Malay Styles and Titles - Honorary Styles

Honorary Styles

The following are both used as styles, before a person's title, and (by themselves) as forms of address:

• Tuan Yang Terutama (T.Y.T.) (literally "The Most Eminent Master") is the style of a state Governor, equivalent to "Your/His Excellency" and also as a title for serving Ambassadors to Malaysia, e.g. T.Y.T. Tuan Christopher J. LaFleur.
• Yang Amat Berhormat (Y.A.B.) (literally "The Most Honourable") is the style of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chief Ministers of the states.
• Yang Berhormat (Y.B.) (literally "The Honourable") is the style of Members of Parliament and state Legislative Assemblymen. A prince who is a Member of Parliament is "Yang Berhormat Mulia" e.g. Yang Berhormat Mulia Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah, the MP for Gua Musang. "Yang Berhormat" is also used for recipients of the First Class Order of the Crown of Johor (S.P.M.J.) regardless whether he is a Member of Parliament or not.
• Yang Amat Arif (Y.A.A.) (literally "The Most Learned") is the style of the Chief Justice of Malaysia, the President of the Malaysian Court of Appeal, the Chief Judge of the High Court of Malaya and the Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak.
• Yang Arif (Y.A.) (literally "The Learned") is the style of a judge.
• Yang Berbahagia (Y.Bhg.) (literally "The Felicitous") (and variants thereof) are the styles of persons with a chivalrous title.

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 Honourable. It is a solecism to style the Prime Minister or a Minister Right Honourable as they are not members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.