Malaysia s billionaire king to return home after treatment

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, is set to return from abroad on Feb 21 after being treated for musculoskeletal pain, according to his official Facebook page and the national palace.

The monarch, 66, underwent “conservative treatment” for pain caused by intensive military training and his active sporting lifestyle, especially polo, in his younger years, the palace said in a statement this week. He left Malaysia on Feb 7 from the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Selangor state.

Sultan Ibrahim, the hereditary ruler of Malaysia’s southernmost state of Johor, took the throne in 2024 for a five-year term under the country’s unique rotating monarchy. The king’s role in determining who forms a government when no one party has a majority in Parliament has become more important in a nation that has seen a revolving door of prime ministers since 2018.

Sultan Ibrahim also has wide business interests, mainly through his shareholdings in various enterprises.

There was no mention of where the king sought medical treatment. His official Facebook page shared a statement on Feb 19 that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited the monarch that day during an official visit to Bahrain. Pictures showed Datuk Seri Anwar greeting the king and holding a meeting.

“At the meeting, the prime minister briefed on the current developments in the country and asked about His Majesty’s health,” the Facebook post said. BLOOMBERG

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