Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar crowned as Johor's fifth Sultan

JOHOR BARU: Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar was crowned as the fifth Sultan of modern Johor in a historic ceremony which had an amalgamation of Islamic, Malay and Western influences at Istana Besar here today.
The coronation ceremony took place at the palace's Throne Room, attended by 250 dignitaries among them being the Malay rulers and their royal consorts, the Yang Di-Pertuan Negri, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and foreign dignitaries including the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
His Majesty's consort Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah was also crowned together with him, where she was conferred the title Permaisuri Johor.
A 21- gun salute marked the crowning ceremony followed by a prayer recital to bless the auspicious ceremony.
The ceremony marked a historical event in the state's calendar, as the last such coronation was held 55 years ago when Almarhum Sultan Ismail Sultan Ibrahim ascended the throne.
Apart from declaring the day as a public holiday, the state decided to make March 23 as a new public holiday from next year to commemorate the coronation. This will replace the public holiday which falls on Nov 22 in conjunction with Sultan Ibrahim's birthday.
The coronation ceremony was shown live over Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) besides a live feed onto a giant screen at Dataran Bandaraya.
The colourful ceremony commenced at 9.20am with the royal couple dressed in ceremonial attire left Istana Bukit Serene to Istana Besar accompanied by the Dato' Penghulu Biracana (Grand Marshall) and the Dato' Penghulu Istiadat (Grand Master of Ceremonies) in a procession.
Crowds of people lined the streets to cheer and wave state flags as the royalty's car drove pass.
The state anthem "Bangsa Johor" was played to greet their Majesties at the Istana Besar and the royal couple was then ushered into the Throne Room to mark the start of the ceremonial proceedings.
Sultan Ibrahim was clad in a dark blue military tunic with gold braids and chevron, diamond encrusted insignia of the Royal Family and the Order of the Crown of Johor, diamond studded gorgets and epaulettes and a bejewelled state sword.
For the first time, guests witnessed Sultan Ibrahim dressed in the royal blue robe with distinct gold monogram "S.I" in Jawi of the Sultan of Johor bordered by the pepper and gambier motif.
A similar robe but of a smaller dimension with the image of the crown in gold was worn by Raja Zarith Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah regal in her specially designed Baju Kurung Johor.
The fine jewellery worn by the royal couple is part of the royal heirloom inherited from Sultan Abu Bakar.
Khaled came forth in front of the throne to proclaim the coronation, followed by the Council of the Royal Court president Datuk Abdul Rahim Ramli.
His Majesty then took the oath, pledging among others to ensure the wellbeing of the citizens of Johor, to reign the state with fairness and justice, and to protect the sanctity of Islam.
Later, the state crown was brought by the Dato' Perdana Dalam (Grand Chamberlain) into the Throne Room and the state mufti Datuk Mohd Tahrir Shamsudin placed it on Sultan Ibrahim's head after a short prayer.
The Grand Chamberlain then brought the diadem and the mufti placed the diadem on the head of Raja Zarith Sofiah.
It was then followed by the audience ceremony (menghadap takzim) by the immediate members of His Highness family, the Mentri Besar and Council of the Royal Court president.
When the ceremony ended, the Sultan and Permaisuri Johor headed to the palace compound to witness an air salute from RMAF helicopters.
Soon after, the shouts of Daulat Tuanku rang followed by the royal couple departing on their open Mercedes Benz 600 Landaulet for the royal tour of the city.
The entourage also consisted among others the members of the Council of the Royal Court and insignia bearers.
The motorcade proceeded along Jalan Ayer Molek, Jalan Ibrahim, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Jalan Gereja, Jalan Trus, Jalan Ibrahim, Persiaran Tun Sri Lanang, Jalan Ismail Sultan, Persiaran Abu Bakar and back to Istana Bukit Serene with the royal couple waving at the crowd.
The procession, which was filled with traditional cultural performance displayed along the route, was observed by more than 30,000 public members who had gathered there since morning.
Sultan Ibrahim was installed and proclaimed the Sultan of Johor on Jan 23, 2010 upon the demise of his father Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail.
The coronation is not a legal requirement but is customary and is uniquely for Johor. Rulers of the other Malay states are installed.
Sultan Abu Bakar was the first ever Malay ruler to be crowned in Malaya on Jan 29, 1886, 23 years after ascending the throne.