JOHOR BAHRU: Thousands of people of all races, walks of life and ages shouted ‘Daulat Tuanku’ while waving the Jalur Gemilang national flag and the Johor state flag as His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim of Johor left for Kuala Lumpur to be sworn in as the 17th King of Malaysia today.
Their presence as early as 5 am at several locations along the road from Istana Bukit Serene to Senai International Airport (LTAS) in Kulai, including Taman Scientex Utama Senai, Taman Aman and Pekan Senai, was a show of love for Sultan Ibrahim, who will reign for five years starting today.
Mohd Azuan Ali, 44, from Pasir Gudang said his three sons, aged between nine and 11, were so excited to bid farewell to Sultan Ibrahim.
“My children woke up at 4 am to gather outside Istana Bukit Serene. They carried the national and state flags and waved them as the royal vehicle passed by. This is a precious memory for them,“ he told Bernama when met here.
Mohd Azuan, who is an auxiliary policeman, also prayed that Sultan Ibrahim would continue to lead the people and the country to greater progress and prosperity.
Retired soldier Othman Muhamad,68, who is also a member of the Malaysian Veteran Commandos Club, said he was proud that Sultan Ibrahim is the second ruler from the southern state to ascend the national throne, four decades after his late father Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail took office from 1984 to 1989.
“We are confident that Sultan Ibrahim’s wisdom will help maintain stability and harmony in the country. At the same time, Sultan Ibrahim’s determination is urgently needed to advance the excellence of the nation,“ said Othman, who served in the Grup Gerak Khas (Special Service Group).
Meanwhile, David Liew, who is a private sector worker, hopes that Sultan Ibrahim, would continue the efforts to unite the people of different races in the country to maintain harmony and national security.
“I believe Sultan Ibrahim can also bring Malaysia to a better level, especially from an economic perspective,“ said the 41-year-old man.
A sexagenarian, Masnah Shamsudin expressed her joy at being able to witness this historic ceremony, even if only through live television broadcasts.
“When the late Sultan Iskandar became the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, I was still a child. Now I am happy because I have the opportunity to witness Sultan Ibrahim becoming the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong,“ said the 67-year-old woman. -Bernama
