Ibrahim Iskandar Of Johor

Sultan Ibrahim ( ms, سلطان إبراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 22 November 1958) is the seventeenth and current Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia. He is also the fifth Sultan of modern Johor as Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar ( ms, سلطان إبراهيم ابن المرحوم سلطان إسکندر, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) since ascending to the throne following the death of his father, Sultan Iskandar in 2010.

A motorcycle enthusiast, Sultan Ibrahim is the founder of the annual motorcycling tour event, Kembara Mahkota Johor.

On 31 January 2024, he was sworn in as the seventeenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, having been elected to a five-year term on 27 October 2023.

Biography

Early life

Tunku Ibrahim was born on 22 November 1958 at Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaya, during the reign of his great-grandfather, Sultan Sir Ibrahim of Johor. He was the third child and eldest son of Sultan Iskandar by his first wife, Josephine Ruby Trevorrow, an English woman from Torquay. Iskandar met Trevorrow while studying in England. Trevorrow, a proprietor by profession, temporarily took on the name ''Khalsom binti Abdullah'' following her marriage to Iskandar. Ibrahim's mother later remarried and returned to England.Morais (1967), pg 198

Ibrahim's great-grandfather died in London on 8 May 1959. Thus, Ibrahim's grandfather, Ismail, became Sultan of Johor. Ibrahim moved up to second in line to the throne, after his father. His father sent him to complete his secondary education at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney, from 1968 until 1970. After finishing high school, he was sent to Army Training Centre (PULADA) in Kota Tinggi for basic military training. He also received military training in the United States, at Fort Benning, Georgia, and later at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.Karim, Tate (1989), pp. 572

Ibrahim was appointed as the Crown Prince of Johor on 3 July 1981, and has primarily resided at Istana Pasir Pelangi since then. He served as the regent of Johor between 26 April 1984 and 25 April 1989 when his father served his term as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. In recent years, Ibrahim gradually took over some state duties and functions from his aging father.Thanam Visvanathan, ''Ruler with deep concern for people–Sultan Iskandar revered as protective guardian and helpful to all his subjects'', pg 1, 8 April 2001, '' New Sunday Times'' ''Special'' (Sultan of Johor's Birthday) These included the 211th Conference of Rulers, where Ibrahim and Abdullah, the Crown Prince of Pahang, represented their fathers in the meetings, among other state functions.

Shortly before Filipino opposition politician Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated at Manila International Airport on 21 August 1983, Ibrahim met Aquino upon his arrival in Singapore and later brought him to meet other Malaysian leaders across the Johor-Singapore Causeway. Once in Johor, Aquino also met with Ibrahim's father, Iskandar, who was a close friend.

Sultan of Johor

A few hours before his father's death on 22 January 2010, Tunku Ibrahim was appointed as the Regent of Johor, following medical reports that suggested Sultan Iskandar's impending demise. Sultan Iskandar died on the same night, and Tunku Ibrahim was installed as the Sultan of Johor the following morning. The Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Johor, Abdul Ghani Othman cited that Sultan Ibrahim and immediate members of the royal family would undertake a mourning period of 40 days. During the mourning season, Sultan Ibrahim made his inaugural presence at the Conference of Rulers in February 2010 as the Sultan of Johor.

On 30 June 2011, Sultan Ibrahim drove the last train from Tanjong Pagar railway station, having received tuition from Chief Locomotive Inspector Hasnol Azahari Aman of Keretapi Tanah Melayu to enable him to do this. He stated that he wished to do this as his grandfather, Sultan Ismail, had opened the causeway between Singapore and Malaya in 1923, and that it was appropriate that he should drive the last train out of the station.

Sultan Ibrahim also declared Muar as Johor's new royal capital, replacing Johor Bahru, on 5 February 2012. This coincided with the Maulidur Rasul celebrations.

Sultan Ibrahim became the first ruler of Johor to celebrate his birthday celebration in Muar on 22 November 2012. He picks the town because it is "rich in history and tradition besides being peaceful, beautiful and progressive". He wanted the state government to gazette all the old buildings in the town as a state heritage. He also wants the local authorities to preserve the cleanliness of Sungai Muar which could be done by relocating the bus and taxi terminals elsewhere.

Sultan Ibrahim was crowned as the sultan of Johor on 23 March 2015. The last coronation was that of his grandfather Sultan Ismail on 10 February 1960. From 2015 onwards, 23 March is made an annual state public holiday as the Sultan's official birthday, replacing the public holiday on 22 November, the Sultan's actual birthday.

