Sultan Iskandar laid to rest

Friday, 22^nd January 2010 was a sad day for me. That was the night I got news that my Sultan, the Sultan of Johor, Almutawakkil Al-Allah Sultan Iskandar ibni Al-marhum Sultan Ismail, passed away at 7.15pm. He was 77.

Johor Menteri Besar, Datuk Ghani Othman made the announcement on TV3 at 11.20pm later that night.

Watching the tv transmissions the next day saw Johoreans congregating to the Istana Besar to pay their last respects. The atmosphere was solemn with people lining up to catch a glimpse of their beloved Sultan. We also saw the Tunku Mahkota of Johor, Tunku Ibrahim Ismail wiping away tears from time to time during the VIP visit.

Among the VIPs were The Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah, Sultan of Kedah Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlah Shah, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Tunku Muhriz and Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong were also present.

Sultan Iskandar’s body was taken in a 3 km procession from Istana Besar to the Bukit Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum where he was laid to rest next to his father’s grave.  There was also a 77-gun salute by the 41^st Ceremonial Battery of Sungai Buloh Camp to mark Sultan Iskandar’s age during his death.

Growing up in Johor, we heard many stories of the royal family, some were said to be just rumors, and others no one could confirm details for them to be true. But what we all agree is that Sultan Iskandar was a sultan that cared about his people, spent time with them and had their best interest at heart.

What made our sultan stand out from the rest of the royalties was that he was never in full royalty regalia. The sultan was either pictured in his white customary suit (picture) or more often than not in his army uniform true to his military training. He flew every aircraft in his fleet and his professional flying abilities were mostly self-taught by reading aircraft operating manuals!

He was also most noted for his independent viewpoint, something which is synonymous with most Johoreans. The Sultan had over the years voiced out thoughts and strong opinions on various government issues.

Many people would also not know that Sultan Iskandar was the only Yang Dipertuan Agung that gave back his allowances to the country after his tenure ended. Of course the amount was classified information. He was the Yang Dipertuan Agung from 1984-1989 when Tun Mahathir Mohammad was in power.

Now with the passing of his father, Tunku Ibrahim Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, proclaimed as the new Sultan of Johor, will need to fill his father’s shoes.

Donning a white Baju Melayu, black pants and a songket sampin, a similar trait as his late father, the new ruler pledged to rule with fairness, justice and compassion.

Tunku Ibrahim Ismail was born Nov 22, 1958 at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baharu and the eldest of 10 siblings.

He had his early education at Sekolah Temenggong Abdul Rahman Satu, Johor and his religious education at Sekolah Agama Bukit Zaharah and Sekolah Agama Air Molek in Johor Baharu.

He was sent by his father to Trinity Grammar School in Australia where he studied from 1968-1970 before continuing his secondary education at the Sultan Abu Bakar College.

Upon completing his secondary education, his father sent him to the army training centre in Kota Tinggi where he received basic military training for three months. At Fort Bening, Georgia, in America, he attained more military knowledge. While he was there, he also attended military training at Fort Bragg.

Tunku Ibrahim Ismail was appointed Deputy Commander of the Johor Military Force when he returned to Malaysia.

We used to see a lot of Tunku Ibrahim Ismail in Kluang when he attended helicopter training at the military base where he earned his wings. He used to drive around in a black Mercedes sports car and used to wave at his many admirers, us commoners. Somehow, we knew when he was around. Town folk would say “TMJ is back” (TMJ is short for Tunku Mahkota Johor, as he was affectionately known by his rakyat).
The regent is also an excellent sportsman, polo being his favorite game. His passion for the game has taken him to international competitions abroad to Singapore, Philippines and Brunei.

Known for his project Kembara Mahkota Johor which reaches to the poor in the rural areas of Johor, Tunku Ibrahim is often seen riding his motorcycle accompanied by family members and entourage of government officers. And on these visits he has often done away with protocol and joined the people for meals, prayers and sports.

Tunku Ibrahim Ismail is married to the beautiful Raja Zarith Sofiah, and they have been blessed with five children, Tunku Ismail Idris Abdul Majid Abu Bakar Iskandar, Tunku Amina, Tunku Idris, Tunku Abdul Jalil, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tunku Iman.

Listening to reports in the news and surfing the internet for stories, I was very disheartened with comments made in blogs about the royal family.

In this time of mourning and lost, the best is to offer ‘Al-Fatihah’ to the late Sultan Iskandar. I concur with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin when he said, “The death of His Highness is a big loss to the people of Johor, and also of Malaysia, because of his priceless contributions during his lifetime.”