromising moral and ethical values in childhood.

In recognition of his knowledge and contribution to humanitarian issues, in helping to save lives and ensuring human dignity, in May 2015 the United Nations Secretary-General invited HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah to serve as the Co-chair of the High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing. The Panel’s recommendations for closing the funding gap for meeting the needs of complex humanitarian crises helped frame discussions at the World Humanitarian Summit held in Istanbul in May 2016.

HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah: Summary Biography

Born in Penang, Malaysia, in November 1956, HRH Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah is the eldest son of the late Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah and the former Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Bainun.

Sultan Nazrin Shah was proclaimed the Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Perak on 15 April 1984. On 29 May 2014 he became the 35th Sultan of Perak following the demise of his father, Sultan Azlan Shah. In May 2015, Sultan Nazrin’s enthronement was carried out with several royal ceremonies as a necessary rite of passage to enthronement as the 35th ruler of Perak Darul Ridzuan, the Abode of Grace — follow this journey.

On 27 October 2023, HRH Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah was re-elected as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong effective 31 January 2024.

HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford, a Masters degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and a Ph.D in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University.

HRH Sultan Nazrin holds many national and international positions including:

Royal Patron of the Malaysian International Islamic Financial Centre

Chancellor of the Sultan Azlan Shah University

Royal Fellow of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia

Royal Fellow of the Malaysian Institute of Defence and Security

Fellow of the Chancellor's Court of Benefactors, University of Oxford

Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Oxford

Honorary Fellow of Worcester College, University of Oxford

Honorary Fellow of Magdalene College, University of Cambridge

Royal Patron of the Kuala Lumpur Business Club

Chairman of the ‘MERDEKA AWARD’ Board of Trustees

Patron to the University of Oxford’s Institute for ASEAN Studies

Honorary Fellow of St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge

Royal Fellow of the Institute of Public Security of Malaysia

Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment of Royal Engineers in the Malaysian Armed Forces

Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment of Royal Medical Corps in the Malaysian Armed Forces

HRH was conferred an honorary Masters of Business Administration by the Cranfield Institute of Technology, United Kingdom in 1993; an honorary Doctor of Economics by Soka University, Japan, in 1999; and an honorary degree by The University of Nottingham in 2016.

Official website of HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah https://sultannazrinshah.com/