TRANSFORMASI INSTITUSI PEMBESAR PAHANG DALAM ERA DEMOKRASI BERPERLEMBAGAAN: ANALISIS KEDUDUKAN PERLEMBAGAAN DAN LEGITIMASI MENURUT PERSPEKTIF FIQH AL-WATAN TRANSFORMATION OF THE PAHANG NOBLE INSTITUTION IN THE ERA OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY: AN ANALYSIS OF CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION AND LEGITIMACY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FIQH AL-WATAN

Abstract

Abstrak 

Artikel ini bertujuan mengenal pasti dan menilai peranan kontemporari pembesar Pahang dalam kerangka pentadbiran negeri dan masyarakat kontemporari melalui Konsep Fikh Al-Watan. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif berasaskan reka bentuk interpretatif melalui temu bual berstruktur bersama informan utama iaitu pembesar negeri dan pegawai institusi agama serta analisis dokumen perundangan dan literatur berkaitan. Data dianalisis menggunakan analisis tematik bagi mengenal pasti pola dan makna utama berkaitan transformasi fungsi institusi pembesar. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa institusi pembesar telah mengalami peralihan signifikan daripada fungsi pentadbiran tradisional kepada peranan yang lebih bersifat simbolik, sosial dan representatif. Secara khusus, kajian ini mengenal pasti tiga dimensi utama peranan kontemporari pembesar iaitu sebagai penyokong institusi diraja dalam aspek adat dan istiadat, sebagai agen sosial yang berfungsi sebagai perantara antara rakyat dan pemerintah serta sebagai simbol legitimasi budaya dalam masyarakat. Kajian ini turut mendapati wujudnya dualisme peranan antara pembesar dan pentadbir moden yang mencerminkan pembahagian fungsi antara institusi tradisional dan birokrasi kontemporari. Dari perspektif Fiqh Al-Watan, transformasi ini menunjukkan bahawa institusi pembesar masih selari dengan prinsip maslahat, kestabilan dan penyesuaian struktur pemerintahan. Sumbangan utama kajian ini adalah memperluaskan pemahaman tentang institusi pembesar sebagai entiti yang masih relevan dalam tadbir urus moden dan bukan sekadar tinggalan sejarah. Novelti kajian ini terletak pada integrasi analisis empirikal dengan kerangka Fiqh Al-Watan dalam menilai semula peranan institusi tradisional dalam konteks pentadbiran kontemporari. 

Kata kunci: Pembesar Pahang,tadbir urus tempatan, autoriti sosial, institusi diraja

Abstract 

This article aims to identify and evaluate the contemporary roles of the Pahang nobility within the framework of state administration and contemporary society through concept of Fikh Al-Watan. The study adopts a qualitative approach based on an interpretative design through structured interviews with key informants, namely state nobles and officials from religious institutions, as well as document analysis of legal materials and relevant literature. The data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify key patterns and meanings related to the transformation of the functions of the noble institution. The findings indicate that the institution of the nobility has undergone a significant transition from traditional administrative functions to roles that are more symbolic, social, and representative in nature. Specifically, the study identifies three principal dimensions of the contemporary roles of the nobility: as supporters of the royal institution in matters of custom and ceremonial practices, as social agents functioning as intermediaries between the people and the rulers, and as symbols of cultural legitimacy within society. The study further reveals the existence of a dualism of roles between the nobility and modern administrators, reflecting a division of functions between traditional institutions and contemporary bureaucracy. From the perspective of Fiqh Al-Watan, this transformation demonstrates that the institution of the nobility remains aligned with the principles of maslahah, stability, and adaptive governance. The principal contribution of this study lies in expanding the understanding of the noble institution as an entity that remains relevant in modern governance rather than merely a historical relic. The novelty of this study resides in the integration of empirical analysis with the framework of Fiqh Al-Watan in reassessing the role of traditional institutions within the context of contemporary administration. 

Keywords: Pahang, Pembesar, fiqh al-watan, local governance, social authority, royal institution