Iskandar ibni Almarhum Sultan IsmailNegara Brunei Darussalam: A Biographical Dictionary (1860–1996), Horton, pg 290Siapa kebal, Mahathir atau raja-raja Melayu?, Yahaya Ismail, pg 42 (Jawi: ; 8 April 1932 – 22 January 2010) was Sultan of Johor, succeeding his father Sultan Ismail upon the latter's death in 1981. He reigned as the eighth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutional monarch of Malaysia, from 1984 to 1989. Sultan Iskandar's reign as Sultan of Johor lasted almost 29 years until his death in 2010.
His children are married into the different royal houses of Malaysia. His eldest daughter Tunku Kamariah married the Tengku Laksamana of Selangor, Tengku Sulaiman Shah. His successor and eldest son Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar married Raja Zarith Sofiah of the Perak royal family. His daughter Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah married the heir apparent of Pahang, now Sultan Abdullah. His younger son Tunku Abdul Majid married a member of the Kedah royal family, Tunku Teh Mazni.
As was the case with his grandfather, Sultan Ibrahim, Johore and the Origins of British Control, Nesalamar Nadarajah, pg 128 Sultan Iskandar's independent mindset resulted in strained relations with the Malaysian federal government on numerous occasions. This was most prevalent during his time as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,Asian Recorder (1984), pg 17808 as there were a number of notable public incidents involved Sultan Iskandar.Constitutional Heads and Political Crises: Commonwealth Episodes, 1945–85 (1988), Low, pg 185 Nevertheless, Sultan Iskandar was reputed to show great concern for his subjects, and was held in high esteem by many of his subjects–particularly the Malays and Orang Aslis.Thanam Visvanathan, Ruler with deep concern for people–Sultan Iskandar revered as protective guardian and helpful to all his subjects, pg 1, 8 April 2001, New Sunday Times Special (Sultan of Johor's Birthday) His time as the Sultan of Johor was marred by accusations of violence and brutality. Sultan Iskandar was notorious for his bad temper which often resulted in violent episodes of rage and brutality to members of his staff and the general public. The 1992 Gomez incident surrounding the Sultan eventually culminated in the removal of "legal immunity" for members of the royal family.
Sultan Iskandar is reputed to have been a staunch disciplinarian, with willingness to occasionally voice personal opinions on governmental issues. On the personal side, subjects who approached the Sultan in his later years described him as a person with a warmInspiring ruler , Nelson Benjamin, 8 April 2007, The Star (Malaysia) and generous personality.Johor Sultan's birthday celebration at Dataran Bandaraya in JB today , 8 April 2008, The Star (Malaysia) However, past critics had also argued that Sultan Iskandar was a person with a turbulent temper.Tan, Chee Khoon (1985), pg 5Milne, Mauzy (1999), pg 32 These claims were made by citing records of notorious incidents,Clad (1989), pg 57 which include an experience of being disinherited from being the Tunku Mahkota of Johor (or Crown Prince in English) by his father, in 1961, as well as a series of alleged criminal acts occurring between the 1970s and the 1990s which were published in the press and provoked widespread moral outrage within the Malaysian public.Abdullah (2003), pg 148Kershaw (2001), pg 102–3
During his younger days as a prince,Tunku is spelled as in Johor. Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen: His Story, K.N. Nadarajah, pg 50 Iskandar was commonly known by his first name, "Mahmood"Facts on File Yearbook, by Facts on File, inc., 1957, Phrase: "Married: Prince Tunku Mahmud, 24, grandson of the Sultan of Johore, & Josephine Ruby Trevorrow, 21, daughter of an English textile ..."Malaysia, by British Association of Malaysia, British Association of Malaysia and Singapore, Phrase: " Mahmood of Jo-hore. On 5 August 1960, at the Istana Bukit ..." or his full name "Mahmood Iskandar". He largely discontinued the use of his first name after he became sultan in 1981,Andresen (1992), pg 138 although some people occasionally referred to him by his full name.Demolish causeway: Johor Sultan , 5 November 2006, Dailyexpress
Early life Sultan Iskandar (known as Tunku Mahmood Iskandar until 1981) was the third and eldest surviving son of Sultan Ismail, (he had two older brothers, both of whom died in infancy) and was born on at 11:30 a.m. 8 April 1932 in the Istana Semayam, Johor Bahru.Pemerintah dan pemimpin-pemimpin kerajaan Malaysia, Siti Rosnah Haji Ahmad, pg 71 Mahmood received his primary and lower secondary education in Ngee Heng Primary School and the English College Johore Bahru (now Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar) in Johor Bahru. In 1952, he was sent to Australia for higher secondary education at Trinity Grammar School. After completing high school in 1953, Mahmood travelled to the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom, where he was enrolled in the Upper Chine School for three years.Information Malaysia (1985), pg 58
Sultan of Johor
Mahmood returned to Malaysia in 1956 upon completing his studies, and briefly served as a cadet officer in the Johor Civil Service,His Majesty and Her Majesty , Website of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Retrieved 3 January 2009 taking charge of affairs in District Affairs, Land and Treasury departments until his appointment as the Tunku Mahkota of Johor in May 1959. Mahmood was appointed the Tunku Mahkota of Johor from 1959 to 1961, and Raja Muda of Johor from 1966 to 1981, by Sultan Ismail. On 29 April 1981, he was re-appointed as the Tunku Mahkota shortly before his father's death.Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Almutawakkil Alallah, Sultan Iskandar Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Ismail Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Johor Darul Ta'zim
On 10 May 1981, Mahmood was appointed as the Regent of Johor following the death of his father, and was sworn in as Sultan a day later, shortly before his father was buried.Asian RecorderPublished by K. K. Thomas at Recorder Press, 1981, pg 16108 In turn, his younger brother, Tunku Abdul Rahman (not to be confused with Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's first prime minister), formerly the Tunku Mahkota of Johor for twenty years under Sultan Ismail, was demoted to a lower position, the Tunku Bendahara of Johor, a post which he held until his death in 1989. In the same year on 12 December, Sultan Iskandar was appointed as the Chancellor of the University of Technology Malaysia.Information Malaysia (1990), pg 906 Unlike the other preceding Sultan of Johors who had their own coronation ceremony, he did not have one.
