Billionaire Sultan Ibrahim ascends as Malaysia's new king in grand coronation ceremony

Malaysia on Saturday installed a motorcycle-riding billionaire sultan as its new king in lavish ceremonies for a post seen as a ballast in times of political crises.

The coronation ceremony for King Sultan Ibrahim, 65, at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur followed his oathtaking in January as the country’s 17th monarch.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with a unique arrangement that sees the throne change hands every five years between the rulers of nine Malaysian states headed by centuries-old Islamic royalty.

While chiefly ceremonial, the position of king has in recent years played an increasingly important role.

Royal intervention was needed to name prime ministers three times following the collapse of governments and a hung parliament that followed the 2018 electoral defeat of scandal-tainted premier Najib Razak.

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In addition to overseeing major political appointments, the king serves as the official head of Islam in the Muslim-majority country and commander-in-chief of its armed forces.

Bloomberg estimates that Sultan Ibrahim and his family, rulers of southern Johor state just across from Singapore, are worth at least $5.7 billion.

Their holdings include land in Singapore and investments in industries such as palm oil, real estate and telecommunications.

Saturday’s ceremony was witnessed by dignitaries including Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of neighbouring Brunei and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

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Wearing a traditional coat decorated with gold thread and a royal headdress, Sultan Ibrahim pledged to abide by the constitution and “uphold the religion of Islam and ensure peace in Malaysia”.

Anwar congratulated and pledged loyalty to the new king.

Sultan Ibrahim has been outspoken about Malaysian politics and corruption.

He is also seen as a religious moderate. In 2017, he ordered a laundrette owner to apologise for allegedly discriminating against non-Muslims.

Married with six children, he has in the past made annual trips around Johor on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, handing out charity to poor people.

He also has significant personal business interests, including a stake in Forest City, a $100 billion development project off the coast of Johor led by Chinese investors.

The social media-savvy king has a vast collection of luxury and sports cars as well as private jets.

He also plays polo and is an officer in the national armed forces who underwent military training in the United States.

Sultan Ibrahim attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the United States, where he completed courses on “Southeast Asian Strategic Studies” and “International Law of the Sea”, the palace said.

The last time a Johor sultan held the crown was four decades ago, when Sultan Ibrahim’s father, Sultan Iskandar, was proclaimed Malaysia’s eighth king in 1984.