JOHOR BARU: Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar has been known to be one of the few leaders who never shies away from speaking His Majesty’s mind, especially when it comes to the welfare of his subjects.
Since ascending the throne in 2010, Sultan Ibrahim has had no qualms about voicing his opinions or displeasure on various issues, including reprimanding politicians who sow distrust and disunity among the people.
In 2017, the Johor Sultan ordered a controversial launderette in Muar to immediately stop its discriminatory practice or risk being shut down by the Ruler himself if it persisted in only allowing Muslims to use its facilities.The Johor Ruler has also slammed a former Cabinet minister for giving a ceramah at a mosque, stressing that all mosques in the state are areas where anything with political elements is barred.
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The Ruler has also been using Facebook, which currently has over 1.1 million followers on its official page, to post his thoughts and comments.
The Sultan has also taken to his social media on several occasions to express displeasure over cleanliness and environmental issues, subjects that are also close to His Majesty’s heart.
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sultan Ibrahim appealed to his subjects to keep calm and adhere to advice and the standard operating procedure set by the Health Ministry.
The Ruler has also called on the people to band together to curb the spread of the virus and stop the spread of fake news. Sultan Ibrahim also directed teachers to get vaccinated so that they do not spread the virus to their students.
The Ruler is also a firm believer in Bangsa Johor, a concept aimed at promoting greater unity among people in the state.
Sultan Ibrahim places great emphasis on racial unity and wants representatives from Malay, Chinese and Indian NGOs to be part of his committee for the annual Kembara Mahkota Johor expedition to provide feedback and input.
Despite His Majesty’s sternness, Sultan Ibrahim is also known as a compassionate Ruler who is well liked and respected by his subjects.
Those who have met Sultan Ibrahim describe His Majesty as a warm-hearted Ruler with an amiable personality and a good sense of humour.
The Ruler has a soft, gentle side and it is most evident when His Majesty becomes teary-eyed when he listens to their stories of pain and suffering.
This could also be seen when the Ruler immediately directed the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) to open up its royal ward to temporarily house patients displaced by a fire that killed six patients and shook the nation on Oct 25, 2016.
During the Sungai Kim Kim chemical pollution issue in Pasir Gudang in 2019, the Johor royal family made at least three visits to meet with victims at Hospital Sultan Ismail and Pasir Gudang Indoor Stadium, which housed the medical units.
Earlier this year, Sultan Ibrahim also cut short a private trip to Turkiye and the Middle East when news about the devastating floods in Johor broke out, returning to Johor earlier than scheduled to personally visit those affected.Even when Sultan Ibrahim was still abroad, the Ruler was in constant contact with the state government and directed his Sultan Ibrahim Johor Foundation to provide aid since the beginning of the floods.
Over the years, the Sultan Ibrahim Johor Foundation has provided more than RM170mil in aid to the people, including 103,000 tents in anticipation of floods in Johor and the other states.
Sultan Ibrahim and Johor Permaisuri Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah have always paid close attention to the people’s welfare and provided assistance to countless Johoreans who faced hardships during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
