In what was believed to be the world’s only rotating system of monarchy, Malaysia has just sworn in its 17th King on 20 July 2024 (Saturday) – His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar. The billionaire-Sultan of Johor state, who will be serving a five-year term, is one of Malaysia’s nine royal families, with each and every one presiding over a different state. Here are eight intriguing facts about Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.
1. A British-Malay descendant
65-year-old Sultan Ibrahim, born in 1958, is of Malay-British descent. His father, Sultan Iskandar Ismail, who ruled Johor from 1981 until his passing in 2010, met his mother Josephine Ruby Trevorrow while he was studying in Britain. The couple went on to have four children and Sultan Ibrahim is their eldest son. His mother later remarried and returned to England.
2. Family life
Sultan Ibrahim is married to Raja Zarith Sofiah, a member of Perak’s royal family and daughter of Sultan Idris Shah II. She is an Oxford graduate and an author of numerous children’s books. The couple, married since 1982, have one daughter and five sons, including Tunku Ismail who was just appointed as The Regent of Johor.
3. A wealthy king
Sultan Ibrahim, one of Malaysia’s richest men, and the Johor royal family possess assets worth at least US$5.7 billion. His wealth has always been public knowledge and amongst his assets include a fleet of jets, an extensive collection of luxury cars and motorcycles, and properties abroad. He also owns a piece of land in Tyersall Park in Singapore worth US$4 billion.
4. A growing business empire
An astute businessman, the royal monarch has investments in private and public companies worth roughly US$588 million, and other investment portfolios worth US$1.1 billion in real estate. He also has a stake in the multibillion-dollar Forest City development project in Johor, is the second-largest shareholder of Berjaya Assets, and owns 17.3% share in Redtone Digital, a telecommunications and digital infrastructure service provider.
5. His own private army
Sultan Ibrahim, who is the fifth Sultan of Johor, is also the only one of the nine rulers with a small private army. The Royal Johor Military Force was established based on the Anglo-Johor Treaty of 1885, signed by Sultan Abu Bakar and Queen Victoria in London, the United Kingdom, to uphold peace and protect Johor from outside threats, including Singapore back in the day.
6. An avid lover of cars and motorcycles
As a car enthusiast, Sultan Ibrahim has an outstanding collection of 300 luxury vintage cars, comprising a Mack Truck, a three-wheeler vintage car, a wooden car inspired by The Flintstones, and more. Amongst them include one that belonged to Adolf Hitler, which was sent to England and then Malaysia before being given to his great-grandfather, who was a friend to Hitler. The Sultan is also known to take trips on his Harley-Davidson around Johor.
7. A hands-on King
Succeeding Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang, Sultan Ibrahim has mentioned that he will remain hands-on during his reign. The high-profile King divulged in an interview that he wishes not to waste five years as a “puppet king” but that he will focus on fighting corruption and strengthening unity within Malaysia.
Follow the official Instagram page of the monarch @officialsultanibrahim for more updates.