Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu

Upon reaching Mukallaf (13 years of age), the Islamic age of responsibility, and according to Syariah law and the constitution of Terengganu, Tuanku Muhammad Ismail became able to discharge his duties himself. However, the Sultan formed another council, Majlis Perwakilan Pemangku Raja, to perform the Regent’s duty while he was away from Terengganu pursuing his studies. This second and current council is headed by Tengku Mustafa Kamel, another of Sultan Mizan’s younger brothers, together with former Regency Advisory Council members Tengku Sri Laksamana Raja Tengku Sulaiman Ismail and Dato' Haji Abdul Kadir Sulaiman.

Officially, Mizan's full style and title after 12 December 2011 is Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Al-Wathiqu Billah Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah or translated into English as

The state of Terengganu, where Barisan Nasional won two-thirds of the seats in the state parliament, was the last to appoint a Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) after the 2008 general elections. In the formation of the new Terengganu state government, the federal government under Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi recommended Idris Jusoh as Menteri Besar, who received full support of 23 of the 24 Barisan Nasional state assemblymen elected. However, on 22 March, the office of the Sultan of Terengganu announced the appointment of Kijal assemblyman Ahmad Said instead of Idris Jusoh, as was the Sultan's constitutional right.

On 26 April 2007, Mizan was formally installed as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

On 3 November 2006, Mizan was elected by the Conference of Rulers to become the 13th YDPA, with his five-year term starting 13 December 2006. The Conference of Rulers appointed Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah as the Deputy YDPA. Mizan's appointment was the fourth following a second rotation system amongst the nine Malay Rulers. This five-year rotational constitutional monarchy is unique to Malaysia.

After Sultan Mizan was elected as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, he appointed Tengku Muhammad Ismail, then aged eight, as Regent on 12 November 2006. Because of Tengku Muhammad Ismail's young age, a three-member Regency Advisory Council was established to discharge his duties for him. The council's members were Tengku Baderulzaman, Sultan Mizan's younger brother, Tengku Sulaiman Ismail, Sultan Mizan's uncle, and former Federal Court judge Dato' Abdul Kadir Sulaiman. He was proclaimed as regent during a ceremony on 12 December.

Mizan was re-appointed Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 13 December 2001 after the Conference of Rulers elected Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin as the 12th YDPA.

Mizan served as the first Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) from 2001 to 2006.

Mizan was appointed Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 26 April 1999 after Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, the Sultan of Selangor was elected the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong by the Conference of Rulers. Following the illness and subsequently death of Salahuddin, Mizan served as Acting YDPA from 8 October to 12 December 2001.

Mizan became the youngest ruler of a Malaysian federal state when he was appointed as the Sultan of Terengganu on 15 May 1998 following the death of his father, Sultan Mahmud. Mizan was crowned as the 17th Sultan of Terengganu on 4 March 1999.

Mizan married Sultanah Nur Zahirah on 28 March 1996 in Kuala Terengganu. She is the only second Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen of Malaysia) to habitually wear the hijab (ritual Islamic headscarf for women), and the third to have been born a commoner.

The royal couple has two sons and two daughters: Tengku Nadhirah Zaharah, the Tengku Puteri Utama Raja (b. 18 December 1996), Tengku Muhammad Ismail, the Yang di-Pertuan Muda (b. 1 March 1998), Tengku Muhammad Mua′az, the Tengku Sri Setia Mahkota Raja (b. 22 December 2000), Tengku Fatimatuz Zahra, the Tengku Puteri Daulath Raja (b. 19 April 2002) .

From 1991 to 1995, Mizan was President of the Council for Islam and Malay Culture of Terengganu.

Mizan Zainal Abidin studied at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Sulaiman and Sekolah Menengah Sultan Sulaiman, Kuala Terengganu. He went overseas to study at the Geelong Grammar School in Geelong, Australia. In 1988, he completed his undergraduate studies at US International University-Europe (now called Alliant International University) in London, earning a B.A. in International Relations.

Mizan Zainal Abidin participated in the military course PRE SMC (E) 33 at the Army School of Languages from 1982 to 1983. He then studied the military course SMC 33 at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England, successfully completing the course as Cadet Officer on 9 December 1983.

On 15 September 1981, Tuanku Mizan was appointed as Assistant Land Levy Collector, working for a period of about a year at the District Land Office in Kuala Terengganu, prior to his departure overseas to attend the military course in England. Tuanku Mizan's next appointment in 1988 was as State Administrative Officer at the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) in Wisma Darul Iman, Kuala Terengganu. Besides working for UPEN, Tuanku Mizan was also Assistant District Land Officer at the Kuala Terengganu District Land Office.

Mizan was appointed the Yang di-Pertuan Muda of the State of Terengganu on 6 November 1979. On 20 October 1990, he was appointed the Acting Sultan of Terengganu to 8 November 1990.

Al-Wathiqu Billah Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah (Jawi: سلطان ميزان زين العابدين ابن المرحوم سلطان محمود المكتفي بالله شاه; born 22 January 1962) is the 18th and current Sultan of Terengganu. He served as the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutional monarch of Malaysia, from 2006 to 2011. He is Malay by ethnicity and an adherent of Sunni Islam.

Mizan, 44, is the third youngest YDPA after Tuanku Syed Putra of Perlis and Tuanku Abdul Halim of Kedah who were elected at age 40 and 43 respectively. He is also the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong born after Hari Merdeka (Malaysian Independence Day), which fell on 31 August 1957.