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Malaysia
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Malaysia’s new king Sultan Ibrahim vows to ‘preserve Islam’, back ‘fair administration’

  • Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor begins his reign as the public looks for greater leadership from the king to help heal caustic political divisions
  • He succeeds Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, whose last day as king on Tuesday was dominated by fevered rumours that he would pardon ex-PM Najib Razak

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Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor (left), beside Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, salutes a guard of honour at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday during his coronation as Malaysia’s 17th king. Photo: Reuters
Joseph Sipalan
Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor began his five-year term at the head of Malaysia’s unique rotating monarchy on Wednesday, at a time of mounting political intrigue over a corruption crackdown and rumours of a royal pardon for convicted ex-prime minister Najib Razak.

Dressed in a royal blue uniform, with a gold-plated sabre in his hand, the 65-year-old monarch arrived in a vintage six-door Mercedes limousine at the national palace for a grand ceremony attended by the country’s nine royal families, political elites and captains of industry.

Sultan Ibrahim and his son, Tunku Ismail Idris – the new regent of Johor – stood out in their military-inspired uniforms among their peers, who wore finely tailored Malay royal court regalia that included the tanjak headdress, the sarong-like sampin and the kris, a ceremonial dagger.

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar (front, centre) sits with heads of the country’s other royal families during the oath taking ceremony at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar (front, centre) sits with heads of the country’s other royal families during the oath taking ceremony at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. Photo: AP

The new king officially ascended the throne after taking his oath of office, flanked by fellow heads of Malaysia’s other royal families. He will formally be referred to as Sultan Ibrahim during his reign, according to a statement from the national palace.

“I, with all my ability, will at all times preserve Islam, and stand firmly for fair administration and peace in the country,” he said when taking his oath as cannons were fired outside the palace to mark the start of his reign.

His ascension to the throne was decided by a meeting in October last year of the Conference of Rulers, a council comprising the rulers and governors of Malaysia’s states that voted in favour of Sultan Ibrahim.

He succeeds Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, whose last day as king on Tuesday was dominated by fevered rumours – reported and then retracted in local media – that he may have granted a reprieve to disgraced former prime minister Najib, who is serving a 12-year jail term for corruption linked to the scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
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