Malaysia has a new king – a private jet-flying, luxury car-driving, social media-loving billionaire who delights in flashing his wealth and has promised to deliver a wake-up call to the nation’s government for good measure. 

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, 65, was sworn in as the nation’s new king this morning under a unique rotating monarchy system which sees the rulers of nine Malaysian states take turns as monarch for five-year terms.

Now known as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, or ‘He Who is Made Lord’, the Sultan boasts an estate estimated to be worth some £4.5billion, according to Bloomberg – but his real wealth is thought to be far greater.

That is thanks in part to his extensive business empire that ranges from real estate to telecoms and power plants, not to mention huge holdings in foreign property and stakes in various other companies. 

His fleet of private jets is rivalled only by his collection of some 300 luxury cars, including one said to have been a gift from none other than Adolf Hitler – an acquaintance of one of his predecessors.

And any nefarious party attempting to dispute the monarchy would face the wrath of the Sultan’s very own private army.

Ibrahim, the ruler of Johor state, took his oath of office at the royal palace in a ceremony witnessed by other royal families, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Cabinet members, earlier today.

The king plays a largely ceremonial role in Malaysia, as administrative power is vested in the prime minister and Parliament. 

But the monarch is the nominal head of the government and armed forces, and is highly regarded as the protector of Islam and Malay tradition. 

All laws, Cabinet appointments and the dissolution of Parliament for general elections require his assent, and the king also has the power to proclaim an emergency and pardon criminals.

Meanwhile, Sultan Ibrahim has made clear his intentions to rein in lawmakers and bring about stability in a nation whose politics are historically unstable, with more than 20 parties vying for control.

The new monarch succeeded Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang state, who presided over a tumultuous period that included COVID-19 lockdowns and two collapsed governments. 

Abdullah was forced to intervene three times in the past to decide who became prime minister – twice after the government imploded, and most recently in November 2022 when elections led to a hung parliament.

Sultan Ibrahim has indicated he will maintain this hands-on approach.

He said in an interview with the Singapore Straits Times published last month that he would not want to waste five years on the throne as a ‘puppet king’, and will focus on deepening unity in the country while fighting political corruption. 

It is thought Sultan Ibrahim will seek to bolster the rule of incumbent Prime Minister Anwar, who in 2018 was pardoned by a previous monarch Muhammad V after being imprisoned on sodomy and corruption charges that he says were politically motivated. 

The Sultan is also vocal about welfare issues and takes annual road trips on his motorbike to meet the people in his state, holding clinics and rallies to hear the concerns and desires of his people.

But his focus on the struggles of Malaysia’s poorest is juxtaposed with his incredible wealth – something Sultan Ibrahim has no reservations about flaunting.

He flew from Johor to today’s ceremony in the capital Kuala Lumpur on a gold-and-blue Boeing 737 – just one of several private jets under his command. 

The Sultan’s high corporate profile – including a stake in the multibillion-dollar Forest City development project in Johor with China’s beleaguered developer Country Garden – has raised eyebrows amid concerns of a possible conflict of interest. 

The sultan has publicly advocated establishing a special economic zone between Johor and neighbouring Singapore to strengthen ties and last year said he planned to revive a stalled high-speed rail project between Malaysia and the city-state. 

He has also said he wants the head of Malaysia’s anti-corruption commission and state-owned energy company Petronas to report directly to him, instead of the Prime Minister. 

But he has vigorously defended his business dealings, quipping that he has to ‘earn a living, like ordinary Malaysians’ as he cannot rely on his 27,000 ringgit (£4,500) monthly state allowance.

‘If you look at the history of the Johor royal family, we have been involved in business from the days of my great-grandfather,’ the Sultan said in an interview with local media in 2015. 

‘I have never tried to hide my business dealings using proxies, like some people do. I am open and transparent.’

Sultan Ibrahim’s mother was born in Cornwall, and his wife Raja Zarith Sofiah is an Oxford University graduate.

Sofiah, 64, is no less interesting than the outspoken motorcycle-riding ruler with whom she shares six children.

The new Queen of Malaysia, dubbed the ‘Queen of Hearts’ by local media thanks to her charitable endeavours, was born into another Malay royal family.

She started her education in Kuala Kangsar before moving to the prestigious Cheltenham Ladies’ College, with other former pupils including actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Elon Musk’s ex-wife Talulah Riley and Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy. 

She can speak five languages, is a strong advocate for improving the use of English in Malaysia, and is a prolific writer who has authored four children’s books and also contributes to a newspaper column.

In 2017, she led Queen Camilla – then Duchess of Cornwall – on a tour of an international school in Kuala Lumpur during a visit to Southeast Asia with Charles, the then Prince of Wales.

Nine ethnic Malay state rulers have taken turns as king for five-year terms under the world’s only such system since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

Malaysia has 13 states but only nine have royal families, some that trace their roots to centuries-old Malay kingdoms that were independent states until they were brought together by Britain.

Sultan Ibrahim’s election to the national throne by his fellow rulers in October was widely expected based on an established rotation order. 

The order of rotation among the sultans was originally determined by seniority, based on how long they had been ruling.

But that rule was dropped after all the royal families completed a term each and they now take turns based on the initial order.

Sultan Nazrin Shah, the ruler of Perak state and next in line to the throne, was re-elected as deputy king.