Sultan Johor is noted for advocating religious moderation and has criticised the creeping Arabisation of Malaysian Muslim culture. Despite being the only sultan in Malaysia without tertiary (post-secondary) education, he has promoted quality education for Johor.

On 6 January 2024, Sultan Ibrahim decreed that he would not grant any audiences till he ascends to the throne as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 31 January 2024. He would not be accepting any appointments except for the previously scheduled events and the weekly audiences with the Menteri Besar and the state government of Johor as he wanted to spend the remaining time before the ascension with the royal family.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong

On 27 October 2023, the Conference of Rulers elected Ibrahim Ismail as the 17th '' Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' or literally "''King of Malaysia''", replacing Abdullah of Pahang. During this time, the Conference of Rulers also elected Nazrin Shah of Perak to a third term as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

His official swearing in and possession of the Istana Negara occurred on 31 January 2024.

Family

Sultan Ibrahim married Raja Zarith Sofiah, daughter of Sultan Idris Shah II of Perak on 22 September 1982. They have six children:

* Tunku Ismail Idris Abdul Majid Abu Bakar (born 30 June 1984). He was appointed the Deputy Crown Prince in April 2006 by Sultan Iskandar, and became the Crown Prince upon Sultan Ibrahim's accession in January 2010.
*Tunku Tun Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah (born 8 April 1986) She was bestowed the title Tun by Sultan Ibrahim in 2012. She married Dato' Dennis Muhammad Abdullah (''né'' Dennis Verbaas), a former semi-professional footballer from the Netherlands, on 14 August 2017.
* Tunku Idris Iskandar (born 25 December 1987) the Tunku Temenggong of Johor. He was appointed as the Regent of Johor during the absence of his father on 29 September 2012.
*Almarhum (Late) Tunku Abdul Jalil (5 July 1990 – 5 December 2015) the Tunku Laksamana of Johor
* Tunku Abdul Rahman (born 5 February 1993)Impian puteri raja
, AZIMI MUSTAPHA, Rencana Utama, 13 November 2008, KOSMO! the Tunku Panglima of Johor
*Tunku Abu Bakar (born 30 May 2001) the Tunku Putera of Johor

Decrees

Sultan Ibrahim has issued decrees including the following.

Public weekend from Saturday/Sunday to Friday/Saturday

Johor, as with the former standalone British protectorates of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, used to rest on Fridays and Saturdays, in contrast with the former Federated Malay States as well as Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak and the Federal Territory which observe their weekends on Saturdays and Sundays. Johor, together with Perlis, moved their weekend to Saturday and Sunday on 1 January 1994 to synchronise with neighboring Singapore as well as with Kuala Lumpur, as Johor by then was a quickly industrialising state.

However, on 22 November 2013, on Sultan Ibrahim's birthday celebrations, he decreed that Johor will move back its weekend to Friday and Saturday, to enable Muslims in the state to attend their Friday prayers, effective 1 January 2014. This move was not without controversy due to the disruptions it caused, particularly for private businesses dealing with Singapore. The private sector nevertheless continues to rest on Saturdays and Sundays.

District name changes

In August 2015, Sultan Ibrahim decreed that the name of Kulaijaya district be reverted to its former name of ''Kulai''. He also decreed that Nusajaya be renamed to ''Iskandar Puteri'', as well as renaming Ledang District to Tangkak District.

Ban on vaping

Sultan Ibrahim issued a decree banning vaping in Johor effective 1 January 2016. The purposes of the ban is for the sake of the health of the Johor state residents. Kelantan and Terengganu followed soon after.

Ban on oversized signboards

In January 2016, Sultan Ibrahim also decreed that signboards for businesses must not exceed 6.1 m × 1.2 m, so as to prevent any dangers to the public as well as to reduce unsightly signboards which mar the city's beauty.

Controversies

Allegations of criminal misconduct

Occasional reports of alleged criminal misconduct from the 1980s onwards marred Tunku Ibrahim's reputation somewhat, albeit to a much lesser extent than his father, Sultan Iskandar, whose past heinous crimes had received considerable attention from mainstream media. In the 1980s, he was convicted of shooting dead a man in a nightclub during a feud, but was quickly pardoned.

In late 1992 to early 1993, Tunku Ibrahim also experienced fallouts of the Gomez Incident–in which his father and younger brother, Tunku Majid

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