Paduka Sri Sultan Sir Ibrahim Al-Masyhur Al Haj Ibni Maharaja Sultan Sir Abu Bakar Al Haj

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar Al-Masyhur ibni Abu Bakar, GCMG, GBE, (17 September 1873–8 May 1959) was the 22nd Sultan of Johor, in Malaysia. He was known as one of the richest men in the world during his 64 years of 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.
Wan Ibrahim was born September 17, 1873 in Istana Bidadari, Singapore, and received a private education during his formative years. He was appointed as 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 accompanied Abu Bakar to London in May 1895, 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 passed away the following month.

Sultan of Johor

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 successor. 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 installments. Sultan Ibrahim then took charge of closely supervising the state treasury, and personally witnessed the paymen t 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. 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.

The Resident General of the Federated Malay States, Frank Swettenham proposed to Sultan Ibrahim in November 1899 for the construction of a railway line into Johor, in conjunction with his plan for the North-South Main Trunk Railway line in the Malay Peninsula. Sultan Ibrahim welcomed Swettenham of the plan, but was weary of political British influence in Johor and insisted on financing the construction of the railway line. Swettenham was comfortable with Sultan Ibrahim's prospect of financing the railway line using the state's revenues, and submitted his proposals to the Colonial Office in England.

During the Japanese occupation of Malaya between 1941 and 1945, Sultan Ibrahim received the Order of the Rising Sun from the Emperor of Japan, Showa Tenno. His love for "all things English" caused a rift with his chief executive or Menteri Besar Onn Jaafar, who was also his adopted son and president of the United Malays National Organisation or UMNO - a Malay nationalist movement. Sultan Ibrahim's quick and enthusiastic accession to the Malayan Union caused uproar amongst his subjects and led to seven dignitaries (in Malay the group was called Orang Tujuh) led by Dr. Awang Hassan to declare that by this act, the sultan had been automatically d eposed in favour of his son.


Sultan Ibrahim quickly tried to restore his credibility by hosting UMNO's first general assembly at his palace in Johor Bahru in May 1946. He also joined a boycott of the installation ceremony of the first governor of the Malayan Union, Sir Edward Gent. However, from time to time, Sultan Ibrahim voiced his concern over the demand for independence from the British. A speech delivered by the sultan, in which he exclaimed disbelief at the ability of Malayans to govern themselves, led to a walkout by UMNO President Tunku Abdul Rahman and other stalwarts.


Sultan Ibrahim was the only son of Che Wan Abu Bakar, Temenggung of Johor by Che Puan Besar Zubaidah (née Cecilia Catharina Lange, 1848-1939). Zubaidah was the daughter of Mads Johansen Lange a Balinese-based Danish businessman and his Chinese wife, Nonna Sang Nio (born Ong Sang Nio). Nonna, who was born in Southern China, lived in East Java for a time prior to her marriage to Lange. He had one sister, Meriam (born 1871).

During his reign, the Sultan was known as one of the richest men in the world as rich as current Sultan Of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah. His exploits ranged from changing the colour of his racing horse to present it as an unknown with better odds of course to less savoury behaviour in the red-light area of Vienna,Austria. To be fair, he spread his wealth around, giving a magnificent pair of Malayan tigers to Edinburgh Zoo on the one hand and, on the other, sending a huge cash present to King George V on his Jubilee. The Sultan was an Anglophile and spent much of his life away from Johor, preferring the more liberal delights of Europe. He sent his sons, by his Malay wives, to be educated in Britain. The Sultan was reported to have given Sultanah Helen Ibrahim a spectacular jewel collection, reputedly giving her an emerald on her birthday and a diamond on their wedding anniversary, even after the divorce. It is little wonder that her jewellery collection was held to be the finest in the world.

Great grandchild of Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Ibrahim Ismail is current Johor Crown Prince ;Tunku Mahkota Johor is the first in line to the throne.

Great great grandchild of Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Ismail Idris Abdul Majid Abu Bakar Iskandar ibni Ibrahim Ismail during place on a throne ceremony as a Second in line to the throne as Raja Muda Johor (literally Young King) by his grandfather the current Sultan Of Johor, Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj Ibni Al-Sultan Ismail Al-Khalidi Ibni Sultan Ibrahim Al-Masyhur. Someone has told me, before the place on a throne, as a tradition, Johor Royal has acknowledge British Royal about to place Tunku Ismail as a second of throne.