Tunku Ismail Idris

Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim (; né Tunku Ismail Idris Abdul Majid Abu Bakar Iskandar ibni Tunku Ibrahim Ismail, born 30 June 1984) is the heir apparent to the Johor throne. He is the Regent (Pemangku Sultan) and Crown Prince (Tunku Mahkota) of Johor, and the eldest son of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar and Raja Zarith Sofiah.

Tunku Ismail trained at the Indian Military Academy and was commissioned into the Indian Army. In 2007 he led a mounted column of the 61 Cavalry regiment at India's Republic Day parade, the first foreigner to command an Indian Army unit on the occasion. He has been noted for his religious moderation. He owns the football club Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C., which in 2015 became the first Southeast Asian club to win the AFC Cup, and he was president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) from 2017 to 2018.

Tunku Ismail has been the subject of several controversies. He was accused of assault after a 2008 confrontation with members of the Negeri Sembilan royal family at a Kuala Lumpur hotel and after a 2014 incident in the players' tunnel at a Piala FA match; neither case led to charges. In 2024, a member of his security escort assaulted a deaf Grab driver in Kuala Lumpur and was fined RM1,000. He has had a long-running public dispute with Muar MP Syed Saddiq, whom he has repeatedly called a populist. In 2025, FIFA sanctioned FAM over falsified documents used to naturalise seven players whom Tunku Ismail had approved, and he rejected the ruling.

Early life and education

Tunku Ismail completed his early education at Sekolah Sri Utama and Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan St. Joseph in Johor Bahru. He subsequently received lower secondary education at the Australian International School in Singapore and continued with his higher secondary studies at Hale School in Perth, Western Australia, until 2002. with his late grandfather in the Malaysian Army and father in the US Army, Tunku Ismail aspired for a career in the Indian Armed Forces. In July 2003, he enrolled as a cadet officer in the Indian Military Academy (IMA), India's premier military training school located at Dehradun. His father and grandfather also had trained at IMA.

Prince of Johor Tunku Ismail was appointed Raja Muda (literally means "Younger King", but taken to mean as second heir apparent or son of the Crown Prince) on 8 April 2006 by his grandfather, the late Sultan of Johor, and placing him second in line to the throne (Now first in line after the passing of Sultan Iskandar). Tunku Ismail was appointed as the Tunku Mahkota of Johor on 28 January 2010.

The Malaysian prince is the first foreigner to lead a unit of the Indian Army in the Indian Republic Day Parade. On 26 January 2007, with a rank of captain in Indian Army, he led a mounted column of Jaipur-based 61 Cavalry regiment to salute president of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam during the Republic Day celebrations. Tunku Ismail's father Tunku Ibrahim Ismail flew in from Johor Bahru on 23 January 2007 to be present at the celebrations while his son added a chapter to the history of the Indian Army.

On 2 December 2022, Tunku Ismail was installed as the Chancellor of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) at the first session of the university’s 22nd convocation at Dewan Sultan Ibrahim.

On 13 December 2023, Tunku Ismail was proclaimed as the Pro Chancellor of Kolej Universiti Islam Johor Sultan Ibrahim (KUIJSI) at the university's 21st convocation at the Johor Persada International Convention Centre.

Other activities

Sports A polo enthusiast, Tunku Ismail is a skilful horse rider. He was bestowed the Best in Riding award among IMA cadets between 2003 and 2004. He is also a polo player for his regiment and has won many trophies.

The prince is also a sports car enthusiast. All of his cars are registered under the same licence plate of "TMJ", an abbreviation from the title Tunku Mahkota Johor which is also his nickname as addressed informally by Malaysians within and outside Johor.

His Royal Highness the Tunku Mahkota (Crown Prince) of Johor, Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim has been appointed as the President of Johor Football Association (PBNJ). The EGM held in Johor Bahru saw the Crown Prince appointed as the new president replacing the former, Jais Sarday. Among his plans to help bring back Johorean football to its former glory, the Crown Prince merged the Johor teams (which previously were Johor FC, MBJB and MP Muar) into only one where all of the players wear the Jengking (Scorpion) Team Jersey. .

Tunku Ismail's leadership on the club Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C also oversaw its success as the first Southeast Asian club to lift the AFC Cup in 2015.

In 2014, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) appointed the Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim as an advisor to the previous FAM president, his uncle, Sultan Abdullah of Pahang. Tunku Ismail assisted and worked hand in hand with FAM in improving the quality of football within the country, particularly with the national team as well as the junior teams.

