Tengkolok Diraja (Royal Headdress)
According to Malay legend, the first Sultan of Perak, Sultan Muzaffar Shah I Ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Shah (1528 - 1549) set sail to Perak to form the Perak Sultanate. Sultan Muzaffar was a descendant of the Malacca Sultanate which was then exiled in Johor by the Portuguese. He carried on his ship many of the royal regalia of the Malacca Sultanate, including the Royal Crown of Malacca.
However, during his journey, his ship entered shallow waters and was stuck. The only way to get the ship sailing again was by reducing the ship load. So one by one the many items of the ships were thrown into sea but the ship refused to budge. Until finally the only thing left to throw into sea was the Royal Crown of Malacca. The sea was happy with the offering of the Royal Crown because immediately after that the ship miraculously set sail on its own to Perak.
The Sultan seeing the miracle as a sign swore that he and his descendants would never wear a crown as Sultans or never be crowned during their installation. This practice came to be followed by the Malay Sultans of the other states. Therefore, the Malay head-dress known as Tengkolok came to be the replacement for a crown.
For centuries Malay Rulers have worn head-dresses as part of their regalia. They have been wearing head-dresses made of embroidered silk folded in different styles since the days of the Malay Sultanate. The style of folding is called solek and there are various styles depending on the tradition of the royal family of the particular state. The colour of the head-dress varies from one state to another.
The royal head-dress worn by His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong during his installation is made of black fabric embroidered with gold thread. It is folded in the style called Dendam Tak Sudah which originated from Negeri Sembilan. Affixed at the front of the headwear is a crescent-shaped ornament and a 14-pointed star. At the centre of the star is the crest of the Malaysian Government.
Read more about this topic: Royal Regalia Of Malaysia