Ibrahim Iskandar comes from the wealthy and powerful Johor royal family, which has its own private army. The Bloomberg agency estimates the wealth of the sultan and his family to be at least 5,7 billion dollars
Billionaire Ibrahim Iskandar, 65, the Sultan of Johor province, known for his love of riding his luxury Harley-Davidson motorcycle and giving charity, has been crowned the 17th king Malaysia, and the coronation ceremony at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur followed his swearing-in in January.
The coronation was attended by the Prime Minister of Anwar Ibrahim, the Sultan of neighboring Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, and the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Dressed in a traditional coat decorated with gold thread, Sultan Ibrahim pledged to uphold the Constitution, "defend the religion of Islam and ensure peace in Malaysia".
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim congratulated the new king and pledged his loyalty.
Honorary role
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy where every five years the heads of families of its nine ancient kingdoms elect one of them to rule.
Although essentially honorary, the king's role has strengthened in recent years due to the crisis in Malaysian politics, with the intervention of the monarch three times necessary to appoint a prime minister.
Along with approving important political appointments, the king grants pardons and is the official leader of Islam in his Muslim-majority country. The king is also the supreme commander of the armed forces.
Critical of Malaysian politics and corruption
Ibrahim Iskandar comes from the rich and powerful royal family of Johor, which has its own private army.
The Bloomberg agency estimates the wealth of the sultan and his family to be at least 5,7 billion dollars.
Known for his outspokenness, Sultan Ibrahim was highly critical of Malaysian politics and corruption.
Married with six children, he used to travel around the province of Johor every year on his luxury Harley-Davidson motorcycle, handing out charity gifts.
The new social media-loving king has a large collection of luxury and sports cars, as well as private jets.
The last time the Sultan of Johor wore the crown was exactly 40 years ago, in 1984, when Sultan Ibrahim's father, Sultan Iskandar, was proclaimed the eighth King of Malaysia.
Source: Danas/Beta
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