Under the council of rulers, the elective monarchy system of Malaysia, Sultan Iskandar was elected on 9 February 1984 as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, shortly before his predecessor's term expired on 26 April 1984. He succeeded the Sultan of Pahang as the Yang-Di Pertuan Agong on 26 April.The Europa Year Book: A World Survey (1984), pg xiv A royal investiture was held shortly after that, in which he donned the traditional suit of the Agong, whereby he was officially installed.Milne, Mauzy (1999), pg 35 Sultan Iskandar served in the capacity as the Yang-Di Pertuan Agong until 1989, being succeeded by the Sultan of Perak.DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Almutawakkil Alallah, Sultan Iskandar Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Ismail , Kerajaan Negeri Johor Darul Ta'zim, Retrieved 3 January 2009 As the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Iskandar was automatically designated under constitutional provisions as the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, holding the rank of the Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Malaysian Navy and Field Marshal of the Army.Alagappa (2001), pg 267
On 8 April 2006, the Sultan appointed his grandson Tunku Ismail Idris–the son of the Tunku Mahkota then–as the Raja Muda during an investiture in conjunction with his birthday. The rank of Raja Muda denoted that Ismail Idris was second in the line of succession to the Johorean royal throne., The Star online, Star Publications, 9 April 2006.
State affairs Sultan Iskandar held annual open house events either at the Istana Bukit Serene, his official residence, or at the Istana Besar.Thousands at PM's open house (update 4) , Manjit Kaur, Royce Cheah and Ng Si Hooi, 13 October 2007, The Star (Malaysia) On these days, the Sultan and his eldest son, the Tunku Mahkota, held special sessions whereby Johoreans came up to pay their respects to him., Teh Eng Hock and Meera Vijayan, 15 October 2007, The Star (Malaysia) The Sultan also bestowed honorary awards on distinguished Malaysians from his annual birthday honours list on his birthday.Sultan of Johor's birthday honours list , 9 April 2004, The Star (Malaysia) As a matter of convention, the state government made 8 April a state public holiday to mark his birthday.Anniversaries and Holidays (2000), pg 109Event: 'Sultan Of Johor's Birthday' , Minerals and Geoscience Department Malaysia (JMG), 13 February 2009
Shortly before he became Agong in April 1984, Sultan Iskandar issued a proposal for the Orang Aslis to be referred to as the "Bumiputera Asli" (literally, Original Sons of the Soil). The proposal was made as Sultan Iskandar suggested that the Orang Aslis maintained a distinct identity from the Malays as the majority of them were not Muslims. The proposal was subsequently scrapped, and the government made subsequent attempts to assimilate the Orang Aslis with the mainstream Malay society.Benjamin, Chou, (2002), pg 121 After his inauguration as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, he donated his Agong's salary to various scholarship boards that were open to Malaysians of all races.Low (1988), pg 192
Sultan Iskandar issued a decree in 2007 which only allowed residences and properties owned by the Sultan and the Tunku Mahkota to be called Istana, while properties belonging to other members of the royal family are to be known as "Kediaman". The terms "Istana" and "Kediaman" are translated as "Palace" and "Residences" in English, respectively.A palace in the sun , Fauziah Ismail, JohorBuzz, New Straits Times The following December, Sultan Iskandar gave his endorsement for the state government to pass a law which would ban Muslims in the state from practising Yoga, citing that Hindu elements in the exercise went against Islamic teachings. Applications to seek the Sultan's consent came from the state religious council, who acted under the instructions of the National Fatwa Council.Ban on yoga likely in Johor , 5 December 2008, New Straits TimesJohor prepares to enforce yoga ban , JohorBuzz, New Straits Times
Sultan Iskandar graced the official landmark opening of the Sultan Iskandar customs, immigration and quarantine complex on 1 December 2008, in the presence of the Tunku Mahkota and several key cabinet ministers. The complex was named in honour of the Sultan,Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Jadi Pintu Masuk Kepada Sembilan Juta Pengunjung , Hamirul Hairi Mohd Noh, 2 December 2008 who expressed optimism for its success during his opening speech.Glaring glitches mar historic opening , Syed Umar Ariff, 21 December 2008, New Straits TimesDYMM Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail Merasmikan Bangunan Sultan Iskandar , 2 December 2008, MedKom
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