Malay styles and titles

The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore.
Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, few provinces in the Philippines and several provinces in Indonesia regularly award honorary and life titles. What follows in this article is specific to the Malaysian system. References to Brunei and Indonesia are given when pertinent.
In Malaysia, all non-hereditary titles can be granted to both men and women. Every title has a form of address which can be used by the wife of the title holder. This form is not used by the husband of a titled woman; such a woman will bear a title which is the same as a titled man.
Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders.
Much of the Philippines was historically accustomed to the usage of Malay titles by its royals and nobles, such as Raja Sulayman and Dayang Kalangitan in Luzon. Malay titles are still prominently used by the royal houses of Sulu and Maguindanao among other noble lineages in Mindanao in preservation of genealogies. Officially, the republic does not grant royal or noble titles according to the 1987 Constitution.
Indonesia, meanwhile, as a republic, does not recognise hereditary rulers and aristocratic systems outside of Yogyakarta.
The sequence that should be used when formally writing or addressing a person's name is: honorary style, professional rank, royal hereditary title, federal title, state title, non-royal hereditary title, Doctor (of medicine or philosophy), Haji/Hajah (for Muslim men and women who have performed the Hajj), name.
For instance, in Brunei, the Wazir is a group of royal nobles, namely one of the royal princes who is gahara (pure descendants of the Sultan), are the second-highest official post in the nation, right behind the Sultan. Following this, the Cheteria, only bestowed upon the Pengiran, who perform specific jobs and are ranked above the Manteri, a group of non-royal nobles. An example of a Manteri would be the former police commissioner of Brunei, Hasrin Sabtu, whose honorary title would be Yang Dimuliakan (The Exalted One), noble rank is Pehin Orang Kaya Pendikar Alam, state title is Dato Paduka Seri and traditional Bruneian prefix title for non-royalty is Awang (Mr.).
When in the home state, the state title may precede the federal title. An example is the current Premier of Sarawak, Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg, whose federal title is Tan Sri and whose state title is Datuk Patinggi. His title will be expressed as either:
Another exception is when a person has received an award from a state other than the person's home state; when visiting the award-bestowing state, that state's title will take the place of a home state's title (if any). As an example, the current Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim will be titled as follows:
A style carried by virtue of royal title always trumps those carried by non-royal titles. Male royals may choose to append 'al-Haj' to their name instead of using 'Haji'. The following example is correct:
The following titles are hereditary and reserved for the royal families of Brunei and nine royal states of Malaysia.
According to royal customs established during the reign of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and based on knowledge passed down by elders, any name, rank, title, position, or honorific must be preceded by a terasul before being mentioned or written. This tradition reflects the deep respect for hierarchical and cultural values in Brunei. Given that Brunei is an absolute monarchy, the correct use of official titles for members of the royal family is essential. Incorrect usage can cause discomfort or be perceived as disrespectful, emphasising the importance of adhering to these formal protocols.
Terasul for the Sultan:
Terasul for the Sultan's wife:
Terasul for the Pengiran Muda Mahkota, 'Crown Prince' and his wife:
Terasul for the gahara son of Sultan and his wife:
Terasul for the gahara daughter of Sultan:
Terasul for the children of gahara son of Sultan:
Terasul for the children of gahara daughter of Sultan:
Terasul of the mother of Raja Isteri, 'Queen Consort':
Terasul of the non-gahara children of Sultan:
Terasul of the non-gahara grandchildren of Sultan:
Terasul of the Perdana Wazir and his wife:
Terasul of the Wazir and his wife:
Terasul of the Cheteria and his wife:
Terasul of the gahara male and female child of Wazir:
Terasul of the children of Cheteria:
Terasul of the gahara of Pengiran Anak:
Terasul of the Pengiran Kebanyakan:
Terasul of the Pehin Manteri:
Terasul of the senior government officials:
Titles of Malaysian royalty and rulers:
In Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) grants honours to recipients nominated by the Government of Malaysia as awards which are honorary and non-hereditary. These honours may also be revoked by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or returned by the individual. Some of the highest honours bestowed carries with them the titles of Tun, Tan Sri, or Datuk.
There is a maximum number of Malaysian subjects who may be award-holders at any one time. These numerical limits apply only to Malaysian subjects. Foreigners may be awarded such titles in a supernumerary and honorary capacity, and may use the title locally.
The Tun title has existed in Malay traditional society for hundreds of years. In ancient times, Tun was an honorific title used by noble people of royal lineage, inherited by the male descendants. Over time, the Tun title has become a title conferred by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to the most-deserving recipient who has highly contributed to the nation.
Tun is the most senior federal title awarded to recipients of either the Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara (Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm) (SMN) or Seri Setia Mahkota (Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia) (SSM). However, the SMN and SSM are not the highest federal awards, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively. There may not be more than 25 (SMN) and 35 (SSM) living holders of each of these awards respectively at any one time. The title for the wife of a Tun is called Toh Puan. The recipients and their wives are then bestowed with the style of Yang Amat Berbahagia or (The Most Felicitous).
