YAB DATO’ SERI HAJI MUHAMMAD SANUSI BIN MD NOR
The 14th Chief Minister of Kedah

His Royal Highness Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah always expresses his love for his people. His humility and modesty are truly apparent, which is a real blessing for the people of Kedah.

YB DATO’ SERI UTAMA MUKHRIZ BIN MAHATHIR
The 11th and 13th Chief Minister of Kedah

Our beloved state of Kedah Darul Aman is experiencing uncertain and challenging times. Thus, I am delighted to share a little about His Royal Highness Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah as a source of inspiration. I have had the privilege of having frequent frank discussions with Tuanku Sultan, which made me realise that we share a keen appreciation for the history of Kedah and a love for its people.

Kedah is blessed to have Sultan Sallehuddin as its ruler and I pray that his reign and that of the Kedah royalty endure the ages.

YBHG DATO’ SERI DIRAJA AHMAD BASHAH BIN MD HANIPAH
The 12th Chief Minister of Kedah

Tuanku Sultan’s honesty, supportive attitude and true leadership truly shine through. For him, perfection is important, yet he remains calm and natural when he rules or forges friendships. He shows concern by being a good listener, focusing on what is being done – a blend of the discipline of reminiscence and the pinnacle of humanity. His idealism and vision are also conveyed not only through decrees, but also through his body language and a benevolent approach. The combination of these noble elements complements his role as the Sultan who is the protector of the state’s crown: sovereign in peacetime, yet cautious and understanding of all that goes on under his rule. The principles of the Ruler and the people are inseparable. Hence, the nobility of the royal institution and the role of a Ruler are aligned. This is the legacy of the state which shall proudly be upheld always.

YBHG TAN SRI DATO’ SERI DIRAJA OSMAN BIN HAJI AROFF
The 6th Chief Minister of Kedah

I have known His Royal Highness from the day he was appointed as Tunku Laksamana Kedah. He is gentle in character, never raising his voice and always respectful of those around him. His relationship with the people and government officials is excellent, and he is so concerned with what benefits the people. He is a Sultan who keeps tabs on everything the government plans. All this is to give a positive impact on the development of the beloved State of Kedah.

GEN TAN SRI DATO’ SERI AZIZAN BIN ARIFIN (RETIRED)
The 17th Chief of Defence Forces

I remember the first time I met His Royal Highness Tuanku Sultan was in the early 1960s when he was our teacher at Iskandar Primary School (now SK Iskandar) in Alor Setar. As students, we cherished him because of his friendly, soft-spoken and ever-smiling personality. He was known as the young prince cikgu who drove a red Jaguar sports car (very rare in those days and which we and the teachers admired so much).

Even today, His Royal Highness remains very humble and pleasant, well-mannered and attentive and always put us at ease. The multifaceted life he has led as a young prince, an educationist, an officer in the Armed Forces and as Tunku Laksamana Kedah in the Royal Court has provided him with all the intellectual wisdom, leadership acumen, kindness and empathy to be a Head of State. Having trained and served as an officer in the Malaysian Armed Forces and guided by our beloved school’s (Sultan Abdul Hamid College) motto of “Scholar, Sportsman, Gentleman”, he has risen tremendously to become our very much-admired and beloved Sultan of Kedah.

Daulat Tuanku.

GEN TAN SRI MOHD AZUMI BIN MOHAMED (RETIRED)

One of the lessons I learnt from His Royal Highness is humility and learning to acquiesce to others, which I have held on to until today.

Daulat Tuanku

LT GEN DATUK NAWI BIN ALIAS (RETIRED)

I served as a Signals Regiment Officer with His Royal Highness at 3 RMR. Back then, he was a Platoon Commander. His Royal Highness embodied the greatness of a prince of the people. The advantages he had never prevented him from becoming an army officer of calibre. He has endured hardships without any special treatment throughout his service, just like any other military personnel.

LT COL HEERA SINGH (RETIRED) 

His Royal Highness was trained at the Indian Military Academy, a world-renowned institution that provides unparalleled military training. There, His Royal Highness received early lessons that would shape him into a leader of high calibre, both in the military and as the Sultan of Kedah. I know the people of Kedah felt blessed when he ascended the throne as the Sultan of Kedah.

6477 WARRANT OFFICER 2 YATIM BIN SULONG (RETIRED)

His Royal Highness is a gentleman of utmost discipline. When he was on duty, his actions and movements were an example to all the men under his command. At times, we were in awe of him. He was very easy-going and never referred to himself as the son of a Sultan.

BRIG GEN JAGMOHAN RAWAT
Gentleman Cadet (GC) – IMA

What an extraordinary meeting! Even though it only lasted a short while, it is etched in my heart. His Royal Highness and I had not met in over 50 years. Our reunion was unexpected. I am proud and happy to see how much he has achieved. We were all surprised when we heard that a friend from Malaysia wanted to meet us. Of course we remembered him. IM A memories do not fade easily. However, it never occurred to us that he is now the Sultan of Kedah. When the IM A arranged the meeting, we were not told about it. His Royal Highness was humble and reserved. When we met again, he was still the same person we had known all those years ago. May he be blessed with good health and cheer in carrying out his daily routine. I am touched that His Royal Highness genuinely appreciates his time at the IM A. He was a highly committed and dedicated Gentleman Cadet.

It never crossed my mind that GC Sallehuddin, whom I had known at the IM A, would return to Dehradun for a visit. He is now the Sultan of Kedah! It was exciting to meet him again after more than 50 years. He has not changed at all in terms of his character, humility and modesty. He still remembers the IM A as the institution that shaped his character. I extend my deepest appreciation to His Royal Highness for his willingness to share memories with old friends he has not met in a long time.

His Royal Highness was a refined and disciplined Gentleman Cadet. We were both part of the Naushara Company. Throughout his time at the IM A, nobody knew that he was actually a prince. This shows just how humble he is. As far as I remember, everyone truly liked him and accepted him as their friend. He was a simple person back then and that still holds true now.

As a Gentleman Cadet, His Royal Highness demonstrated great integrity and strength of character. He was friendly with everyone, never arrogant and acted and spoke politely and gently. Anyone who met him would warm up to him at the first meeting. It was a lovely experience and I will never forget it. After 56 years, His Royal Highness returned to Dehradun and shared tales of the past. As his friend, I am very proud of him. I hope that God grants him the greatest blessings in life.

His Royal Highness has the ability to put people at ease. He made friends easily and adapted well to life at the IM A, despite being a foreigner in Dehradun. He had a unique aura and was well liked by his friends. I admired his strength of self. He had travelled to the IM A at a young age and was miles away from his family, yet he handled everything with grace and dignity. He excelled at the IM A even though he was alone. Getting to meet him again after 56 years was an exciting experience. We got to exchange pleasant memories of the past.

His Royal Highness was a quiet man, yet he was highly regarded by many. He had a pleasant smile and a pure heart. As he had a smaller physique compared to the rest of us at IMA, we did not anticipate how much he was truly capable of. He had high endurance and determination. He passed each task and lesson with flying colours. Looking at him now, I can tell that he has not changed a bit from the man he was in 1963. He is still that charismatic and fascinating gentleman. I am glad that I got to know him at the IMA.