Ismail Petra of Kelantan

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 wife, Raja Perempuan Zainab II. He had four older sisters; Tengku Merjan, Tengku Rozan, Tengku Salwani and Tengku Rohani.

Sultan Ismail Petra had his early education at the Sultan Ismail College, Kota Bharu and later had through special education from a private English tutor at the royal palace.

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

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.

He performed the hajj pilgrimage with his consort Raja Perempuan Tengku Anis in 1983.

On 10 August 2008, he was proclaimed as the first Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK).

Sultan Ismail Petra married Raja Perempuan Tengku Anis binti Tengku Abdul Hamid on 4 December 1968. The royal couple had four children:

• Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra, Sultan Kelantan (born 6 October 1969, photo). On 15 November 2004, he married Tengku Zubaidah binti Tengku Norudin (née Kangsadal Pipitpakdee), a member of the Pattani royal family and they divorced in 2008. On 30 October 2010, he married Diana Petra, a Czech Republic citizen. Later, On 7 June 2018, he married Oksana Voevodina, a Russian citizen and they divorced in 2019.
• Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra, Tengku Mahkota Kelantan (born 20 January 1974, photo). On 19 April 2019, he married Sofie Louise Johansson, a Swedish citizen.
• Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra (born 7 April 1978, photo). On 26 August 2008, he married Manohara Odelia Pinot, an Indonesian citizen and they divorced in 2009.
• Tengku Amalin A’ishah Putri, Tengku Maharani Putri (born 26 June 1984, photo). On 27 June 2013, she married Pengiran Muda Abdul Qawi ibni Pengiran Muda Mohamed Bolkiah, a member of the Brunei royal family. They have three children:
  • Pengiran Anak Tengku Afeefah Musyafaah Bolkiah Puteri (born 13 April 2014)
  • Pengiran Anak Tengku Azzahra Iffatul Bolkiah Puteri (born 24 June 2016)
  • Pengiran Anak Tengku Zaafirah Muizzah Bolkiah Puteri (born 12 February 2020)

Sultan Ismail Petra also had a second wife, Cik Puan Elia Suhana binti Ahmad, whom he married on 23 December 2007.[1]

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

Subsequently, the Chief registrar of Syariah Appellate/High court, Abu Bakar Abdullah Kutty, clarified that the Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Ismail Petra ibni Sultan Yahya Petra did not file a divorce suit against his second wife Elia Suhana Ahmad. Instead, Abu Bakar Abdullah Kutty said an unknown individual by the name of Nik Rorhana Wan Abdul Rahman was named as the plaintiff in the divorce petition.

“I want to clarify that the Sultan did not file the writ but instead it was filed on his behalf". “Based on Syariah law we have accepted the suit and it will be up to the court to decide on the matter". “I have to make things clear as it was reported in the media that the Sultan had filed the writ personally which is totally incorrect,” he told reporters at his office at Balai Islam, Lundang.

Sultan Ismail Petra suffered a major 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. 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.[2] 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.[3]

Sultan Ismail Petra died on 28 September 2019 at 8:11 am at the Royal Ward 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.

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, Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her husband Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Also in attendance were the Tunku Aris Bendahara of Johor Tunku Abdul Majid (representing the Sultan of Johor) and the Tunku Besar of Seri Menanti Tunku Ali Redhauddin (representing the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan). He was laid to rest near to grave of his late father, Sultan Yahya Petra at the Langgar Royal Mausoleum in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.[4]