The SMN is usually awarded to newly appointed Yang di-Pertua Negeri (YDPN), and to all the retired Prime Ministers of Malaysia, with the exception of Tunku Abdul Rahman (he is the Prince of the state of Kedah), Najib Razak, Muhyiddin Yassin, and Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Examples:
Tan Sri is the second-most senior federal title and a honorific, used to denote recipients of the Panglima Mangku Negara (Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm) (PMN) and the Panglima Setia Mahkota (Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia) (PSM). The wife of a Tan Sri is called Puan Sri. The recipients and their wives are then bestowed with the style of Yang Berbahagia or (The Felicitous).
Examples:
Datuk is a federal title that has been conferred since 1965. It is limited to recipients of Panglima Jasa Negara (Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service) (PJN) and Panglima Setia Diraja (Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal Family of Malaysia) (PSD). There may be up to 200 living PJN holders and 200 living PSD holders at any one time. The title of the wife of a male Datuk is Datin; women with the title can take either the title Datin or Datuk. The recipients and their wives are then bestowed with the style of Yang Berbahagia (The Felicitous).
Examples:
In Brunei, the title Dato is now comparable to the Commonwealth's Sir and is frequently used with a great non-royal chief.
In Malaysia, state honours are awarded by the respective heads of the thirteen states. Such titles are honorary and non-hereditary. State titles may be revoked or suspended by the head of state, or may be returned by the individual. Dato' Sri or Dato' Seri (sometimes Dato’ is spelled and pronounced Datuk in some states) is the highest state title conferred by the Ruler on the most deserving recipients who have contributed greatly to the nation or state. It ranks below the federal title Tun, and is an honour equivalent to federal title Tan Sri. The wife of a recipient is Datin Sri or Datin Seri. In many cases, the number of Malaysian nationals who may hold a state title or honour at one time is limited. Such limits do not apply to foreigners.
This title is mainly used in Brunei Darussalam. An example of the title in Brunei would be Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa, the former Minister of Home Affairs and the current Special Adviser to the Sultan of Brunei. The titles refers to the traditional ministers posts in Brunei.
This title is mainly used in Sarawak. Awarded to individuals who have been appointed as Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak or equivalent or higher. An example of the title in Sarawak would be Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak.
This title is mainly used in Malacca. Awarded to individuals who have been appointed as Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca or equivalent or higher. An example of the title in Malacca would be Tun Seri Setia (Dr.) Haji Mohd Ali Rustam, Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca.
Justice of Peace (JP) ranks below all Dato' or Datuk. In Malaysia, Justices of Peace have largely been replaced in magistrates' courts by legally-qualified (first-class) stipendiary magistrates. However, state governments continue to appoint Justices of Peace as honours. In 2004, some associations of JPs pressed the federal government to allow JPs to sit as second-class magistrates to reduce the backlog of cases in the courts.
If a person has been awarded several honours from different states, the title used varies. For example, sometimes former Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad is usually referred to as YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad anywhere in Malaysia. However, different terms of address may be used in the states that he visits. In Sarawak, he will be referred to as YABhg Tun Pehin Sri Mahathir Mohamad as he received the Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Sarawak (SBS) from the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak. While in Sabah, he is referred to as Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, as he received the Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) from the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah.
The following are used as styles, both before a person's title, and by themselves as forms of address:
The English versions of these styles follow British usage. Thus the prime minister, cabinet ministers, senators, state executive councillors and judges of the High Court and above are styled the Honorable or the Right Honorable, although technically it is a solecism to style the prime minister or heads of courts Right Honourable as they are not members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.
Not all Datuks have lived exemplary lives, and some have been convicted of crimes. The various rulers have recently taken steps to ensure the integrity of the institution by means of consultation and the revoking of the given titles.
Mahathir Mohamad mentioned that one of the problems with titles in Malaysia is the numbers of them given out. He stated in an interview "Personally, I feel if you want to give value to anything, it must be limited... if you produce a million Ferrari cars, nobody will care about buying a Ferrari."
The Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak, stated "That is my view. You degrade the award and the Ruler has the right to revoke it. In my opinion, it should be taken away." He also stated that "Sometimes, I think we give away too many datukships... it dilutes and devalues the award."
In the first government following the independence of Malaya in 1957, 5 of 15 cabinet Ministers were Datuks. The Minister of Finance of Malaysia at the time, Tan Siew Sin, held the title Justice of Peace. Later, he was granted a Federal award which carried the title Tun. The father of Malayan independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, received no awards and carried the title Tunku, which he inherited as the prince of the state of Kedah. He was honorarily referred to as Yang Teramat Mulia (YTM). The Senate held only 14 Datuks, and House of Representatives held only seven.
The Malacca government was criticised for awarding the Datuk title to a non-Malaysian Indian actor, Shah Rukh Khan, for making movies and promoting the Malacca state internationally.
In 2024, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, stated "If a recipient is found to have tarnished the country’s image or commits a crime and has been punished by the court, then the award will be withdrawn. (Say) Goodbye to it." He also stated that "Accordingly, I have instructed the government to check the list of inmates in all prisons. I want any inmate with federal awards or honours to have their award withdrawn. This is only for federal awards and honours. As for awards conferred by other states, I do not interfere,".