▁Abd ul ▁Rah man , ▁ad her ing ▁to ▁the ▁rules ▁of ▁royal ▁protocol , ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁present ▁at ▁the ▁late ▁Sultan ' s ▁death bed . ▁Un w illing ▁and ▁fur ious , ▁the ▁out sp oken ▁Queen ▁is ▁then ▁reported ▁to ▁have ▁said , ▁" Who ▁elected ▁Abd ul ▁Rah man ▁as ▁so ver eign ▁of ▁Joh or ? ▁Was ▁it ▁my ▁brother ▁R aja ▁Ja af ar ▁or ▁by ▁what ▁law ▁of ▁succession ▁has ▁it ▁happened ? ▁It ▁is ▁ow ing ▁to ▁this ▁act ▁of ▁in just ice ▁that ▁the ▁ancient ▁emp ire ▁of ▁Joh or ▁is ▁fast ▁falling ▁to ▁decay ". ▁ ▁R ival ry ▁between ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁the ▁Dutch ▁now ▁came ▁into ▁play . ▁ ▁The ▁British ▁had ▁earlier ▁gained ▁Mal ac ca ▁from ▁the ▁Dutch ▁under ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁The ▁H ague ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 ▁and ▁saw ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁increase ▁their ▁regional ▁influence . ▁They ▁crown ed ▁T eng ku ▁Hus sein ▁in ▁Singapore , ▁and ▁he ▁took ▁the ▁title ▁Hus sein ▁Shah ▁of ▁Joh or . ▁The ▁British ▁were ▁act ively ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁Joh or - R ia u ▁administration ▁between ▁ 1 8 1 2 – 1 8 1 8 , ▁and ▁their ▁inter vention ▁further ▁strength ened ▁their ▁domin ance ▁in ▁the ▁Stra it ▁of ▁Mal ac ca . ▁The ▁British ▁recogn ised ▁Joh or - R ia u ▁as ▁a ▁so ver eign ▁state ▁and ▁offered ▁to ▁pay ▁Eng ku ▁Put eri ▁ 5