KUALA LUMPUR: "Rahmat bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan, Raja kita, selamat bertakhta".
The reverberation of the last line of the sacred national anthem, Negaraku, through the Balairung Seri (Throne Room) of Istana Negara, could not have described better the historic event that took place in the city today.
In fact, the last line of the anthem, which literally means "With God's blessings of grace and happiness, Our King is safely enthroned" perfectly marked the completion of the Installation Ceremony of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim as the 17th King of Malaysia.
The ceremony serves as a formal proclamation to the world that Sultan Ibrahim has ascended to the federal throne as Supreme Head of the Federation of Malaysia, with the solemn duty of safeguarding the wellbeing of the people and the sovereignty of the country for the next five years.
This glittering event also underscores the continuity of the unique rotational system among the nine Malay rulers in the Constitutional Monarchy system that Malaysia has upheld since its independence in 1957.
For the ceremony, Sultan Ibrahim wore the 'Muskat', the official dress of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, made of black wool with gold embroidery and decorated with traditional 'awan larat' and hibiscus - the national flower – patterns, while Her Majesty the Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah looked elegant in a golden Kurung Johor outfit adorned with the golden hibiscus motif embroidery.
The sounds of the nafiri (trumpet) by the Malaysian Armed Forces and the tune of "Raja Berangkat" played by the Royal Nobat (Orchestra) of Perak echoed as the royal couple headed to sit on the throne, which is intricately carved with the 99 names of Allah and features a dome design at the top.
The entrance of Their Majesties into the Throne Room not only attracted the attention of the 700 guests at the palace but also millions of Malaysians and foreigners watching the live streaming of the event on televisions and social media platforms.
Notably, Sultan Ibrahim's ascension to the federal throne also made him the second generation of the Johor Sultanate to hold the esteemed position after his father, the late Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail, reigned as the eighth Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1984 to 1989.
The installation ceremony of Sultan Ibrahim began with a Royal Salute steeped in military tradition by the three branches of the Malaysian Armed Forces, symbolising the pledge of loyalty of the national defence forces to the King as their Supreme Commander. - BERNAMA