JOHOR BARU, March 23 — Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar was today crowned as the fifth sultan of modern Johor with pomp and pageantry at the Istana Besar here.

Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah was also crowned, at the same ceremony, as the Permaisuri of Johor, a title used for the first time in the state.   

The ceremony, which was aired live over RTM and TV3 and beamed to a large screen at Dataran Bandaraya, was witnessed by thousands of people in Johor and the rest of the country.  

The ceremony was also witnessed by Sultan Ibrahim’s mother, Enche’ Besar Hajah Khalsom Abdullah; the sultan’s elder sister the Tunku Puteri of Johor Tunku Kamariah Sultan Iskandar and the sultan’s younger sister Tunku Besar Zabedah Sultan Iskandar.   

The Tunku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Che’ Puan Khaleeda Bustamam as well as the other children of Sultan Ibrahim also witnessed the historic ceremony.

The Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his wife Paduka Seri Baginda Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha and the Malay Rulers also witnessed the coronation, held at the Throne Room of the palace.  

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman also attended the ceremony. 

The ceremony began at about 10 am with the arrival of Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah at the Throne Room, after which the Johor State Anthem was played. 

Johor Mufti Datuk Mohd Tahrir Samsudin placed the crown on the head of Sultan Ibrahim and then placed the diadem on the head of Raja Zarith Sofiah. 

Later, Raja Zarith Sofiah was today crowned the Permaisuri of Johor, the first time the Permaisuri title is being used in the state. 

The title was consented to by Sultan Ibrahim. 

Born on Aug 14, 1959, in Batu Gajah Hospital, Perak, Raja Zarith Sofia is the second daughter and third child of Sultan Idris Shah of Perak and Raja Perempuan Raja Muzwin Raja Ariff Shah, according to the official coronation website. 

Raja Zarith Sofiah studied at Cheltenham Ladies College in England until Form Six before pursuing further education at the Davies College, London, in 1977. 

The following year, she was offered a place at Somerville College, University of Oxford after she passed the entrance examination. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983. 

Raja Zarith Sofiah is a talented linguist, taking Mandarin as a subject of her degree course while studying at Oxford University and also studied several other languages including French and Italian. She inherited her flair for painting from her father.  

Her friendly nature and concern for her subjects has won Raja Zarith Sofiah the respect, admiration and love of all, especially the people of Johor.

Raja Zarith Sofiah was 23 years old when she married Sultan Ibrahim and the royal couple is blessed with six children, five princes and a princess. 

Her community activities include being patron of the Johor Cerebral Palsy Association and Royal Adviser to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.  

The Permaisuri of Johor also set up the Raja Zarith Sofiah Negeri Johor Foundation to raise funds to conduct various educational programmes, particularly in the Islamic way of learning.

She is also a prolific writer and has authored children’s story books as well as writing for a column in an English daily newspaper. — Bernama