Malaysia’s incoming monarch vows ‘to hunt all the corrupt people’

SINGAPORE: Malaysia will have a new king in January next year. The country will see the Sultan of Johor, Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, ascend the throne as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong. This will occur on Jan 31, 2024, as he replaces Al-Sultan Abdullah ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah, the Sultan of Pahang, who ascended the throne in January 2019. 

And while the King is a constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia, it would be no surprise to see the incoming King step in concerning political matters. “I’m going to hunt all the corrupt people,” he’s quoted as saying in a New Straits Times article published on Sunday (Dec 10). In it, he promises that one of his most important priorities when he becomes king is to get rid of corruption in Malaysia. He also said that ensuring Malaysia’s unity would be one of his biggest challenges during his term.

“The main reason for the country’s political instability is triggered by ‘saboteurs’ or certain groups who lose in the general elections. Many contribute hundreds of millions before the elections. How do you pay them back? By giving them mega projects? That will not happen when I become the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Who asked you (politicians) to give (political contributions).

From my great-grandfather, we were great hunters. I make sure when I go hunting, I bring back nice returns. But when I’m in Kuala Lumpur, it’s a concrete jungle, so what do I hunt? I’m going to hunt all the corrupt people. I make sure I bring results,” the Sultan says.

“In the current political atmosphere in Malaysia, we can be sure the monarchy [is] not only expected to play [an] important role as stabilizer but also as [an] important source of psychological relief for the people,” Muhamad Takiyuddin, an associate professor of political science at University Kebangsaan Malaysia, is quoted in saying in TIME. /TISG

Read also: Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ismail: Johor and Singapore enjoy a long and enduring friendship