Malay Sultanates

The Malay Sultanates are nine states of Peninsular Malaysia led by hereditary rulers. In practice, these rulers (Raja or Young di Pertuan Besar in Perlis and Negri Sembilan and the Sultans in the rest) are nominal chapters and follow the principles of the constitutional monarchy. The nine rulers of the Malay Sultanates choose from their midst the Young di Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia.

British Malaya circa 1922. Yellow shows the territory of the Federated States of Malaya, blue formally independent (unfederated) principalities, red shows the territories that were part of the Straits Sets

The Malay Sultanates should be distinguished from the states of Malaya. The states, in addition to the sultanates, are also two former British dominions ( Penang and Malacca ), which have no rulers by birth, and are headed by Young di Pertuan Negeri (governors), appointed by Young di Pertuan Agong .

Before the creation of the Malay Union in 1946, the Malay monarchies were divided into the United Malay Sultanates (headed by the British High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur with the British governors in each of the sultanates) and the Unified Malay Sultanates (each headed by a hereditary ruler under the tutelage of a British adviser).