Ismail Petra of Kelantan

Sultan Ismail Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Yahya Petra (Jawi: ; 11 November 1949 – 28 September 2019) was the 28th Sultan of Kelantan and the 11th Sultan of Modern Kelantan who reigned from 30 March 1979 to 13 September 2010.

He succeeded on the death of his father, Sultan Yahya Petra.

Sultan Ismail Petra was born at Istana Jahar, Kota Bharu, Kelantan on 19 Muharam 1369 Hijrah, corresponding to Friday 11 November 1949.

He was the youngest child and only son of Sultan Yahya Petra by his first wife, Raja Perempuan Zainab II.

He grew up with four elder siblings, namely, Tengku Merjan, Tengku Rozan, Tengku Salwani and Tengku Rohani.

Sultan Ismail Petra received his secondary education at Sultan Ismail College, Kota Bharu before being tutored by a special English Language teacher.

Sultan Ismail Petra was made as the Crown Prince (Tengku Mahkota) of Kelantan on 11 November 1967 at Istana Balai Besar, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

Additionally, Sultan Ismail Petra was appointed as the Regent (Pemangku Raja) of Kelantan on three occasions.

In 1968, Sultan Ismail Petra joined the Government Administrative Services as an officer and was attached to the Kelantan State Secretary Office for a period of a year.

He then worked at the Land and District Office in Kota Bharu.

During this time, he gained vast experience and extensive knowledge on all fields of administration.

Sultan Ismail Petra married Raja Perempuan Tengku Anis binti Tengku Abdul Hamid on 4 December 1968 when they both were aged 19 years old.

The royal couple had four children:

The first was from 6 July 1974 to 25 July 1974 when his father performed the functions of the King of Malaysia (Yang di-Pertuan Agong).

Sultan Ismail Petra was commissioned as the Honorary Royal of the rank of major in the Territorial Army Regiment on 1 November 1974.

The second time was from 12 July 1975 to 28 August 1975 when his father was visiting Europe.

The third time was when his father was elected as the King of Malaysia from 21 September 1975 until his death on 29 March 1979.

Then, he was elevated to lieutenant colonel on 1 January 1976.

Sultan Ismail Petra succeeded his father as the Sultan of Kelantan on 30 March 1979.

A year later, on 30 March 1980, he was crowned as the Sultan of Kelantan at Throne Room of the Istana Balai Besar, Kota Bharu.

On 15 March 1988, he was appointed Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army Regiment and also Honorary Major-General & Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Artillery Regiment in 1997.

On 8 January 2002, he was conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Political Science from the Ramkhamhaeng University, Thailand.

Sultan Ismail Petra also had a second wife, Cik Puan Elia Suhana Ahmad, whom he married on 23 December 2007.

Sultan Ismail Petra was the first Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and was proclaimed on 10 August 2008.

Sultan Ismail Petra suffered a massive stroke on 14 May 2009.

He received follow-up treatments at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital, Kubang Kerian.

The Kelantan government then appointed medical specialists to form a medical panel to check his level of health.

He was succeeded by his eldest son, Sultan Muhammad V who ascended the throne on 13 September 2010 after being deemed incapacitated.

It was reported that Sultan Ismail Petra, filed an application for verification of his divorce from his second wife, at the Syariah High Court on 9 March 2010.

When Sultan Ismail Petra continued to be ill, the panel decided that he was not capable of ruling the state and it was decided that his eldest son, Crown Prince Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra be crowned the new sultan on 13 September 2010 by order of the Kelantan Succession Council.

However, lawyers acting on behalf of Sultan Ismail Petra filed a petition to the Federal Court to have the appointment of the Crown Prince as the Sultan of Kelantan nullified, citing the appointment as unconstitutional.

However, the Syariah Court of Appeal rejected an application to validate the divorce pronouncement allegedly uttered by Sultan Ismail Petra against her second wife on 30 March 2011.

Sultan Ismail Petra died at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kota Bharu on 28 September 2019, aged 69, after 10 years of suffering from a massive stroke and was buried at the Kelantan Royal Mausoleum.

Sultan Ismail Petra died on 28 September 2019 at 8:11 am at the Royal Ward of Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Bharu, aged 69 because of heart failure.

On that day, the Mentri Besar of Kelantan Dato' Ahmad Yakob officially announced his death.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad gave his quote about Sultan Ismail Petra.

"But when Sultan Ismail Petra was the ruler, I had good relations with His Highness. I found him an orderly person and easy to work with"

On the same day, a state funeral was held.

Among the royal family were present and other dignitaries were present to give their last respects is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, the Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin and the Raja Perempuan of Perlis Tuanku Fauziah.

Also in attendance were the Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her husband Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim.