Johor crown prince to marry on Friday

JOHOR BARU: Tengku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (pic) will end his bachelorhood on Friday. 

Johor Royal Council president Datuk Abdul Rahim Ramli said Tunku Ismail, 30, would marry Cik Khaleeda Bustamam, 21, around 10am.

He said the engagement and the solemnisation (nikah) ceremonies would be held at Istana Bukit Serene to be attended only by closed family members of the couple.

"The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, will present seven gifts to the bride's party while her family will reciprocate with nine gifts," he told a press conference at Bukit Timbalan.

Bernama reports that the solemnisation of the marriage will be conducted by Johor Mufti Datuk Tahrir Samsuddin.

Cik Khaleeda

Cik Khaleeda would be bestowed the title Che Puan following the solemnisation of the marriage, said Abdul Rahim.

He said the merisik ceremony to get acquainted with the family of the bride took place on Sept 27 with the royal entourage led by the Tunku Temenggong of Johor, Tunku Idris Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim.

Abdul Rahim also announced that the persandingan reception of Tunku Mahkota Johor and Cik Khaleeda would be held at 7.30pm on Nov 8 at the Istana Besar, Johor Baru.

The ceremony would be held on a moderate scale but steeped in the Johor royal and military tradition, which is expected to be attended by 1,200 guests from within and outside the country.

Among those expected to attend are the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah; the Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah; Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Johor state executive councillors and Johor state assemblymen.

Abdul Rahim said there would not be any media coverage for the event.

The Tunku Mahkota of Johor, who was born on June 30, 1984, in Johor Baru, is the eldest of six children of the Sultan of Johor and Raja Zarith Sofia.

He received his early education in Johor Baru before pursuing his studies at the Australian International School, Singapore, in 1999 and Hale School in Perth, Australia.

From July 17, 2003, to Dec 11, 2004, Tunku Ismail underwent military training at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, India, and was commissioned as a lieutenant.

Tunku Ismail created history when he became the first foreigner to lead the Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army to salute the Indian President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in conjunction with India's 58th National Day on Jan 20, 2007.

Cik Khaleeda was born on July 16, 1993, in Kuala Lumpur and is the youngest of five children of Bustamam Daud and his wife, Aziyah Abdul Aziz.

She received her early education at SRK Taman Seri Gombak from 2000 until 2003, before furthering her studies at St George's School, Hanover Square, London, from 2003 to 2004.

From Sept 2004 till July 2008, Cik Khaleeda continued her studies at Westminster Academy London and at Sekolah Sri Utama, Kuala Lumpur, after returning to Malaysia in 2010.