Ismail Petra of Kelantan

Ismail Petra was born at the Istana Jahar in Kota Bharu, Kelantan on 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 siblings, Tengku Merjan, Tengku Rozan, Tengku Salwani and Tengku Rohani.

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

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

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

Additionally, Ismail Petra was appointed as the Regent (Pemangku Raja) of Kelantan on three occasions. 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). 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 King of Malaysia from 21 September 1975 until his death on 29 March 1979.

In 1968, 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.

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 in the throne room of the Istana Balai Besar in Kota Bharu.

Sultan Ismail Petra was commissioned as an honorary major in the Territorial Army Regiment on 1 November 1974. He was elevated to lieutenant colonel on 1 January 1976. On 15 March 1988, he was appointed honorary lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army Regiment and also honorary major-general and colonel-in-chief of the Royal Artillery Regiment in 1997.

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

Sultan Ismail Petra married Raja Perempuan Tengku Anis binti Tengku Abdul Hamid on 4 December 1968 when they were both 19 years old. The royal couple had four children:

• Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra (born 6 October 1969, later Sultan Muhammad V). Married Tengku Zubaidah binti Tengku Norudin (née Kangsadal Pipitpakdee), a member of the Pattani royal family on 15 November 2004, and they divorced in 2008. He next married Sultanah Nur Diana Petra (née Yana Yakoubka), a Czech citizen on 30 October 2010. Later, he married Oksana Voevodina, a Russian model on 7 June 2018, and divorced in 2019.
• Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra, Tengku Mahkota Kelantan (born 20 January 1974,). Married Che Puan Sofie Louise Johansson Petra, a Swedish citizen on 19 April 2019. They have a son:
  • Tengku Muhammad Johan Petra (born 17 July 2023)
• Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra, Tengku Bendahara Kelantan (born 7 April 1978). Married Manohara Odelia Pinot, an Indonesian model on 26 August 2008, and divorced in 2009.
• Tengku Amalin A’ishah Putri, Tengku Maharani Putri (born 26 June 1984). Married Prince Abdul Qawi of Brunei on 27 June 2013. They have four children, three daughters and one son:
  • Pengiran Anak Tengku Afeefah Musyafaah Bolkiah Putri (born 13 April 2014)
  • Pengiran Anak Tengku Azzahra Iffatul Bolkiah Putri (born 24 June 2016)
  • Pengiran Anak Tengku Zaafirah Muizzah Bolkiah Putri (born 12 February 2020)
  • Pengiran Anak Tengku Abdul Muhaimin Bolkiah Petra (born 26 June 2022)

Sultan Ismail Petra also had a second wife, Cik Puan Elia Suhana Ahmad, whom he married on 23 December 2007.^{[1] [2]} 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. However, the Syariah Court of Appeal rejected an application to validate the divorce pronouncement allegedly uttered by Sultan Ismail Petra against his second wife on 30 March 2011.^[3]

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 health. When Sultan Ismail Petra remained 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.^[4] 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, claiming that the appointment was unconstitutional.^[5]

Sultan Ismail Petra died of heart failure on 28 September 2019 at 8:11 am at the Royal Ward of Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Bharu, aged 69. On that day, the Mentri Besar of Kelantan Dato' Ahmad Yakob officially announced his death. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said of Sultan Ismail Petra:^[6]

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

— Mahathir Mohamad^[7]

On the same day, a state funeral was held. At the funeral were the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah of Pahang and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Raja Sirajuddin of Perlis and the Raja Perempuan of Perlis Tuanku Fauziah. Also in attendance were the Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her husband Anwar Ibrahim. He was buried near the grave of his father, Sultan Yahya Petra at the Langgar Royal Mausoleum in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.^[8]

•   Recipient and Grand Master of the Royal Family Order of Kelantan (DK) (1968)
•   Knight Grand Commander and Grand Master of the Order of the Crown of Kelantan (SPMK)
•   Knight Grand Commander and Grand Master of the Order of the Life of the Crown of Kelantan (SJMK)
•   Knight Grand Commander and Grand Master of the Order of the Loyalty to the Crown of Kelantan (SPSK)
•   Founding Grand Master of the Order of the Noble Crown of Kelantan (SPKK)
•   Grand Master of the Order of the Most Distinguished and Most Valiant Warrior (PYGP)
•   Silver medal of the Sultan Yahya Petra Coronation Medal (1961)^[9]
•   Silver Jubilee Medal (PJP) (30 March 2004)

•   Malaysia
  •   Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (DMN) (1979)
•   Johor
  •   First Class of the Royal Family Order of Johor (DK I)
•   Kedah
  •   Member of the Royal Family Order of Kedah (DK) (1985)^[10]
•   Negeri Sembilan
  •   Member of the Royal Family Order of Negeri Sembilan (DKNS) (1981)^[11]
•   Perak
  •   Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Perak (DK) (1985)^[12]
•   Perlis
  •   Recipient of the Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail (DK)
•   Selangor
  •   First Class of the Royal Family Order of Selangor (DK I) (1988)
•   Terengganu
  •   Member first class of the Family Order of Terengganu (DK I) (1985)
•   Sarawak
  •   Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DP) – Datuk Patinggi
  • Darjah Paduka Seri Sarawak (DPSS)

•   Brunei
  •   Recipient of Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei (DKMB) (15 July 1988)

•   Thailand
  • Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Political Science from the Ramkhamhaeng University – (Dr.) (8 January 2002)

Several places were named after him, including:

• Kolej Islam Antarabangsa Sultan Ismail Petra (KIAS) in Nilam Puri, Kelantan
• Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ismail Petra (1), a secondary school at Kompleks Sekolah-Sekolah Wakaf Mek Zainab in Kota Bharu, Kelantan
• Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ismail Petra (2), a secondary school in Kampung Telipot Kawasan Perindustrian Lundang, Kota Bharu, Kelantan
• Sekolah Kebangsaan Ismail Petra (1), a primary school in Kompleks Sekolah-Sekolah Wakaf Mek Zainab, Kota Bharu, Kelantan
• Sekolah Kebangsaan Ismail Petra (2), a primary school in Jalan Long Yunus, Kota Bharu, Kelantan
• Jalan Sultan Ismail Petra in Kelantan
• Sultan Ismail Petra Bridge in Kota Bharu, Kelantan
• Sultan Ismail Petra Silver Jubilee Mosque in Rantau Panjang, Kelantan
• Al-Sultan Ismail Petra Mosque, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan
• Sultan Ismail Petra Mosque, Kota Bharu, Kelantan
• Ismail Petra Mosque, Tanah Merah, Kelantan
• Al-Ismaili Mosque, Wakaf Bharu, Kelantan
• Sultan Ismail Petra Islamic Silver Jubilee Complex, Panji, Kelantan
• Sultan Ismail Petra Hospital in Kuala Krai, Kelantan
• Sultan Ismail Petra Arch in Kota Bharu, Kelantan
• Sultan Ismail Petra Shooting Range in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan
• Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, Kota Bharu, Kelantan