SELANGOR: Sultan Twice Blocked

Flunkies at Grosvenor House, swank London hotel, chortled behind their hands last week as they recounted an embarrassing incident that lately befell their No. 1 guest, 73-year-old His Highness Ala’idin Suleimin Shah, Sultan of Selangor in the Federated Malay States. The Sultan, happily attired to meet the demands of East & West in yellow silk trousers and a European overcoat, stood boggle-eyed before the hotel’s rapidly twirling swing-door, was completely baffled. With Oriental arrogance he tried to pass through in the opposite direction to that in which the door was turning, got his yellow trousers caught, only managed to escape after muttering Malayan curses. More successful was his favorite wife, youthful Inche Anjong.

The Malayan ruler was in London ostensibly to consult Harley Street specialists who had been warned not to recommend operations, an outrage to the Sultan’s beliefs. Whitehall wiseacres, however, were saying last week that the real purpose of the visit was to unravel a diplomatic tangle, the succession to the throne of Selangor. Two years ago the Sultan’s eldest son was deposed, and, in accordance with Malayan custom, the second son was nominated successor. To this the British Colonial Office objected, nominated the Sultan’s third son. To this the Sultan objected, said: “The British Government is interfering with Malayan customs which they promised to respect.”