Malaysia’s billionaire sultan is crowned king in a unique rotating monarchy

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia —  Malaysia’s billionaire Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar was installed as king Saturday, six months after he was sworn in for a five-year term under a unique rotating monarchy system.

The televised coronation at the national palace formalized the sultan’s role as Malaysia’s 17th king in a ceremony steeped in Malay culture and pageantry.

Nine ethnic Malay state rulers take turns as Malaysia’s king for five-year terms under the world’s only such system, 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 British.

Sultan Ibrahim, one of the country’s richest men, has an extensive business empire that includes real estate and telecommunications. The 65-year-old monarch from southern Johor state has good relations with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and is candid about Malaysian politics, having spoken out against corruption and racial discrimination.

More than 700 guests attended the coronation, including Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Bahrain’s King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa.

What is the king’s role?

Known as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, or He Who Is Made Lord, the king has played a largely ceremonial role, with administrative power vested in the prime minister and Parliament. But 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 assent. The king has the power to proclaim an emergency and pardon criminals.

Sultan Ibrahim succeeded Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang state, who presided over a tumultuous period that included COVID-19 lockdowns and political instability.

The political influence of the king has grown in recent years. Sultan Abdullah intervened to decide who should become prime minister, including designating Anwar after a 2022 general election led to a hung Parliament.

Ibrahim has indicated he will maintain a hands-on approach. Before becoming king, he told the Singapore Straits Times in an interview that he would not want to waste five years on the throne as a “puppet king” but would focus on fighting graft and deepening unity in the country. The sultan and other rulers have also warned against attempts by the opposition to oust Anwar’s government, calling instead for political stability.

Who is Sultan Ibrahim?

Ibrahim, whose mother is English, is vocal about welfare issues and makes annual road trips on his motorbike to meet the people in his state.

He has also made no secret of his wealth. Apart from a fleet of jets, he has an extensive collection of luxury cars and motorcycles, as well as properties abroad. He is also the only one of the nine rulers with a small private army — a condition agreed upon for the state to join modern-day Malaysia.

Ibrahim’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 because of concerns of a possible conflict of interest. He told the Straits Times that he plans to revive a high-speed rail link project with Singapore and bolster the troubled Forest City project.

The sultan has defended his business dealings. In 2015, he quipped that he has to “earn a living, like ordinary Malaysians,” as he cannot rely solely on his roughly $5,700 monthly state allowance.

His wife and now queen, Raja Zarith Sofiah, who is from another royal family, is an Oxford graduate and an author of children’s books. They have five sons and a daughter.