JOHOR BARU, Jan 28 — As many as 30,000 Johoreans are expected to gather and make a beeline along the road from Istana Bukit Serene, here, to the Royal Hangar, Senai, to bid farewell to the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, as His Majesty leaves for the Istana Negara on January 31.

Johor police chief CP M Kumar said that the entire 35.5-kilometre route will be closed from 7.45am on that day.

He said that a total of 1,200 officers and personnel, including from other agencies, would be involved in controlling security and ensuring smooth traffic flow.

"His Majesty’s journey will take about an hour to reach the Royal Hangar.

"There are 15 celebration checkpoint locations, with 30,000 people estimated to be present. I call on the people to come and take part in the royal sending-off ceremony,” he said, at a press conference at the Johor contingent police headquarters, here today.

Therefore, he advised the members of the public to plan their journey in advance, always prioritise safety and obey instructions issued by the police.

Sultan Ibrahim will begin his reign as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a five-year term, effective January 31.

His Majesty is replacing Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who will complete his reign as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on January 30. — Bernama