Malaysia yesterday chose the sultan of Johor as its next king, a role that has become increasingly important in determining who takes power in the Southeast Asian nation.
The country’s royal families elected Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, the ruler of the nation’s southernmost state bordering Singapore, an official statement said.
Sultan Ibrahim, who commands a private army and has significant business interests, is to replace King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, whose term is set to expire in late January.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Malaysia has a unique constitutional monarchy where nine state royals take turns to serve five-year terms. The king plays a largely ceremonial role, but he has discretion to decide certain things, such as who becomes prime minister if no party has a majority.
The appointment comes at a high point in the monarchy’s power since Malaysia gained independence in 1957. The king’s influence has grown ever since the Barisan Nasional alliance that had ruled Malaysia for more than six decades lost power in 2018, reshaping the nation’s political landscape.
The prime example was in November last year, when a general election led to Malaysia’s first-ever hung parliament. The king stepped in to break the deadlock, backing longtime opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to form a unity government.
“The Johor sultan will become constitutional monarch at a time of the country’s political transition where governments will likely be post-election coalitions,” said Ibrahim Suffian, cofounder and director of Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, a Malaysian polling company. “The outgoing king has had to preside over fractious politics.”
A representative for the sultan of Johor declined to comment.
The announcement came after a meeting of a body called the Conference of Rulers at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur. Nine of Malaysia’s 13 states have royal families. Sultan Ibrahim is next in turn for the throne and no surprises are forecast.
The new king is to start his term on Jan. 31.
In business, Sultan Ibrahim has a stake in Forest City, a development of high-rise buildings off the coast of Johor that is expected to cost US$100 billion. A joint venture between troubled Chinese developer Country Garden Holdings Co and a Malaysian firm owned by Sultan Ibrahim, the Johor state government and others, it has faced challenges, including complaints from Singapore’s government and Beijing’s crackdown on citizens buying real-estate overseas.
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