JOHOR BARU: The welfare of Malaysians in general will become the top priority when Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar ascends as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong next year.
Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will also be in for a "tough time" as his father is more hands-on in his approach.
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This is based on what has been practised by the Johor Sultan with the state government, where any decision made by the Mentri Besar must first be presented to His Majesty for approval, he added.
“He (Sultan Ibrahim) is very clear about his agenda, and I am sure that he will share his thoughts and views with the Prime Minister. I think it will be a very interesting time.
“When it comes to the national best interest, he will be a no-nonsense Yang di-Pertuan Agong; he is strict but very understanding. Whatever is good for the country, he will hold on to that principle,” he said during a Keluar Sekejap podcast session hosted by former Umno members Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan posted on YouTube on Sunday (Oct 29).
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Tunku Ismail added that his father will also be quite hands-on and will have constant communication with the Prime Minister, sharing input on what he thinks is right and what is not.
“This includes what they (the government) should execute rather than just make plans.
“He is not based on optics; he is more on getting the job done, just like what we have practised in Johor, where we execute the plans that we have, and the Prime Minister is going to have a tough time,” he said.
Sultan Ibrahim is also a detail-oriented person who has vast knowledge of various topics, including agriculture, development and military equipment, and knows the system of the government very well, he added.
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Earlier, at a special meeting of the Conference of Rulers held at Istana Negara on Friday (Oct 27) Sultan Ibrahim, 65, was unanimously elected to become the 17th King of Malaysia.
His term will come into effect on Jan 31.
He will succeed the current King, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, the Sultan of Pahang, whose five-year term will officially end on Jan 30.
It has been 39 years since Almarhum Sultan Iskandar was proclaimed Malaysia's eighth King in 1984.
