Sultan Ismail
Encyclopedia
Sultan
Ismail Al-Khalidi ibn
i Ibrahim Al-Masyhur, KBE
, CMG
, was the 23rd Sultan
of Johor
in Malaysia.
, where he was enrolled into the Malay College Kuala Kangsar
. In March 1912, Tunku Ismail was sent to England to receive his tertiary education in a boarding school; his brothers Tunku Abu Bakar and Tunku Ahmad later followed suit.
as his private secretary and entrusted him to run the Johore Pavilion at the world fair in San Francisco the following year. Upon Onn's return from San Francisco, Tunku Ismail invited Onn to resume his former duties, which he accepted. Shortly before the Japanese armies occupied Johor during the Japanese Invasion of Malaya
, Tunku Ismail fled to England for fear that the Japanese military government may manipulate him onto the throne in his father's stead.
Tunku Ismail returned to Johor after the war and was confronted with Malay nationalist
movements which had erupted as a result of the rulers' dissatisfaction with the Malayan Union
scheme. While Sultan Ibrahim faced widespread criticisms from the Malay
grassroots and nationalist leaders due to his initial willingness to sign the Malayan Union scheme treaties with Sir Harold MacMichael
, Tunku Ismail maintained a neutral relations between the British government and the Malay nationalist leaders. Nevertheless, Tunku Ismail officiated the opening ceremony of the United Malays National Organisation
's (UMNO) first congress which was held at Istana Besar
in May 1946 while Sultan Ibrahim was residing in London.
Tunku Ismail took over the responsibility to state affairs during the late 1940s and 1950s, and presented upon his father's behalf at official functions. On 27 August 1957, Tunku Ismail was one of the nine royal signatories at the royal signing ceremony
of the Malaya's Federal Constitution
. Nevertheless, he faced mild opposition from a few nationalist leaders in Johor, notably Ungku Abdullah, the party leader of Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Johor (PKMJ), a nationalist party that advocated Johor's secession from Malaya
. A few days before signing the Federal constitution, Ungku Abdullah cabled to Sultan Ibrahim to boycott the signing ceremony, who notified Ungku Abdullah that he had since delegated the state's executive powers to Tunku Ismail. Ungku Abdullah called for Tunku Ismail to boycott the signing ceremony, who quickly turned down his calls.
He was the first Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
when the institution was established in 1975.
In August 1977, both Sultan Ismail and his wife, Ungku Tun Aminah binti Ungku Ahmad, met with a car accident in Kulai
. While she was permanently left in a vegetative state until her death a month later owing to brain damage, the sultan escaped with only minor injuries. Nevertheless, the ordeal passed rather quickly, and Sultan Ismail remarried in November 1977 to Tengku Nora. Tengku Nora was subsequently crowned as Sultanah the following October.
Sultan Ismail died on 10 May 1981 and was interred at the Makam Mahmoodiah
royal mausoleum, Johor Bahru
.
- 1920 Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) -1926 Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thailand - 1928 King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
- 1935 Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)-1937 King George VI Coronation Medal
-1937 Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy
-1938 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
-1953
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Ismail Al-Khalidi ibn
IBN
IBN or ibn may refer to:In general* ibn, patronymic in Arabic personal names * IBN code page , a Nordic language code page under MS-DOS...
i Ibrahim Al-Masyhur, KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, was the 23rd Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
in Malaysia.
Early life
Tunku Ismail was born on 28 October 1894 at Istana Semayam, Johor and was the eldest son of Tunku Ibrahim (later Sultan Ibrahim) by his first wife, Sultanah Ungku Maimunah binti Ungku Abdul Majid. He was made the Tunku Mahkota of Johor on 2 November 1895, when Tunku Ibrahim was installed as the Sultan of Johor following Sultan Abu Bakar's death. He spent several years in PerakPerak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
, where he was enrolled into the Malay College Kuala Kangsar
Malay College Kuala Kangsar
The Malay College Kuala Kangsar is a residential school in Malaysia. It is an all-boys and all-Malay school located in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Perak...
. In March 1912, Tunku Ismail was sent to England to receive his tertiary education in a boarding school; his brothers Tunku Abu Bakar and Tunku Ahmad later followed suit.
Regnal career
Tunku Ismail was made the state's regent to take care of state affairs in 1928 as Sultan Ibrahim began to spend more time travelling overseas. In 1937, Tunku Ismail appointed a state executive councillor and a family acquaintance, Onn JaafarOnn Jaafar
Dato' Sir Onn bin Ja'afar, KBE was a Malay politician and a Menteri Besar of Johore in Malaysia, then Malaya. He was the founder of United Malays National Organization and was also responsible for the social economic welfare of the Malays by setting up the Rural Industrial Development Authority...
as his private secretary and entrusted him to run the Johore Pavilion at the world fair in San Francisco the following year. Upon Onn's return from San Francisco, Tunku Ismail invited Onn to resume his former duties, which he accepted. Shortly before the Japanese armies occupied Johor during the Japanese Invasion of Malaya
Japanese Invasion of Malaya
The Japanese Invasion of Malaya, or Battle of Kota Bharu, began just after midnight on 8 December 1941 before the attack on Pearl Harbor...
, Tunku Ismail fled to England for fear that the Japanese military government may manipulate him onto the throne in his father's stead.
Tunku Ismail returned to Johor after the war and was confronted with Malay nationalist
Early Malay nationalism
Early Malay nationalism before Malaysian independence did not exist as a united and organised political movement prior to World War II. The concept of ketuanan Melayu was largely irrelevant at the time, as the Chinese and Indians, who formed almost half of the population, did not see themselves as...
movements which had erupted as a result of the rulers' dissatisfaction with the Malayan Union
Malayan Union
The Malayan Union was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government so as to simplify administration. The Malayan Union later became the independent...
scheme. While Sultan Ibrahim faced widespread criticisms from the Malay
Malay people
Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...
grassroots and nationalist leaders due to his initial willingness to sign the Malayan Union scheme treaties with Sir Harold MacMichael
Harold MacMichael
Sir Harold Alfred MacMichael, GCMG, DSO , was a British colonial administrator.-Early service:MacMichael graduated with a first from Magdalene College, Cambridge. After passing his civil service exam, he entered the service of the British Empire in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan...
, Tunku Ismail maintained a neutral relations between the British government and the Malay nationalist leaders. Nevertheless, Tunku Ismail officiated the opening ceremony of the United Malays National Organisation
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
's (UMNO) first congress which was held at Istana Besar
Istana Besar
Istana Besar or Grand Palace is the royal palace of the Sultanate of Johor which is located in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.-Overview:Standing tall in the city of Johor Bahru, the palace was built in 1866 by Sultan Abu Bakar...
in May 1946 while Sultan Ibrahim was residing in London.
Tunku Ismail took over the responsibility to state affairs during the late 1940s and 1950s, and presented upon his father's behalf at official functions. On 27 August 1957, Tunku Ismail was one of the nine royal signatories at the royal signing ceremony
Signing ceremony
A signing ceremony is a ceremony in which a bill passed by a legislature is signed by an executive, thus becoming a law.Modern-day signing ceremonies are derived from ceremonies that occurred when the British monarch gave Royal Assent to acts of Parliament...
of the Malaya's Federal Constitution
Constitution of Malaysia
The Federal Constitution of Malaysia, which came into force in 1957, is the supreme law of Malaysia. The Federation was initially called the Federation of Malaya and it adopted its present name, Malaysia, when the States of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the Federation...
. Nevertheless, he faced mild opposition from a few nationalist leaders in Johor, notably Ungku Abdullah, the party leader of Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Johor (PKMJ), a nationalist party that advocated Johor's secession from Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
. A few days before signing the Federal constitution, Ungku Abdullah cabled to Sultan Ibrahim to boycott the signing ceremony, who notified Ungku Abdullah that he had since delegated the state's executive powers to Tunku Ismail. Ungku Abdullah called for Tunku Ismail to boycott the signing ceremony, who quickly turned down his calls.
Sultan of Johor
He was crowned at Istana Besar, Johor Bahru on the 10 February 1960 and was the last Johor Sultan to be officially crowned. The Sultan was known to be very close to his subjects; he made annual trips to visit selected villages in all eight districts of Johor and frequently acquainted himself with the civil servants working for the state government.He was the first Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia is the oldest public engineering and technological university in Malaysia. The university specialises in technical studies, with separate faculties for Education, Pure Sciences, Management, and Human Resources Development. It is the country's major source of graduate...
when the institution was established in 1975.
In August 1977, both Sultan Ismail and his wife, Ungku Tun Aminah binti Ungku Ahmad, met with a car accident in Kulai
Kulai
Kulai , is a town in the Kulaijaya district of Johor, Malaysia. The town is 29 km from Johor Bahru city and 8 km from Skudai.-Administration:...
. While she was permanently left in a vegetative state until her death a month later owing to brain damage, the sultan escaped with only minor injuries. Nevertheless, the ordeal passed rather quickly, and Sultan Ismail remarried in November 1977 to Tengku Nora. Tengku Nora was subsequently crowned as Sultanah the following October.
Sultan Ismail died on 10 May 1981 and was interred at the Makam Mahmoodiah
Makam Mahmoodiah
Makam Mahmoodiah is a royal mausoleum of Johor located in Jalan Mahmoodiah, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The first Sultan of Johor laid to rest here was Sultan Abu Bakar in 1895...
royal mausoleum, Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
.
Succession issues
On 10 August 1961, he stripped his eldest son Tunku Mahmood Iskandar, of the post of Tunku Mahkota due to misconduct–although he was given the post of Raja Muda on 1 December 1966. His second son, Tunku Abdul Rahman (1933–1989) became the Tunku Mahkota instead. However, shortly before his death in April 1981, Sultan Ismail reappointed Tunku Iskandar as the Tunku Mahkota, who succeeded him the following month.Personal life
Sultan Ismail was an animal lover was instrumental in the setting up of the Johor Zoo. He also had a collection of wild animals ranging from deers to crocodiles. Among the Chinese community in Johor, he was known affectionately as "Lau Sultan", literally meaning "an old or elderly Sultan".Family
A fat, meek and quiet ruler, Sultan Ismail married two official wives who served as Sultanahs of Johor. They were:- Sultanah Ungku Tun Aminah binti Ungku Ahmad (d. 1977), a second cousin of the Sultan, married on 30 August 1920. Sultanah Aminah died in a road accident in 1977. He had seven children with her, of which only three survived to adulthood:
- Tunku Abdul Jalil (1924-1925)
- Tunku Kalthum Maimunah (1927-1930)
- Tunku Abdul Rahman (1930-1930)
- Tunku Mahmud (later Sultan Iskandar) (born 1932-2010)
- Tunku Abdul Rahman (1933-89)
- Tunku Helen (1936-1937)
- Tunku Tun Maimunah (born 1939)
- Sultanah Tengku Nora binti Tengku Panglima Raja Ahmad, member of the Kelantanese royal household, married in October 1978. She is the sister of Tengku ZanariahTengku ZanariahTunku Puan Zanariah Iskandar is the second wife of Sultan Iskandar of Johor from their marriage in 1961 until his death in 2010...
(now Sultanah), the spouse of Sultan Iskandar.
Legacy
Several institutions and places were named after Sultan Ismail, including:- Jalan Sultan Ismail, formerly known as Treacher Road until 2007, in Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
- Sultan Ismail Bridge, MuarMuar (town)Muar, also known as Bandar Maharani is a town geopolitically situated in Muar District in the region or area of Muar in northwestern Johor, Malaysia...
- Sultan Ismail International Airport, SenaiSenaiSenai is a transit town situated 25 kilometres northwest of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Apart from the Senai International Airport, it is also the base for several major multinational electronics manufacturers...
- Perpustakaan Sultan Ismail, LarkinLarkinLarkin is an English or Irish surname, a diminutive of Laurence, and the source of a patronymic surname. It may refer to:- People with the surname Larkin :...
- Masjid Sultan Ismail, Universiti Teknologi MalaysiaUniversiti Teknologi MalaysiaUniversiti Teknologi Malaysia is the oldest public engineering and technological university in Malaysia. The university specialises in technical studies, with separate faculties for Education, Pure Sciences, Management, and Human Resources Development. It is the country's major source of graduate...
- Sultan Ismail Specialist Hospital, Taman Austin Perdana, Johor Bahru
- S.M.K. Sultan Ismail, Johor Bahru
- Bangunan Sultan Ismail, Kota Iskandar, Nusajaya.
Honours (foreign)
Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of RomaniaOrder of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania...
- 1920 Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) -1926 Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thailand - 1928 King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V.-Issue:...
- 1935 Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)-1937 King George VI Coronation Medal
King George VI Coronation Medal
The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of...
-1937 Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
-1938 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to...
-1953