Abdullah al-Muʽtassim Billah Shah of Pahang

Born at the Royal Palace, Pekan Lama, 12 October 1874, fourth son of Sultan Ahmad Muadzam Shah ibni al-Marhum Bendahara Sri Maharaja Tun ‘Ali, Cik Kusuma Sokma binti Tok Minal Daeng Koro, educated.

During his reign, Pahang immersed in much political changes. The British government introduced legislation and innovation in the state machinery to make the Malay states 'modern' in political and economic practices. These activities resulted from the constitutional events in the reign of Sultan Ahmad al-Muadzam Shah, namely the creation of the Federated Malay States in 1896 and the establishment of the Federal Council in 1909.[1]

A lot of heat was generated against the effectiveness of the Rulers' participation in the Federal Council is in the reign of Sultan Abdullah. The Sultan was irked to find the increasingly Kuala Lumpur was calling in the tune, even in the affairs which he thought had nothing to do with the Federated Malay States, but only Pahang. However, he toed the line because he was dependent to a certain extent on the adequate collective funds of the Federated Malay States, Pahang stood to benefit from the wealth of Perak and Selangor.[2]

The Sultan was mollified somewhat when during the governorship of Sir Laurence Guillemard there was intense activity to decentralise powers from the centre at Kuala Lumpur back to the individual States comprising the Federated Malay States. But he did not see the scheme materialise. Neither did his successor because the move was still going on when the Japanese invaded Malaya.[3]

Among other reform initiated during Abdullah's reign was the abolishment of a modified form of the corvée system commonly practised in Pahang. Beginning 1919, substantial Malay reservation areas were opened to ensure that land remained available to local Malays. The Sultanate Lands Enactment was promulgated in 1919, vesting certain areas in the Sultan and giving him the right to regulate the leasing and occupation of those areas.[4]

The year 1930 marked the creation of the title Tengku Mahkota ('crown prince') along with other new Malay titles, and the framing of agnatic rules of succession.[5] In 1932, at the age of twenty, Tengku Abu Bakar, son and heir of Abdullah was installed as the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, the first time a prince ever had this title conferred upon.[6]

Abdullah married first to a woman known as Che' Endut. His second wife was Che Kalsum binti Tun Abdullah, daughter of a Terengganuan nobleman Tun Abdullah bin Tun Abdul Rauf of Pulau Duyung, who later was made the Sultanah Pahang ('high consort'). His first son from this marriage was Abu Bakar, who later succeeded as the next Sultan. Abdullah's third marriage was with Cik Wan Chantik binti Wan Muhammad Amin, daughter of a Pattani nobleman Wan Muhammad Amin. From all these marriages, he had issue in total, ten sons and seven daughters.

By 1931, Abdullah's health began to fail, yet he still managed to attend the Durbar held in August that year.[7] He died the following year, at the Istana Kuning, Pekan on 22 June 1932 and buried at the Royal Cemetery, Kuala Pahang. He was succeeded by his second son, Tengku Mahkota Abu Bakar.

• Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid (2011), The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, 16 – The Rulers of Malaysia, Editions Didier Millet, ISBN 978-981-3018-54-9
• Khoo, Gilbert (1980), "From Pre-Malaccan period to present day", New Straits Times