An Encounter with Sultan Ibrahim of Johor
The "Unserene Sultan"
In Palace of Ghosts, the untold story is narrated through the lens of a mysterious ruined palace. Pinpointing a lead character is no easy task. In fact, such a description rightfully belongs to the palace itself, as the narrative continually circles back to the Tyersall estate and the grand palaces that once stood upon it.
The story reveals many facets of his character. His father complained that he was short tempered and temperamental, but he was also revered by his followers and lauded by the Singapore press and hugely popular among Singapore society. But what was he really like? What kind of presence did he have, and how did he make others feel when in his company?
The Speejacks Calls At Singapore
Dale Collins, an Australian journalist and author, was visiting Singapore in the early 1920s while on board the latest “power-yacht” (a sailboat with an engine), the so-called S.S. Speejack, during its famous round the world voyage. He wrote a book about his adventure with the tongue twisting title Sea-Tracks of the Speejacks: Round the World, published 1923, (and the quotes below are taken from this book).
1920s Singapore made a lasting impression upon Collins:
“All the world that travels passes through Singapore at some time … Singapore is a port with a soul, with a peronsonality … The flags of all the world flutter out to the breeze which comes romping in freshly from the ocean and lifts the white pennants from the dancing waves … the street is a living mass of humanity of all shades and colours, speaking all the languages of the East”.
The "oohs," "aahs," and gasps of delight and disbelief that often accompany visitors' first impressions of Singapore are typically tied to the marvels of the modern city-state. Yet, it’s evident that, despite the many upheavals in its history, the city has always had a remarkable ability to leave newcomers awestruck!
A Lunch to Remember
However, it was Collin's encounter with Sultan Ibrahim that left an indelible mark on his memory, overshadowing even the extraordinary experience of arriving for the first time in Singapore during its peak, which faded into mere background noise by comparison.
Sultan Ibrahim as he would have appeared at about the time of his meeting with Dale Collins
While ashore in Singapore, Collins spent a day with Sultan Ibrahim which left him breathless. His first impression was of his physical presence:
“He stood at least six feet four inches and he was broad in proportion … His big bold black eyes roved everywhere, his dark face was commanding and full of a jovial arrogance, his big hands drummed with nervous energy ……. He was a great bull of a man, a sultan of romance”.
His stature alone was enough to cow most people but his force of personality fueled the juggernaut. They had lunch together, dining at the Raffles Hotel:
“He rushes you through tiffin.…..you feel as if you are eating with a lion ….. there is nothing serene about Sultan Ibrahim of Johore…..he curses like a trooper, he has reckless black eyes, and a reckless great mouth.”
Raffles Hotel, the setting for journalist Dale Collins' luncheon with Sultan Ibrahim of Johor. A 2023 photograph of the Raffles Hotel in Singapore reveals a largely unchanged frontage compared to the day in 1923 that Collins and the sultan had lunch together.
“He roars through life like a hurricane…. A day in the life of the Sultan is a reckless event”.
Collins experienced first-hand his flamboyant lifestyle and recounts episodes of the Sultan’s startling behavior:
“The man, at fifty, is a living ball of energy. He is keen on horses, upon cattle, upon his army, upon hunting. He lives hard and at a pace that would kill most people. He plays with equal zest. He has killed forty-five tigers, and is a fine shot. He plays polo. He rules with a strong hand”.
Sultan Ibrahim was a well-known motorcar and motor racing enthusiast, owning many early models of luxury cars, including his 70 horsepower Mercedes Benz, one of his early favorites. Collins exclaims;
“The Sultan owns twelve of the most expensive cars money can buy”.
He hosted the first meeting of the Singapore Automobile Club on the Tyersall estate in 1907 and many such race events thereafter. Collins recounts his experience after his meal at Raffles Hotel:
“he whirls you into a car, with frightened boys dashing hither and thither. The speedometer creeps up to sixty. “Lekas” shouts Sir Ibrahim and you might imagine that he is ordering caution. The word, however, means faster…….. He halts the car at a livery stable and hails the Australian proprietor as “Bill!”, buys a great upstanding stallion with expert surety of judgement, shouts that the account must be sent today, and is off again without pause to draw breath”.
Later Collins was introduced to the Sultan’s aide-de-camp, the fiercely loyal Major Dato Daud. Collins relates the story about Dato Daud:
“One day a diamond ring he wore displeased his master, who snatched it from his finger and flung it into the sea; on another he threw away his wrist watch”.
The Sultan’s temperament was of the kind that wealth made careless compulsion an easy option: a complete disregard for consequences that only money and privilege could afford. Collins concludes his account of his day spent with the Sultan thus;
“And so we left Johore carrying with us a feeling of having been in touch with an electric disturbance, a feeling of being somewhat dazed akin to that which follows a struggle with the elements … Singapore…. rings with stories of the Sultan. His wildness forms the subject for terrible tales, and people who talk of his temper do so with bated breath as though they spoke of the devil. But it is noteworthy that those who know him best like him best. They do not paint him as a saint, but they claim that his virtues more than compensate for his vices. They say he is a man, and a big man at that.”
Sultan Ibrahim was indeed a larger-than-life character with a tremendous force of personality that largely stood firm in the face of the British Empire’s relentless pressure. He was able to preserve important elements of Johor’s independence whilst the rest of the Malay states crumbled in submission. It could be argued that much of this was due to the efforts of his father Sultan Abu Bakar, but there is also no doubt that Sultan Ibrahim was steadfast, despite his flaws, in defending his status and that of Johor. Sultan Ibrahim of Johor's long reign and internationally esteemed reputation stand as a testament to his enduring significance in global history. His colourful life, the controversies, intrigue and antics, is an incredible tale.
The recently published Palace of Ghosts is the first time his story has been told. Sultan Ibrahim, Dale Collins, and a host of other intriguing and fascinating characters all play their roles in the rivieting story of Palace of Ghosts, told through the vivid lens of Singapore's royal Tyersall estate.
Comments
Post a Comment