JOHOR BAHRU, Jan 31 — Thousands of people of all races, walks of life, and ages shouted ‘Daulat Tuanku’ while waving the Jalur Gemilang national flag and the Johor state flag as His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim of Johor left for Kuala Lumpur to be sworn in as the 17th King of Malaysia today.
Their presence as early as 5am at several locations along the road from Istana Bukit Serene to the Senai International Airport (LTAS) in Kulai, including Taman Scientex Utama Senai, Taman Aman, and Pekan Senai, was a show of love for Sultan Ibrahim, who will reign for five years starting today.
Mohd Azuan Ali, 44, from Pasir Gudang, said his three sons, aged between nine and 11, were excited to bid farewell to Sultan Ibrahim.
“My children woke up at 4am to gather outside Istana Bukit Serene. They carried the national and state flags and waved them as the royal vehicle passed by. This is a precious memory for them,” he told Bernama.
Azuan, an auxiliary policeman, also prayed that Sultan Ibrahim would continue to lead the people and the country to greater progress and prosperity.
Retired soldier Othman Muhamad,68, a member of the Malaysian Veteran Commandos Club, said he is proud that Sultan Ibrahim is the second ruler from the southern state to ascend the national throne, four decades after his late father Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail took office from 1984 to 1989.
“We are confident that Sultan Ibrahim’s wisdom will help maintain stability and harmony in the country. At the same time, His Majesty’s determination is urgently needed to advance the nation’s excellence,” said the former Special Service Group serviceman.
Meanwhile, private sector worker David Liew hopes Sultan Ibrahim will continue the efforts to unite the people of different races in the country to maintain harmony and national security.
“I believe Sultan Ibrahim can also bring Malaysia to a better level, especially from an economic perspective,” said the 41-year-old.
Sexagenarian Masnah Shamsudin expressed joy at being able to witness this historic ceremony, even if only through live television broadcasts.
“When the late Sultan Iskandar became the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, I was a young woman. Now I am happy because I have the opportunity to witness Sultan Ibrahim becoming the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” said the 67-year-old.
— Bernama
