The Yellow Palace, now Kedah Royal Museum was the birth place for the first Prime Minister of Malaya – Tunku Abdul Rahman, Putra al-Haj. It is located along Jalan Pekan Melayu in the heart of Alor Setar, Kedah. It was known as Kota Setar Palace, Mak Wan Besar Palace and Pelamin Palace at different times.
The palace was built in 1736 and also a mausoleum of Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin II.
Some modications were carried out to repair damages due to attacks by the Bugis (1771) and Siamese (1821-1842). In 1856, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah converted the building to accommodate his wife, Paduka Wan Hajar bin Wan Ismail (Mak Wan Besar) who resided here until she passed away.
Thereafter, it was resided by Che’ Manjalara, the mother of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra until 1941. The palace had witnessed ceremonial royal weddings to 5 princes and 1 princess of Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah in 1904; they were YTM Tunku Ibrahim (Tunku Sulong), YTM Tunku Zainol Rashid (Tunku Daii), YTM Tunku Zam-Zam (Tunku Pok), YTM Tunku Rokiah and YTM Tunku Jora.
In 1983, the palace was converted to Kedah Royal Musuem where it features Rumah Pelamin exhibit and many royal collection artificats donated by members of the royal family.
Like many other museums, visitors are prohibited to take pictures from inside the museum fearing the haunt of royal spirit.
The royal museum garden consists of vast collection of canons.
* This post is part of My Kedah series, a contribution to promote tourism in Kedah, being the place I have spent my earlier years in. Do visit Kedah, Negeri Jelapang Padi.