As predicted, there were several concerns about the news, particularly with Tunku Ismail having lost the FAM presidency election to Tengku Abdullah earlier that year. Besides that, he had been extremely vocal with his criticisms on the nation's footballing body. However, the then Johor FA president was extremely optimistic about the new role, claiming that he will only be pushing for the betterment of football within the country.

He was elected as President of FAM for a short term from 2017 to 2018.

Controversies

Crowne Plaza incident

In the early hours of 24 October 2008, a confrontation occurred between members of the Johor and Negeri Sembilan royal families at a nightclub in Kuala Lumpur. The incident began when a bottle was allegedly thrown by a member of the Johor royalty at Tunku Nadzimuddin Tunku Muzaffar, a 36-year-old prince from the Negeri Sembilan royal family, and his friends. The Johor group left shortly after, while Tunku Nadzimuddin's group continued their night out.

Around 3 AM, Tunku Nadzimuddin received a call from someone claiming to be a member of the Johor royal family. The caller said that Tunku Ismail wanted to apologize for the earlier incident and invited Tunku Nadzimuddin to the Crowne Plaza hotel in Jalan Sultan Ismail. Out of respect, Tunku Nadzimuddin agreed and went to the hotel with his friends. The case attracted attention due to its involvement of royal family members and raised questions about legal immunity for royalty. The police began an investigation, eventually recording statements from 41 witnesses.

T-Team's chief operating officer, Syahrizan Mohd Zain, alleged that Tunku Ismail, then president of the Johor Football Association (PBNJ), punched their Brazilian forward Evaldo Goncalves in the face as the player headed to the dressing room, and that a security officer kicked fitness coach Stefano Impagliazzo in the groin. Evaldo was reported to have suffered a nosebleed; Impagliazzo sustained injuries to his thigh. A third player, Fábio Flor, filed a separate police report in Kuala Terengganu alleging Tunku Ismail had threatened him with the words "I will kill you, this is my country".

T-Team refused to resume play for the second half and left the stadium. Police escorted the team to the Mersing border; the players were reportedly told not to wear their jerseys during the journey. At a swearing-on-the-Quran ceremony later organised by T-Team officials, assistant coach Azlan Johar swore the assault on Evaldo had taken place; Irfan did not attend.

On Astro Arena's programme Dengan Izin, Tunku Ismail denied assaulting anyone, saying he had gone into the tunnel to separate the two sides and had told one of the foreign players to "respect this country". He added that Evaldo's face showed no visible injuries. FAM's Disciplinary Committee went on to postpone the assault hearing, saying it did not want its decision to conflict with the police outcome. JDT was fined RM30,000 and given a warning for failing to provide adequate security at the stadium. FAM awarded JDT a 3–0 walkover victory, and T-Team were eliminated from the Piala FA. The incident occurred when Ong was asked to move his vehicle as the royal entourage was departing the hotel lobby. A dashcam video later revealed that a man, believed to be a police officer accompanying Tunku Ismail, shouted at Ong before punching him in the face when Ong lowered his window to communicate.

Following the incident, Ong sought treatment at Kuala Lumpur Hospital for soft tissue injuries and lodged a police report at the Brickfields police station around 13:00 on the same day. The case was initially classified under Section 323 of the Penal Code for causing injury.

This turn of events raised suspicions of a potential cover-up. It was later revealed by the Malaysian Deaf Advocacy and Well-being Organisation (DAWN) that Ong had actually filed only one report, while the police had prepared three additional reports which Ong signed without fully understanding their contents. DAWN also alleged that Ong was pressured at the police station to either accept compensation from a palace representative or face having his phone confiscated if the case went to court.

On 31 May, Ong denied withdrawing his initial police report and clarified the circumstances surrounding the additional reports. Meanwhile, Tunku Ismail issued a statement urging a thorough investigation while also claiming there was a "movement" attempting to tarnish the royal institution's reputation. On 4 November 2024, Lance Corporal Taufik Ismail was fined RM1000 by a Magistrate's Court after pleading guilty.

Public dispute with Syed Saddiq Tunku Ismail has had a public dispute with Muar MP Syed Saddiq, which became prominent after the 2018 Malaysian general election. In December 2018, Tunku Ismail publicly criticised Syed Saddiq for sending birthday wishes to his brother, telling him to "save your sucking up for other people". In April 2019, Syed Saddiq claimed that Tunku Ismail had made political demands, including a request to cancel a Manny Pacquiao boxing match, which Syed Saddiq stated he could not fulfil.

