ALOR STAR: 2017 will be remembered as another historical year for Kedah as the new sultan of Kedah was proclaimed, following the passing of the beloved Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah in September.
Sultan Abdul Halim, who was born on Nov 28, 1927, made history by becoming the only state ruler to be appointed twice as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, in 1965 and in 2011. He passed away at Istana Anak Bukit on Sept 11, at the age of 89.
Sultan Abdul Halim, who was installed as the sultan of Kedah in 1958, was the eldest surviving son of Almarhum Sultan Badlishah Sultan Abdul Hamid.
The sadness and sense of loss transcended beyond Kedah as Malaysians from across the country grieved over the passing of the king of two generations.
More than 10,000 mourners from all walks of life turned up at the palace to join local and foreign dignitaries in paying their last respects to the beloved sultan, who ruled the state with kindness and affection for almost six decades.
Thousands of people lined up along the roads from Istana Anak Bukit to the Royal Mausoleum in Jalan Langgar to bid final farewell to Sultan Abdul Halim.
It was also another historical day for Kedah monarch as Raja Muda of Kedah Tunku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah was proclaimed the 29th sultan of Kedah.
Sultan Sallehuddin, 75, is married to Sultanah Tengku Maliha Tengku Ariff, a member of the Kelantan royalty.
The royal couple are blessed with two sons, Tunku Laksamana of Kedah Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah and Datuk Tunku Shazuddin Ariff.
In November, Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah, 50, was proclaimed the new Raja Muda of Kedah, while Tengku Shazuddin Ariff was proclaimed the new Tunku Laksamana.
Early this year, Tan Yao Chun, a stateless boy from Changlun, made headlines when his plea to be allowed to be enrolled in a school was highlighted by the New Straits Times.
The boy was born at Hatyai City Hospital, Thailand, in 2009 to a Malaysian father and a Myanmar mother.
However, Yao Chun is a citizen of none of the three countries as his father, Tan Meng Pun, 42, failed to register Yao Chun’s birth at the Malaysian embassy in Thailand.
His father went missing soon after his birth for months, prompting his mother to relinquish her newborn to his grandmother, who lives in Changlun.
The NST had front-paged his heart-wrenching story and pictures, and the public was moved by the stateless child’s plight.
In the midst of confusion over the Education Ministry’s 2009 circular on stateless children’s right to schooling in Malaysia, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah intervened and announced that all stateless children in the state should be allowed to be enrolled in public schools.
Yao Chun’s dream came true when he enrolled in SJK(C) Yit Min, Changlun in early January.
In August, a student from Kulim did the nation proud by bagging the Best Speaker and Best Position Paper Awards at the 2017 International Model United Nations Conference in the United States.
Fourteen-year-old R. Prevena, a Form Two student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Badlishah, received an invitation to attend the conference based on her achievement at the 2017 Worldwide United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Centre for Peace Youth Multimedia Competition, where she submitted a video titled “The Souped Up Land — The SMART Refugees Camp”.
It was also a memorable year for Kedahans when SMJK Keat Hwa in Alor Star won the Sudler Shield Award for its acclaimed performance at the 2016 World Championship of Marching Show Band competition, defeating bands from eight countries.
The state football team “Helang Merah” opened the 2017 competitions calendar with a bang by lifting the Charity Cup in January after defeating Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in a nervy penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw at Tan Sri Hassan Yunos Stadium in Larkin.
The state football team continued its sterling performance by winning the 2017 FA Cup after it defeated Pahang in the final at Shah Alam Stadium in May.
The squad’s dream to defend the Malaysia Cup was dashed after losing to JDT in the final showdown in November.
The disappointment was aggravated following an allegation by a fan’s call for some of the players and team officials to be probed for suspicion of being involved in match-fixing.
This prompted the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to launch an investigation, but the players and former head coach Nidzam Adha Yusoff had categorically denied the allegation.
The controversy, nevertheless, did not dampen the glorious closure for Kedah football team this season when the team emerged the biggest winner by sweeping nine out of 22 categories at the 2017 National Football Awards recently.
Kedah midfielder Baddrol Bakhtiar was the star by winning the Most Valuable Player, Top Local Goalscorer (in Super League) and Best Midfielder Awards.
Ifwat Akmal Chek Kassim, who was part of Malaysia’s 2017 Sea Games silver medal team, was named the Best Goalkeeper while Kosovo-born Liridon Krasniqi won the Best Import and Most Popular Player awards.
The “Helang Merah” squad also bagged the Best Team and Best Supporters awards.
In politics, Kedah State Legislative Assembly opposition leader Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah sprung a surprise by leaving Pas to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).
The Anak Bukit assemblyman was earlier rumoured to be crossing over to Parti Amanah Negara (PAN), a Pas splinter-party following a fallout with the Islamic party’s ulama leadership.
Amiruddin had said he decided to defect to PPBM after being told that it was “impossible” for the Islamic party to work with Pakatan Harapan.
Political analysts opined that Amiruddin’s move jeopardised all the possible cooperation between Pas and PPBM and also Pakatan Harapan at large, in the next general election.