Seah (right) giving Sultan Ibrahim a tour of the Parliament House during the Ruler’s two-day state visit to Singapore on May 7. — Photo from Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page
HIS Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia’s state visit to Singapore received wide media coverage and public attention.
The two-day visit was significant as it was Sultan Ibrahim’s first overseas state visit since he was sworn in as Malaysia’s 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong in January.
The King and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, were given a ceremonial welcome by Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam at The Istana on May 6.
At the State Banquet held at The Istana that evening, Sultan Ibrahim expressed special thanks to then outgoing Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for being a close friend to Johor and Malaysia.
Sultan Ibrahim also paid tribute to Singapore’s founding father, the late Lee Kuan Yew, for being the chief architect of the island republic, and shared stories of His Majesty’s warm ties with the Lee family.
The next day, Sultan Ibrahim became the first King of Malaysia to visit Singapore’s Parliament House when a sitting was in session.
As His Majesty and the royal entourage entered the Speakers’ Gallery, Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng announced their presence and warmly welcomed the guests to the Chamber.
Sultan Ibrahim, accompanied by Tharman (behind), inspecting the guard of honour at The Istana’s Ceremonial Plaza on May 6. — Photo from Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page
Seah, in his remarks, said the King was no stranger to the republic and had always been an ardent supporter in bringing Malaysians and Singaporeans together.
Seah said that under Sultan Ibrahim’s reign, Singapore’s partnership with Johor had strengthened despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Speaker added that Sultan Ibrahim’s visit was timely as bilateral relations were strong and robust, and exchanges at the political and official levels were regular.
Seah said the King’s visit came at a time when the two neighbours have many exciting projects in the pipeline.
A Singapore English daily noted that Seah’s gesture was unusual, as the Speaker usually only acknowledges visiting foreign dignitaries with a brief mention.
His Majesty’s state visit came just before the 100th anniversary of the Causeway, which officially opened on June 28, 1924, connecting Johor and Singapore.
Following the Parliament visit, the King and Queen went for a train ride on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). The royal couple rode from the Springleaf station to the Woodlands North station, where they visited the underground concourse linking the TEL station to the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link that connects Johor Baru and Singapore.
Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah receiving a warm welcome from Lee and his wife Ho Ching in Singapore on May 6. — Photo from Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page
Sultan Ibrahim, as the Johor Ruler, has always been keen on the RTS Link and has been a key driver in ensuring that everyone works together to see the project through.
Their Majesties wrapped up their two-day state visit after the train ride and returned to Johor Baru via the Johor Causeway.
Another close neighbour to Malaysia is Brunei. Both countries have long enjoyed a close friendship.
Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah welcomed Sultan Ibrahim in Bandar Seri Begawan on May 15 and hosted the visiting monarch for dinner.
On June 25, Sultan Ibrahim once again visited Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to personally present the instrument of royal invitation for the installation ceremony of His Majesty as the 17th King of Malaysia.
Istana Negara Grand Chamberlain Datuk Azuan Effendy Zairakithnaini reportedly said Sultan Ibrahim’s visit to Istana Nurul Iman in the Brunei capital underscored the close relationship between the neighbouring countries.
The trip made by His Majesty also highlighted the unique bond forged between both heads of state, he said.
Azuan Effendy added that during the meeting, the Sultan of Brunei expressed gratitude and delight over Sultan Ibrahim’s visit, and stated his intention to attend the ceremony even though he would be occupied with various programmes.
Brunei celebrated Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s 78th birthday on July 15.
Sultan Ibrahim presenting Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah with the instrument of royal invitation for His Majesty’s installation ceremony. — Photo from Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page
On June 19, China’s premier Li Qiang, who was on a three-day visit to Malaysia in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China, was granted an audience with Sultan Ibrahim.
Li was accompanied by Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing. It was also Li’s inaugural visit to the country since assuming his position in March last year.
Several days later, Sultan Ibrahim received a royal visit from Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in Johor Baru.
The two-hour visit took place at Istana Bukit Serene on June 22, where both kings enjoyed lunch together along with Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail and Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman.
In a Facebook posting, Sultan Ibrahim said he took the opportunity to show the Bhutan monarch around Johor Baru.
“The King of Bhutan expressed his wish to return to Johor for a holiday with his family.
“His Majesty had also extended an invitation to me to visit his country as a way of fostering ties between Bhutan and Malaysia,” said Sultan Ibrahim.
Sultan Ibrahim granted an audience to Hun Manet (left) at Istana Negara on Feb 27. Looking on is Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. — Photo from Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page
Another dignitary granted an audience with His Majesty was the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif (Sheikh Al-Azhar) Prof Dr Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad At-Tayyeb during his four-day visit to Malaysia.
The visit by Sheikh Al-Azhar, who holds the status of Prime Minister according to the Egyptian Constitution, marked a historic moment in bilateral relations between Malaysia and Egypt.
The meeting between the King and Sheikh Al-Azhar at Istana Negara on July 4 lasted for one hour, according to a statement on Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page.
On Feb 27, the King granted an audience to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who was on his maiden visit to Malaysia since his appointment last August. The audience, held at Istana Negara, lasted about 30 minutes.