The dispute continued into 2021. In June, Tunku Ismail described Syed Saddiq as a populist politician. Syed Saddiq responded by thanking Tunku Ismail for his "concern about Muar's residents" and stated he was open to criticism. The following month, Tunku Ismail accused Syed Saddiq of being a "drama queen" after the latter started a crowdfunding campaign for his legal expenses. In September 2021, during an Instagram Q&A session, Tunku Ismail suggested that Syed Saddiq should "jump off KLCC without a parachute" to get his attention.

The dispute resurfaced in 2026. In June, at a podcast session with young Johoreans held at the Tunku Mahkota Ismail Youth Centre in Muar, Tunku Ismail again characterised Syed Saddiq as a populist who performed for social media rather than serving his constituents. Without naming him, he said that many politicians were "Hollywood" and described "the most 'Hollywood' of all" as "the one near Muar" (Malay: ), a remark widely interpreted as a reference to the Muar MP.

FAM player naturalisation scandal

On 28 September 2025, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) after finding it had submitted "falsified or doctored" documents to prove the Malaysian heritage of seven foreign-born players. The ruling resulted in a CHF 350,000 fine for FAM and a 12-month ban for all seven players.

Tunku Ismail's role in the programme was central; he publicly confirmed on 25 October 2025, that a list of 27-28 potential players "had been presented to him", and he had "approved" the seven in question based on assurances that they had been vetted by both FAM and the National Registration Department (NRD).

FAM's official response was to attribute the incident to a "technical error" and to suspend its Secretary-General, Noor Azman Rahman. This move was strongly criticised by anti-graft watchdogs; the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) called it a "disturbing lack of accountability at the highest level", while Transparency International Malaysia noted it reflected a "wider pattern of opaque decision-making". Tunku Ismail also publicly disagreed with the suspension, stating it was "not right" and that "everyone should bear this responsibility" rather than scapegoat one individual. He suggested external interference by Indonesian side, asking in a social media post, "Who was in New York?"

On 9 October, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad called the affair a "deliberate attempt to cheat", asserting that it could only have been orchestrated by "somebody with power" who believes they are "above the law".

In March 2026, Tunku Ismail responded to an account on X that urged the public to never forget his alleged responsibility in the document falsification. In response, Tunku Ismail appeared to agree with the user and went further by suggesting that he be taken to court with any available evidence.

Personal life On 24 October 2014, Tunku Ismail married Che' Puan Mahkota Khaleeda at Istana Bukit Serene in a private ceremony. The solemnisation ceremony was performed by Johor mufti Dato' Mohd Tahrir Samsudin. The royal wedding reception took place at the Istana Besar on 8 November 2014.

The couple's first child is a daughter, Tunku Khalsom Aminah Sofiah, born on 25 June 2016. Their second child, a son, Tunku Iskandar Abdul Jalil Abu Bakar Ibrahim, was born 14 October 2017. A third child and second son, Tunku Abu Bakar Ibrahim, was born on 17 July 2019. A fourth child and second daughter, Tunku Zahrah Zarith Aziyah, was born on 21 April 2021. A fifth child and third daughter, Tunku Khadeeja Khayra Iskandariah, was born on 5 April 2026.

He is also a half third cousin of Sultan Nazrin Shah, the current Sultan of Perak since both share a common male ancestor Idris Shah I of Perak. He is also a grandnephew as well as nephew by marriage of Al-Sultan Abdullah, the current Sultan of Pahang and an 11th cousin of Tengku Muhammad Ismail, the Crown Prince of Terengganu since they both share a common male ancestor Tun Habib Abdul Majid Al-Aydrus.

Titles and styles

Tunku Ismail's full style and title in Malay: Tunku Mahkota Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, D.K., S.P.M.J, S.S.I.J, S.M.J., P.I.S, Pemangku Sultan Johor

in English: His Royal Highness Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, D.K., S.P.M.J, S.S.I.J, S.M.J., P.I.S, Regent of Johor

Honours

Johor honours

Honours of Malaysia

Issue

Name Born Place birth Age Her Highness Tunku Khalsom Aminah Sofiah Binti Tunku Ismail Idris Abdul Majid Abu Bakar Iskandar Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor His Royal Highness Tunku Iskandar Abdul Jalil Abu Bakar Ibrahim Ibni Tunku Ismail Idris Abdul Majid Abu Bakar Iskandar Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor His Highness Tunku Abu Bakar Ibrahim Ibni Tunku Ismail Idris Abdul Majid Abu Bakar Iskandar Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor Her Highness Tunku Zahrah Zarith Aziyah Binti Tunku Ismail Idris Abdul Majid Abu Bakar Iskandar Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor Her Highness Tunku Khadeeja Khayra Iskandariah Binti Tunku Ismail Idris Abdul Majid Abu Bakar Iskandar Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor

Ancestry