'Almarhum Sultan Sir Ismail Al-Khalidi ibni Almarhum Sultan Sir Ibrahim Al-Masyhur', was the third
sultan of modern
Johor in
Malaysia.
Born Tunku Ismail on
October 28,
1894 at Istana Semayam, Johor, he was the eldest son of
Sultan Ibrahim by his first wife, Sultanah Ungku Maimunah.
Though proclaimed ''Tunku Mahkota'' or crown prince at the age of one, he did not succeed his father until the latter died in May 1959. He was nonetheless the
de facto ruler of Johor, as his father was overseas most of the time.
He was crowned at Istana Besar, Johor Bahru on the 10th February,1960 and was the last Johor Sultan to be officially crowned.
In 1961, he stripped his eldest son Tunku Mahmood Iskandar,the future
Sultan Iskandar of the post of Tunku Mahkota due to misconduct. His second son, Tunku Rahman(
1933-
1989) became the Tunku Mahkota instead. However, shortly before his death in 1981, Sultan Ismail pardoned his eldest son and it was Tunku Mahmood Iskandar who succeeded to the throne as the fourth Sultan of Johor.
He was the first Chancellor of ''Universiti Teknologi Malaysia'' when the institution was established.
Sultan Ismail who was an animal lover was known affectionately as "Lau Sultan" among the Chinese community in Johor meaning "an old or elderly Sultan".
In 1976, both Sultan Ismail and his wife, Ungku Tun Aminah binti Ungku Ahmad, met with a car accident in
Muar. While she was permanently left in a vegetative state until her death in 1977 owing to brain damage, the sultan escaped with only minor injuries. After the death of his mother, however, it was rumoured that the Raja Muda, the future
Sultan Iskandar, went around Johor to slap people who did not wear a black band on their sleeves or white band on their songkoks, a sign of respect for the royal deceased.
Sultan Ismail died on
May 10,
1981 and was succeeded by his eldest son
Sultan Iskandar.
Family
A meek and quiet ruler, Sultan Ismail married two official wives who served as
sultanahs of Johor. They were:
# Ungku Tun Aminah binti Ungku Ahmad (d. 1977) perished in a road accident in 1976. He had all together seven children from his first marriage of which only three survived to adulthood and this include the current Sultan of Johor,
Sultan Iskandar.
# Tengku Nora binti Tengku Panglima Raja Ahmad