Monarchies Today - Royalty around the globe: Sultan Ismail Petra of Kelantan (1949

Former Sultan Ismail II Petra of Kelantan, who died on September 28 (2019) & would have been 70 on (coming) Sunday, November 11, was the father of Sultan Muhammad V, former Yang di-Pertuan Agong (elected monarch) of Malaysia. He ruled as the 28th Sultan of Malaysia's ultra conservative state of Kelantan for 31 years, but was deposed in 2010 due to prolonged complications of a stroke.

Sultan Muhammad V as Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia

Thus, he lost his 'candidacy' for one rotation of Malaysia's Head of State' term (exchanged between Malay Rulers every five years), with his son being elected to the Supreme office (equivalent with a Sovereign King); though Muhammad's five-year term was cut short due to his unexpected abdication, earlier this year.

Ismail's parents Sultan Yahya Petra (left) & Raja Perempuan Zainab II (right) with royal relatives from Perlis & Kedah

Tengku Ismail was one of the last Malay monarchs, born before its Independence from Britain (in 1957). At the time of his birth (in 1949) his grandfather Sultan Ibrahim was the constituent Ruler of one of the 10 muslim Malay Sultanates, territories applied to the British Crown. Ismail was the fifth child & only son of future Sultan Yahya & Raja Perempuan (Royal Consort) Zainab II, both descendants of noble Petra dynasty, numbering back two centuries.

Sultan Ismail Petra & his immediate predecessors

His Royal Highness became heir to the throne in 1960, but was not formally appointed as Tengku Mahkota until his 18th birthday (11 November 1967). By then, every monarch of a Malaysian state (now members of a Federal constitutional system), could have the opportunity to be elected as Supreme Head of State for five years by the Conference of (those Rulers), who used to select the King according to the seniority order (of the monarchs at the time). His father enjoyed this opportunity in 1975, four years before death. Tengku Ismail attended school in Kota Bharu (Kelantan) and later was privately tutored by "a special English language teacher".

Tengku Ismail & Tengku Puan Anis

On 4 December 1968 Ismail Petra married his relative (from Petra dynasty), Tengku Anis Tengku Abdul Hamid (10 months older), both at the age of 19 at the palace of Kota Lama. Their formal Royal Persanding(an) ceremony took place on March 12, 1969. Together they had four children, three sons (Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra, Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra) & a daughter (Tengku Amalin A'Ishah Putri). From their daughter, they have two granddaughters (members of Brunei's House of Bolkiah). His elder son's son, Tengku Ismail Leon Petra hasn't been yet recognised.

Tengku Ismail Leon Petra Bin Sultan Muhammad V Faris Petra (b. 21/05/2019)

Tengku Amalin A'Ishah Putri with... (her hudband ?)

Sultan Ismail Petra Crowned (1980)

Tengku Ismail Petra undertook his state's regency when his father Al-Sultan Yahya was elected to serve as the sixth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia in September 1975. He however died of a heart attack on March 29, 1979, shy of completing his five-year-term. The Sultan of Pahang was selected as the next YDP Agong for a renewed term, while Ismail was proclaimed Sultan of Kelantan on March 30 (1979), the day of his father's funeral. He was elaborately crowned a year later (30 March 1980; his official birthday in Kelantan would be celebrated on that day, during his reign). Tengku Anis was crowned Raja Perempuan ('Queen-consort') on March 3.

Al-mArhumSultan Yahya Petra (1917 - 1979)'s funeral (30.03.1979)

Popular Arch of Sultan Ismail Petra in Kota Bharu, Kelantan

According to official sources, Sultan Ismail (II) tried to be close to his people, preserving the (poor) state's diversity & cohesion. As the head of Islam although (& at probably the most strict Sunni monarchy in Peninsular Malaya), he launched building projects for mosques, religious centres & schools accross the Sultanate's major districts, many of which now bear his name. Willing himself to obtain a complete tertial education, Ismail Petra finally achieved this goal at the age of 52, when, on January 8, 2002, "he was conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Political Science" from a prominent Thai University.

Sultan Ismail Petra (centre) in his later years...

On May 14, 2009, The Sultan of Kelantan suffered a major stroke attack, which left him paralysed, and required an immediate treatment abroad. From 29 May and as long as he was treated at a Singaporean hospital, his elder son & heir, Tengku Mahkota Muhammad Faris Petra was constitutionally proclaimed Regent of the state. An independent panel of medics was created to monitor on the Sultan's condition, in order to know what to do next. Sultan Ismail had began to recuperate, but he was still not able to reign.

