New King of Malaysia is topped in spectacular ceremony

Malaysia has crowned its new billionaire King in a traditional ceremony marked with pomp and cannon fire. 

King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, 65, has pledged to govern fairly during the five-year term he will serve under a unique rotating monarchy system.

Sultan Ibrahim, 65, who is a half-British billionaire known for his love of social media and flying his private jet, was sworn in on January 31.

Wearing black and gold traditional ceremonial outfit and headgear, Sultan Ibrahim and his wife Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah were greeted by military salute before they proceeded to the throne during the ceremony.

Britain’s King Charles sent a personal message of congratulations to the new monarch, expressing his wish to ‘strengthen bonds’ and the ‘close cooperation’ between the nations. 

Saturday’s coronation at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur formalised Sultan Ibrahim’s role as Malaysia’s 17th king in a ceremony steeped in Malay culture and pageantry.

Thousands lined the street to catch a glimpse of the new monarch, while the ceremony itself was attended by more than 700 guests and televised live.  

Nine ethnic Malay state rulers take turns as Malaysia’s king for five-year terms under the country’s rotating monarchy, which began when Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

Malaysia has 13 states but only nine have royal families, some which trace their roots to centuries-old Malay kingdoms that were independent states until they were brought together by the UK.

The heads of the other royal families, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Bahrain King Hamad Isa al Khalifa were seated on a stage beside the throne.

At the start of the proceedings, a copy of the Koran was presented to the Sultan who kissed it. The monarch received a gold dagger, a symbol of power.

He wore the royal headdress – the Tengkolok Diraja – complete with the crescent moon and the 14-pointed star called the Bintang Persekutuan, and the Malaysian coat of arms at its centre.  

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim then pledged his government’s loyalty and said the royal institution was a pillar of strength for the nation. He then proclaimed Sultan Ibrahim as Malaysia’s new king.

‘God willing, I will discharge my duties faithfully and honestly, and to rule fairly,’ Sultan Ibrahim said in his coronation speech.

He also urged Mr Anwar’s government to step up efforts to improve the livelihood of the people and bolster the nation’s development. After the sultan took his oath, guests in the hall chanted ‘long live the king’ three times.

The British High Commission in Malaysia shared a message from King Charles on social media for the new King. 

It read: ‘Your Majesty, I write to congratulate you most warmly on your Coronation at The King Of Malaysia. I look forward to working with you to strengthen the bonds between our people and deepen the close cooperation between our nations. 

‘As Commonwealth partners, the United Kingdom and Malaysia share common values and longstanding links in areas such as education, trade, technology and defence.’ 

Signing the message, he concluded: ‘I hope we can continue to build on all that unites us in the years ahead, including our shared commitment to tackle climate change and safeguard the natural environment for future generations.’ 

Sultan Ibrahim, from southern Johor state bordering Singapore, is one of the country’s richest men, with a business empire spanning from telecoms to real estate.

The Sultan boasts an estate estimated to be worth some £4.5billion, according to Bloomberg – but his real wealth is thought to be far greater.

That is thanks in part to his extensive business empire that ranges from real estate to telecoms and power plants, not to mention huge holdings in foreign property and stakes in various other companies. 

His fleet of private jets is rivalled only by his collection of some 300 luxury cars, including one said to have been a gift from Adolf Hitler – an acquaintance of one of his predecessors.

He is known for his collection of luxury cars and motorbikes, and is the only state ruler with a small private army – a concession granted to his state when it joined modern-day Malaysia.

The sultan is vocal about Malaysian politics, and has spoken out about corruption and racial discrimination.

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 regarded as the protector of Islam and Malay tradition.

All laws, cabinet appointments and the dissolution of Parliament for general elections require his formal assent.

The king has the power to proclaim an emergency and pardon criminals.

Sultan Ibrahim has made clear his intentions to rein in lawmakers and bring about stability in a nation whose politics are historically unstable, with more than 20 parties vying for control.

The new monarch succeeds Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang state, who presided over a tumultuous period that included COVID-19 lockdowns and two collapsed governments. 

Abdullah was forced to intervene three times in the past to decide who became prime minister – twice after the government imploded, and most recently in November 2022 when elections led to a hung parliament.

Sultan Ibrahim has indicated he will maintain this hands-on approach.

He said in an interview with the Singapore Straits Times that he would not want to waste five years on the throne as a ‘puppet king’, and will focus on deepening unity in the country while fighting political corruption. 

It is thought Sultan Ibrahim will seek to bolster the rule of incumbent Prime Minister Anwar, who in 2018 was pardoned by a previous monarch Muhammad V after being imprisoned on sodomy and corruption charges that he says were politically motivated. 

The Sultan is also vocal about welfare issues and takes annual road trips on his motorbike to meet the people in his state, holding clinics and rallies to hear the concerns and desires of his people.

But his focus on the struggles of Malaysia’s poorest is juxtaposed with his incredible wealth – something Sultan Ibrahim has no reservations about flaunting.

The Sultan’s high corporate profile – including a stake in the multibillion-dollar Forest City development project in Johor with China’s beleaguered developer Country Garden – has raised eyebrows amid concerns of a possible conflict of interest. 

But he has vigorously defended his business dealings, quipping that he has to ‘earn a living, like ordinary Malaysians’ as he cannot rely on his 27,000 ringgit (£4,500) monthly state allowance.

‘If you look at the history of the Johor royal family, we have been involved in business from the days of my great-grandfather,’ the Sultan said in an interview with local media in 2015. 

‘I have never tried to hide my business dealings using proxies, like some people do. I am open and transparent.’

Sultan Ibrahim’s mother was born in Cornwall, and his wife Raja Zarith Sofiah is an Oxford University graduate.

Sofiah, 64, is no less interesting than the outspoken motorcycle-riding ruler with whom she shares six children.

The new Queen of Malaysia, dubbed the ‘Queen of Hearts’ by local media thanks to her charitable endeavours, was born into another Malay royal family.

She started her education in Kuala Kangsar before moving to the prestigious Cheltenham Ladies’ College, with other former pupils including actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Elon Musk’s ex-wife Talulah Riley and Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy. 

She can speak five languages, is a strong advocate for improving the use of English in Malaysia, and is a prolific writer who has authored four children’s books and also contributes to a newspaper column.

In 2017, she led Queen Camilla – then Duchess of Cornwall – on a tour of an international school in Kuala Lumpur during a visit to Southeast Asia with Charles, the then Prince of Wales.

Nine ethnic Malay state rulers have taken turns as king for five-year terms under the world’s only such system since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

Malaysia has 13 states but only nine have royal families, some that trace their roots to centuries-old Malay kingdoms that were independent states until they were brought together by Britain.

Sultan Ibrahim’s election to the national throne by his fellow rulers in October was widely expected based on an established rotation order. 

The order of rotation among the sultans was originally determined by seniority, based on how long they had been ruling.

But that rule was dropped after all the royal families completed a term each and they now take turns based on the initial order.

Sultan Nazrin Shah, the ruler of Perak state and next in line to the throne, was re-elected as deputy king.