KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s billionaire king, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, will be officially installed Saturday, six months after he was sworn in for a five-year term under a unique rotating monarchy system.
The coronation at the National Palace will formalize the sultan’s role as the 17th king of Malaysia in a ceremony steeped in Malay culture and pageantry. Officials said it will be televised live and showcase the rich history of the Malay sultanate.
Nine ethnic Malay state leaders alternate as king of Malaysia for five-year terms under the only such system in the world, in place since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. Malaysia has 13 states, but only nine have a royal family. Some of these come from centuries-old Malay kingdoms that were independent states until they were merged by the British.
Sultan Ibrahim, one of the country’s richest men, has a vast business empire ranging from real estate to telecommunications. The 65-year-old monarch from the southern state of Johor has good relations with the prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and is outspoken about Malaysian politics and speaks out against corruption and racial discrimination.
More than 700 guests are expected at the coronation, including Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and the King of Bahrain Hamad Isa al Khalifa. The ceremony will be followed by a royal banquet later on Saturday.
What is the role of the king?
Known as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, or He Who Is Made Lord, the king plays a largely ceremonial role, with administrative power vested in the prime minister and parliament. The monarch is the nominal head of the government and armed forces, and is highly regarded as the protector of Islam and Malay tradition. All laws, cabinet appointments, and the dissolution of parliament for general elections require his assent. The king has the power to declare a state of emergency and pardon criminals.
Sultan Ibrahim succeeded Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of the state of Pahang, which has governed during a tumultuous period of COVID-19 lockdowns and political instability.
The king’s political influence has grown in recent years. Sultan Abdullah intervened to decide who would be prime minister, including appointing Anwar after the 2022 general election led to a stalemate in parliament.
Sultan Ibrahim has indicated he will maintain a hands-on approach. Before he became king, he told Singapore’s Straits Times in an interview that he did not want to waste five years on the throne as a “puppet king” but would focus on fighting corruption and deepening unity in the country. The sultan and other rulers have also warned against opposition attempts to topple Anwar’s government, calling instead for political stability.
Who is Sultan Ibrahim?
Sultan Ibrahim, whose mother is English, is outspoken about social welfare issues and takes an annual road trip on his motorbike to meet the people of his state.
He has also made no secret of his wealth. In addition to a fleet of jets, he has an extensive collection of luxury cars and motorcycles, as well as properties abroad. He is also the only one of the nine rulers to have a small private army — a condition agreed upon for the state to join modern-day Malaysia.
Sultan Ibrahim’s high corporate profile — including a stake in the multibillion-dollar Forest City development in Johor with China’s troubled developer Country Garden — has raised eyebrows amid concerns about a potential conflict of interest. He told Singapore’s Straits Times that he plans to revive a high-speed rail link project with Singapore and bolster the troubled Forest City project.
The sultan has defended his business dealings, joking in 2015 that he “has to earn a living like ordinary Malaysians” because he cannot rely solely on his 27,000 ringgit ($5,700) monthly state allowance.
His wife, Raja Zarith Sofiah, from another royal family, is an Oxford graduate and a writer who has written several children’s books. They have five sons and a daughter.
