JOHOR BARU, July 20 — Johoreans from various backgrounds in this city were thrilled to witness the historic installation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim as the 17th King of Malaysia, which was broadcast live from Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur through ‘wayang pacak’ here.
As early as 8am, about 50 adults and children had gathered at the National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi) in Taman Cempaka here to watch the ‘live’ screening organised by the Johor Information Department.
Also present was Pulai Member of Parliament Suhaizan Kaiat.
Retired civil servant A. Soaganathan, 69, described the historic moment as very special and expressed his pride in the installation of the Sultan of Johor as the Malaysian King.
“As a Malaysian, I am confident His Majesty will lead Malaysia to greater heights, prosperity and harmony,” he told reporters today.
Another Johorean, Thomas Yong Kim Sing, 58, expressed delight at being able to relive such a momentous occasion, akin to the installation of the late Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail as the eighth King forty years ago.
“Today’s event, which sees Sultan Ibrahim following in the footsteps of his late father, is a recurrence of an event that occurred when I was still a teenager in 1984. I am confident Sultan Ibrahim will lead Malaysia well,” said the private sector worker.
Eleven-year-old Muhammad Qayyum Abdullah, a student from Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Cempaka, said he got up at 6am to invite his friends to watch the live screening of the ceremony.
“This is the first time I have seen such an event. I feel proud to be a Johorean. My friends and I have learned new things about the monarchy in our country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Suhaizan expressed confidence that Sultan Ibrahim would drive the nation to greater heights, as he had done in Johor.
“As citizens of this country, we hope for enhanced prosperity, economic growth, education, and overall happiness for the people,” he said. — Bernama
