Malaysia has a new monarch: Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar took the oath of office on Wednesday as the 17th king since the Southeast Asian country’s independence in 1957. This was reported by the state news agency Bernama.
The 65-year-old, who is also Sultan of the southern state of Johor, replaces the previous King Tengku Abdullah as a result of the existing rotating system. He will now rule the country as head of state for the planned five years, and a new king will then be elected again in 2029.
At the National Palace in the capital Kuala Lumpur, Ibrahim swore an oath to the constitution. The country with around 32 million inhabitants has a predominantly Muslim population. Sultan Ibrahim vowed at his swearing-in ceremony to rule justly and to uphold at all times the sanctity of Islam, the peace and the well-being of the people.
Monarch of Malaysia rides a motorcycle
He drives a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, is a billionaire and wants to get involved openly in politics if necessary: at an elaborate, traditional ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, which was broadcast by state television and was attended by leading representatives of the Muslim country 65-year-old Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar took his oath.
In recent years, the traditionally representative office of the King of Malaysia has become increasingly important due to political instability. The king oversees the appointment of politicians, acts as the religious leader of the predominantly Muslim population and is supreme commander of the army.
A new king every five years
In Malaysia, the peculiarity is that the king rotates every five years; the nine kingdoms of Malaysia select the new king for the country.
The new King Sultan Ibrahim comes from the southern province of Johor on the border with Singapore. The financial company Bloomberg estimates his and his family’s assets at at least $5.7 billion (€5.3 billion), including in the form of land in Singapore and shares in various companies, for example in palm oil production and in the real estate industry or telecommunications. The wealthy investor is also known for riding his motorcycle through the poor areas of his country every year and distributing donations.
Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar is close to the Prime Minister
Politically, the religiously moderate 65-year-old is close to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. However, the father of six, who studied in the US and is said to be very social media savvy, said in an interview with Singapore’s The Strait Times in December: “Over 30 million people live out in the country. I’m not not with you (the MPs), but with them.”