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Putra of Perlis

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Putra of Perlis

Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail (Jawi: توانكو سر سيد هارون ڤوترا ابن المرحوم سيد حسن جمل الليل; 25 November 1920 – 16 April 2000) was the Raja of Perlis from 1945 until his death in 2000, and the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia), from 1960 to 1965.

Putra was born in Arau and was the son of Syed Hassan bin Syed Mahmud Jamalullail (1897 – 18 October 1935), sometime bakal raja or heir presumptive to the throne of Perlis, by his commoner wife Wan Teh binti Wan Endut (1898 – 27 December 1952). He was educated at the Arau Malay School and later at Penang Free School between 1937 and 1939. At 18, he joined the Perlis administrative service, becoming a magistrate and in 1940, was transferred to Kuala Lumpur to serve as Second Magistrate in the Criminal Court.

The fourth Raja of Perlis, Syed Alwi ibni Syed Safi Jamalullail (born 1881; r. 1905–1943) was childless and had several half-brothers competing for the role of heir presumptive. Succession to the Perlisian throne was not automatic and an heir presumptive had to be confirmed in that post by the State Council comprising the raja and several others.

Syed Putra's paternal grandfather Syed Mahmud (died 1919), was the oldest son of Raja Syed Safi ibni Almarhum Syed Alwi Jamalullail (the third Raja). He was also a half brother of Raja Syed Alwi. He served as raja muda until 1912 when he was convicted and jailed in Alor Star, Kedah until 1917. Two years later, he died in Alor Star. On 6 December 1934, Syed Mahmud's son Syed Hassan was, by a three to one vote, selected by the State Council as bakal raja or heir presumptive. However, Syed Hassan died on 18 October 1935.

On 30 April 1938, again by a three to one vote, the State Council chose Syed Putra (son of Syed Hassan) as the bakal raja. This choice was opposed by Syed Hamzah, the younger half-brother of Raja Syed Alwi and Vice-President of the State Council on the grounds that Syed Putra was too far removed from the throne under Islamic inheritance laws (primogeniture did not then apply in Perlis). However, the British colonial rulers supported Syed Putra.

At the outbreak of the Pacific War, Raja Syed Alwi retreated to Kuala Kangsar, Perak. He returned to Perlis on 28 December 1941 but was already very ill and state affairs were exercised by Syed Hamzah. Syed Putra was at the time serving in the judiciary in Kuala Lumpur and had been advised by Sultan Musa Ghiatuddin Riayat Shah of Selangor to remain there. In May 1942, Syed Hamzah persuaded Raja Syed Alwi to withdraw Syed Putra's appointment as bakal raja and instead Syed Hamzah himself was appointed to that post. Raja Syed Alwi died in Arau on 1 February 1943 and a day later, before the funeral, Syed Hamzah was proclaimed fifth Raja of Perlis, by the consent of the Japanese Military Governor of Kedah and Perlis.

Syed Putra and his family stayed in Klang until 15 May 1942 when he returned to Perlis. He lived in a hut near the Arau railway station and received a monthly allowance of $90 from Raja Syed Alwi but this ceased on the latter's death. On 29 March 1945 he left for Kelantan, the home state of his consort Tengku Budriah, where he sold cakes and sundry goods for a living.

The British Military Administration (BMA) under Lord Mountbatten refused to recognise Syed Hamzah as Raja. On 18 September 1945, Syed Hamzah abdicated. He went into exile in Thailand and died in Arau on 20 February 1958.

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