Sultan Ismail II (right) Muhammad Faris Petra (centre) & Raja Perempuan Anis (left)

In the next few months the Regent had gained increased powers & used his authority to make changes into the Royal Council, that could somehow affect the succession. At some point, the Sultan used his authority to dismiss Faris from Regency & put his brother in law in his place. However, the state's Federal Court & Constitutional government didn't accept that, citing the unchallenged authority the Regent could have on the Ruler's incapability. An unresolved rift into the royal family begun...

Sultan Ismail Petra transported on a wheelchair & Tengku Faris

It was also near the same time that Sultan Ismail attempted to fil for irrevocable muslim divorse from his second wife, Elia Suhada bint Ahmad, whom he reportedly married on December 23, 2007. According to the strict Syariah law, he could just declare it three times (talaq tiga) in front of formal wittnesses, and the divorse should become irrevocable.

Cik Puan Elia Suhada binti Ahmad (b. 1979)

Though is was initially announced that the Sultan divorsed Elia in February 2010, it was later clarified by the court's Chief register that official divorse suit was made up by a third person representing HRH, hence it was yet declared nulified.

Cik Puan Elia Suhada wasn't at some point allowed to visit Ismail at Mount Elizabeth Hospital (in Singapore) as long as these proceedings remained unclarified. But at some point of time, a feud between her & the Sultan's main wife come also as an alternative version of the whole story.

Tengku Faris as Sultan Muhammad V

The final 'hit' for the Sultan came in September 2010, after medics didn't report major improvement of his health & the Sultanate's government decided to depose him (deeming his incapability due to ill health for more than a year). The suggestion was supported by the vast majority of local cabinet (where at least two third need to back any decision to push it forward) & thus approved. Tengku Faris, with the backing of the majority of constitutional parliament, though against his father's will was proclaimed the 29th Sultan of Kelantan (with the Regnal name Muhammad V) on September 13 (2010). Sultan Ismail Petra once again challenged this decision through his lawyers as unconstitutional, but lost to the Federal Court again. His second son Faiz was made Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan.

Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra & Cik ofie Louise Johansson

Sultan Ismail II Petra & Raja Perempuan Tengku Anis

From then it was not confirmed whether Sultan Ismail reconciled with his son. He had been already in poor health at the time, and made only few public appearances in a wheelchair, escorted by his wife (Tengku Anis), with whom he reached his Golden wedding last year (& who significantly supported him in his later life). Anis retained her title of Raja Perempuan, because Muhammad was divorsed (& thus had not an official consort to succeed this title).

Muhammad V in his fool official att

Though his son replaced him as a Ruler & was promoted (instead of him) to be elected as 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia (in 2016), the former Sultan (whose reaction on this is not known) became the first living parent of an elected Sovereign of Malaysia to outlive his son's term as Head of State. Muhammad V's reign as King had been quite eventful, but was cut short, when steeped into controversy of his secret (not-approved) marriage to a Russian beauty pageant model, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was forced to step down (making a historic first abdication from this office).

Al-Fatihah Almarhum Sultan Ismail Petra (1949 - 2019)

Sultan Ismail Petra had become even more weak in his last years, and from 2015-16 was often addmitted to hospital with serious heart conditions. He was shown last time attending the wedding of his second son, Tengku Mahkota Faiz, to Swedish national Cik Sofie Louise Johansson, in April this year. Sultan Ismail was once again hospitalized in ~ early September (2019) at the Royal Ward of Raja Perempuan Zainab II hospital in Kelantan (named after his mother), where he died on Saturday, September 28, at 8:11am. He was 69.

His funeral took place the same day & he was laid to rest with honors at Langgar Royal Mausoleum, next to his father's grave at 7:20pm. Kelantan declared 40 days of mourning; its royal family 100.

Al-Marhum Sultan Ismail Petra's grave just after the burial (28/09)

Sultan Muhammad V (centre) " celebrating "
his 50th birthday in a close family circle

And while Sultan Ismail II died just eight days before Sultan Muhammad V's 50th birthday (which was marked privately in a sombre atmosphere), the state still celebrates the Sultan's official birthday on the day he was born (November 11). He would have been 70 on that day this year, however, along with a remembrance of him, the state will celebrate the Jubilee of his (now fully legal - posthumous) successor. The state's official mourning ends today (Nov. 7), so it would transit to celebrations smoothly, not like Sultan Ismail's widow & the entire Petra dynasty, still recuperating from his loss.