Compassionate and amiable Ruler
JOHOR Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar is an empathetic Ruler who is admired and respected by his subjects.
The Ruler’s gentle side emerges when he becomes teary-eyed while listening to the rakyat’s stories of pain and suffering.
Those who have met Sultan Ibrahim describe him as a warm-hearted Ruler with an amiable personality and a good sense of humour.
Sultan Ibrahim is celebrating his official birthday today.
The Sultan, who comes from a line of strong-willed, independent and savvy rulers, is passionate about developing Johor into a modern and progressive state.
His vision is to make the state Malaysia’s next economic powerhouse after the Klang Valley.
He was crowned the fifth Ruler of modern Johor in 2015, marking a historical moment as the last coronation in the state was held for Sultan Ibrahim’s late grandfather, Sultan Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim, in February 1960.
This year, all major celebrations for Sultan Ibrahim have been postponed, perhaps due to the proximity of the upcoming 14th General Election.
The Sultan takes a keen interest in development policies and projects spearheaded by the Johor and Federal governments, and is always concerned about their impact on his subjects.
Since ascending the throne in 2010, Sultan Ibrahim has had no qualms voicing his opinions or displeasure on various issues.
He has lashed out against politicians who sow distrust and disunity among the people.
The Ruler was also quick to help resolve an issue affecting Indians when a temple on private land was demolished earlier this year.
Besides getting all the parties to agree to relocate, the Ruler along with his son, Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, also donated RM170,000 for the building of a new temple.
Sultan Ibrahim is a strong believer in Bangsa Johor, a concept aimed at promoting greater unity among people in the state. The concept was initiated by his great-grandfather, Almarhum Sultan Sir Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar, in 1920, to unite the various races in Johor under one flag for greater cooperation, harmony and peace.
A savvy businessman with investments in an array of businesses both local and foreign, the Ruler is also an avid traveller, just like his ancestors who had embarked on various voyages.
One of his passions is collecting old and new cars and motorcycles, which are all parked in garages within the palace grounds.
Sultan Ibrahim is also a proud owner of several aircraft, including a “gold” Boeing 737.
He owns the world’s most expensive Mack truck, which has fancy gadgets, including a six-camera CCTV system, two flat-screen TVs, a stone-topped kitchen area, a barbecue grill, a double bed and seats with 72,000 stitches of gold thread.
Sultan Ibrahim places great emphasis on racial unity.
The Ruler is clearly happy with the Kembara Mahkota Johor (KMJ) programme, which started in 2001. The expedition on vehicles, led by the Ruler, is intended to forge closer ties between Johor’s royal family and the people through various programmes carried out at each stopover along the journey.
He insists on having representatives from Malay, Chinese and Indian non-governmental organisations as part of his committee for the annual KMJ, to give him input about the people’s views on matters that affect them.
Sultan Ibrahim’s passion for sports is well known. In his youth, he played a mean game of polo not just locally, but also in tournaments held in Singapore, the Philippines and Brunei.
He earned the distinction of being the best polo player in Asia during the polo world qualifications in the 1990s.
Sultan Ibrahim also enjoys parasailing, boating (jet ski), parachuting, shooting and driving sports cars. He once emerged champion in a falling plate shooting event organised by the army at the Malaysian Army Combat Training Centre (Pulada) in Johor.
Sultan Ibrahim, the third of 10 children and the eldest son, was born at Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru on Nov 22, 1958.
He received his formal education at Sekolah Temenggong Abdul Rahman (1) before leaving for Trinity Grammar School in Australia, and later to the United States to continue his studies in law and diplomacy.
He obtained his religious education from Sekolah Agama Air Molek in Johor Baru.
After completing his secondary education, Sultan Ibrahim underwent basic military training at Pusat Latihan Darat in Kota Tinggi, Johor, for three months.
He also received military training in the United States at Fort Benning, Georgia, and later at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
He was appointed deputy commander of the Johor Military Force upon completing his military training overseas. He has trained and served in the Air Force and Navy, and is a qualified green beret commando in Malaysia and the United States.
He is also a member of the Red Beret Kompasus of Indonesia and a fully qualified divemaster.
As part of his training for kingship, Sultan Ibrahim joined the Johor Civil Service and served in various departments, including the district office and the land, health and treasury departments.
In 1981, he was proclaimed the Tunku Mahkota of Johor.
Sultan Ibrahim is married to Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah, a Perak princess and an Oxford University graduate.
She is also the Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
The couple is blessed with six children – Tunku Ismail Idris, Tunku Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, Tunku Idris Iskandar Ismail Abdul Rahman, the late Tunku Abdul Jalil Iskandar Ibrahim Ismail, Tunku Abdul Rahman Hassanal Jeffri and Tunku Abu Bakar Mahmood Iskandar Ibrahim.