The 17th King of Malaysia, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim of Johor, has been officially sworn in. This will mark the start of his five-year term as part of the rotational system among the nine Malay Rulers. Before the swearing-in ceremony, Sultan Ibrahim had a farewell ceremony in Johor, attended by his family and palace officials, wearing his royal blue official uniform and carrying a gold-plated sabre.
As King, His Majesty’s official titles will be His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, while the Queen will hold the title Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia. The King left Johor at 7:45 am, accompanied by an all-female police outrider troop, and boarded a private aircraft at the Royal Hangar of Senai International Airport.
Raja Zarith Sofiah, along with Tunku Putera Johor, Tunku Abu Bakar, left Johor for Kuala Lumpur in preparation for the oath-taking ceremony. The King arrived at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Air Base in Subang at 9:40 am and then proceeded to Istana Negara, where the ceremony was held at the throne room.
During the ceremony, the King was met by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and inspected a Guard of Honour. He was seated between his royal peers at Balairung Seri, surrounded by palace officials, noblemen, high-ranking civil servants, and elected representatives.
Sultan Ibrahim emphasized his commitment to “preserve Islam and stand firmly for fair administration and peace in the country” during his oath-taking ceremony. The ceremony also saw Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah taking the oath of office as the Deputy King.
Sultan Ibrahim and Sultan Nazrin, aged 65 and 67 respectively, took their oath and signed the instruments of office before the other Malay Rulers, regents, and various dignitaries. Sultan Ibrahim now replaces the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah of Pahang, who completed his five-year reign on Tuesday.
After the oath-taking ceremony, Anwar read out the instrument of the proclamation, officially signifying Sultan Ibrahim’s ascension to the federal throne as the new head of state of Malaysia in accordance with the law and the Federal Constitution.
Sultan Ibrahim is known for his down-to-earth and friendly approach, and the public has high hopes for his reign. Johoreans especially hope that His Majesty will implement Johor-based projects, such as Kembara Mahkota Johor, to expand the Bangsa Johor concept and strengthen unity among Malaysians from various backgrounds as Bangsa Malaysia.
