His Royal Highness, who will turn 75-years-old this year, is a highly respected figure in the prosperous state of Selangor and beloved for his firm but fair rule.

As the people of Selangor go about enjoying the long weekend, perhaps now is a good time to learn some interesting facts about the ruler of Selangor.

There are many accomplishments to his name that many of his subjects may be unaware of, such as:

1. His meaningful name

Born as the first son of Almarhum Sultan Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah, Sultan Sharafuddin’s birth name was Tengku Idris Shah.

Upon succeeding his father, he took the regnal name Sharafuddin, which means “religious enlightenment” in Arabic.

His full regnal name is Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj.

2. He is an adventurer

Not content with just enjoying the lifestyle that is the right of any ruler, Sultan Sharafuddin has displayed a fondness for adventure on the high seas.

In a 22-month expedition launched in 1995, he circumnavigated the globe in his yacht, the SY Jugra.

Since then, the major sailing event Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta was named after him.

Aside from conquering the seas, he also scaled Mount Kinabalu at the age of 30.

3. He is a big motorsports fan

Sultan Sharafuddin is also a motorsports aficionado, having participated in rallies and races himself and travelled on the roads of the world extensively.

In 1997, Sultan Sharafuddin participated in the Peking to Paris motor challenge and covered an astonishing distance of 16,000km in 43 days.

He travelled the vast expanse between Beijing and Paris in his 1932 Ford Model B, passing through treacherous terrain and crossing two continents. For this accomplishment, he won himself a silver medal.

According to some accounts, Sultan Sharafuddin was caught in a sandstorm while passing through the desert of Mongolia, leading him to take shelter in his car.

Years earlier, in 1986, he had also taken a long drive from Kota Kinabalu all the way to Kuching in a Proton Saga, travelling over 1,000km.

4. He is a hobbyist and collector

It may be hard for everyday people to imagine kings and rulers having their own personal hobbies, what with their long list of administrative roles and responsibilities.

Yet, Sultan Sharafuddin has the time to indulge in his hobbies, among which are reading, photography, philately and antique collecting.

He is also particularly proud of his collection of traditional Malay weapons, of which only a select few lucky guests can get a glimpse.

5. He preserved Selangor’s weekends

It has been a while since the issue has been laid to rest, but back in 2013, some quarters were suggesting that weekends in Selangor be changed to Friday and Saturday.

Several states had done so and there were abounding questions on whether Selangor would follow suit.

The debate was still ongoing when Sultan Sharafuddin stepped in to share his thoughts – that weekends ought to be preserved as they were.

The reasoning provided for his stance included that the people of Selangor were not complaining about the current state of weekends. In addition, changing how weekends worked would also be bad for international business, which would be a blow to Selangor, a particularly prosperous state.

Hence, it was thanks to Sultan Sharafuddin’s intervention that the people of Selangor still get to sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays.