Ibrahim | |||||
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Sultan of Johor | |||||
Portrait of Sultan Ibrahim in the 1950s
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Sultan of Johor | |||||
Reign | 4 June 1895 – 8 May 1959 | ||||
Coronation | 2 November 1895 | ||||
Predecessor | Sultan Abu Bakar | ||||
Successor | Sultan Ismail | ||||
Tunku Mahkota of Johor | |||||
Reign | 23 May 1891 - 4 June 1895 | ||||
Born |
Istana Bidadari, Serangoon, Singapore, Straits Settlements |
17 September 1873||||
Died | 8 May 1959 Grosvenor House, London, United Kingdom |
(aged 85)||||
Burial | 6 June 1959 Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum, Johor Bahru, Johor |
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Spouse |
Sultanah Helen Ibrahim Sultanah Marcella |
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Issue | 4 sons, 1 daughter 1. son, died August 1893 2. Tunku Ismail (Tunku Mahkota of Johor) 3. Tunku Abu Bakar 4. Tunku Ahmad 5. Tunku Meriam |
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House | House of Temenggong | ||||
Father | Sultan Abu Bakar | ||||
Mother | Zubaida binti Abdullah (née Cecilia Catharina Lange) | ||||
Religion | Sunni Islam |
Full name | |
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Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar Al-Khalil |
Styles of Sultan Ibrahim |
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Reference style | His Royal Highness |
Spoken style | Your Royal Highness |
Alternative style | Sir |
Major General Sultan Sir Ibrahim Al-Masyhur Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Sir Abu Bakar Al-Khalil or Sultan Ibrahim I GCMG GBE (17 September 1873 – 8 May 1959) was a Malaysian sultan and the 22nd Sultan of Johor and the 2nd Sultan of modern Johor. He was known as one of the richest men in the world during his reign.
An Anglophile, Sultan Ibrahim continued the policy of friendly relations with the crown of the United Kingdom, often manipulating his friendship with the reigning kings of Britain to thwart the expansionist ambitions of the British Colonial Office. However, he became highly unpopular later in his native land for his opposition to Malayan independence. This led him to spend most of his time away from Johor, traveling extensively in Europe, particularly to Britain.
Wan Ibrahim was born 17 September 1873 in Istana Bidadari, Singapore, and received his education at a boarding school in England during his formative years. He was appointed a Second Lieutenant of the Johor Military Forces during his teenage years and was formally installed as the first Tunku Mahkota of Johor on 23 May 1891 and was brought to Europe by his father where he was being introduced to the European royal families. During his term as the Tunku Mahkota, Tunku Ibrahim occasionally acted as the state's regent and was delegated a few state duties whenever the Sultan was travelling overseas. In his free time, Tunku Ibrahim spent most of his time in hunting and horseracing.
Tunku Ibrahim acted as one of the three signatories when Sultan Abu Bakar promogulated the Johor state constitution in April 1895. The following month, Tunku Ibrahim accompanied Abu Bakar to London, who had the intent of seeking further negotiations with the Colonial Office on state affairs. Abu Bakar was by then a very sick man when he reached England, and Tunku Ibrahim spent much of his time by his father's bedside before Abu Bakar died the following month.
Tunku Ibrahim was proclaimed as the Sultan of Johor on the day of Abu Bakar's burial on 7 September 1895, while his one-year-old son, Tunku Ismail was proclaimed as his heir-apparent. A formal coronation ceremony took place on 2 November 1895. He took over the state government the following year, and one of his first reports was the financial difficulties which the state was facing. Many of his employees complained of delays in receiving their salaries; which was often paid in instalments. Sultan Ibrahim then took charge of closely supervising the state treasury, and personally witnessed the payment of the state's employees during payment day. In the same year, he also took on the task of appointing the committee members of the Johor Gambier and Pepper Society (also known as Kongkek in Malay). Sultan Ibrahim was inexperienced in public administration skills and heavily relied on his private secretary, Abdul Rahman bin Andak on advice and assistance in running the affairs of the state.