Editing Iskandar of Johor (section)

==Controversies==

===Succession===
Prior to being the Sultan or Agong, and even during the 1980s and early 1990s, Mahmood's reputation was marred by a number of controversial incidents which received occasional attention from the media. One of these earliest incidents was the loss of his status as Mahkota in 1961—a position which his father, Sultan Ismail, appointed him to two years earlier, citing reasons of alleged misbehaviour<ref name="Low_185"/> after confidential reports accusing him of incarcerating a policeman reached the Sultan.<ref name="Kershaw103">Kershaw (2001), pg 103</ref> Iskandar's younger brother, Abdul Rahman (Tunku Mahkota of Johor)<ref name="Tengku">[[Malay titles|Tengku]] is spelled as in Johor. ''Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen: His Story'', K.N. Nadarajah, pg 50</ref> was appointed as the Tunku Mahkota in favour of him. Nevertheless, in 1966, Mahmood Iskandar was appointed the Raja Muda—which put him second in line to the throne.<ref name="The International Who pg 827"/> In April 1981, Mahmood was reinstated as Mahkota shortly before his father's death the following month and was subsequently installed as the Sultan of Johor,<ref>[http://www.malaysianmonarchy.org.my/portal_bi/rk3/rk3a.php?id=rk3_8 His Majesty and Her Majesty] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090813024825/http://www.malaysianmonarchy.org.my/portal_bi/rk3/rk3a.php?id=rk3_8 |date=13 August 2009 }}, Retrieved 3 January 2009</ref> under the orders of his father.<ref name="IskandarMahkota"/>

However, some eyewitnesses challenged the legitimacy of Mahmood's reappointment as the Mahkota, by arguing that they witnessed Sultan Ismail already having lapsed into coma at the time of his appointment as the regent.<ref name="Kershaw103"/> Records stated that Sultan Ismail lapsed into a coma on 8 May, three days before his death.<ref>''Who's who in Malaysia'' (1982), pg 463</ref> Relations with the [[Menteri Besar]] of Johor, [[Othman Saat]] deteriorated when the latter questioned Iskandar's legitimacy to the throne, which led to an incident which saw the Sultan issuing an order to the Menteri Besar to vacate his office within 24 hours, shortly after Sultan Ismail's death, citing that he needed that office space for himself. The Menteri Besar heeded his order, though the Sultan did not move in as he had said.<ref>''Southeast Asian Affairs'' (1982), pg 251</ref> [[Othman Saat]] subsequently resigned the following year as the Menteri Besar.<ref name="Low_185"/>

===Criminal misconduct===
In 1972, Mahmood was charged with assault for using chemical [[Mace (spray)|mace]] on two men for overtaking his car and was convicted for his offence the following year.<ref>''Aliran Monthly'', Aliran Kesedaran Negaran, 1992, Malaysia, pg3</ref> A year later, reports surfaced of another similar attack on a young couple, when Iskandar, together with his bodyguard, attacked them after they allegedly offended him. Another incident took place at about this time when Mahmood restrained two policemen in a dog kennel for a day after they had angered him.<ref>Downton (1986), pp 203–4</ref>

Five years later, Mahmood was charged and convicted for manslaughter<ref>[[Harold Crouch|Crouch]] (1996), pg 144</ref> for shooting and killing a man near his private helicopter, whom he took to be a smuggler. In both cases, his father, Sultan Ismail, intervened and granted official pardons to Mahmood.<ref>Copetas, Rich (2001), pg 145</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01EFD71238F935A15757C0A962948260|title=AROUND THE WORLD; Elected King's Reign Ending in Malaysia|date= 26 April 1984|author=UPI|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>Clad (1989), pg 15</ref> Similarly, his eldest son, [[Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor|Tunku Ibrahim Ismail]], was convicted in the 1980s for shooting a man to death in a nightclub during a feud, but was quickly pardoned.<ref>De Ledesma, Lewis, Savage (2003), pg 366</ref>

In 1987, Sultan Iskandar was further accused of causing the death of a golf caddy in the [[Cameron Highlands]] by assault, following an incident in which the golf caddy laughed when the Sultan missed a shot.<ref>{{Cite news |title=South-East Asia's monarchies struggle with succession |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/15/south-east-asias-monarchies-struggle-with-succession |access-date=2022-10-04 |issn=0013-0613}}</ref> [[Tunku Abdul Rahman]], Malaysia's first Prime Minister, pointed out that the Sultan, at the time serving as [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]], could not be prosecuted due to immunity that was accorded to rulers, while at the same time condemning Sultan Iskandar's actions. Eventually, the matter passed without much further public attention. The brother of the caddy – who also suffered injuries during the incident, being distressed from what he saw, subsequently ran amok in [[Kuala Lumpur]] and had to be quarantined in a mental hospital.<ref name="Crouch_146">Crouch (1996), pg 146</ref><ref>World of Information (Firm), (1993), pg 124</ref>

===Gomez Incident===
{{Main|1993 amendments to the Constitution of Malaysia#Gomez Incident}}

====Assault====
In late 1992, two separate assault cases by the Sultan as well as his younger son, Tunku Abdul Majid Idris, on hockey coaches culminated in the stripping of immunity of rulers from prosecution. Both cases received considerable attention in the local and international news which was dubbed as "The Gomez Incident".<ref>Crouch (1996), pg 146–7</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/1992/12/15/mayl.php|date=15 December 1992|title=Malaysia Prepares To Strip Sultans of Their Immunity|author=Michael Richardson|publisher=[[International Herald Tribune]]}}</ref> The incident was kicked off on 10 July 1992, when Sultan Iskandar's second son, the Tunku Bendahara– Tunku [[Abdul Majid]] Idris, lost his temper during a hockey match with the Perak hockey team after Perak won the match by a penalty stroke, and assaulted the [[Perak]] goalkeeper, Mohamed Ja'afar Mohamed Vello.<ref>Prince to appear before MHF board, by Gerald Martinez, 10 August 1992, [[New Straits Times]]</ref> The goalkeeper later lodged a police report on 30 July. The incident received public attention, especially when the matter was debated in parliament.<ref name="Kershaw110">Kershaw (2001), pg 110</ref> The incident resulted in the Malaysian Hockey Federation issuing Majid — then second-in line to the throne after his elder brother — a ban of five years from participating in any tournaments following investigations.<ref>MHF ban Majid for five years, by Lazarus Rokk, 19 October 1992, New Straits Times</ref> Tunku Abdul Majid was later convicted of assault in January 1993, of which the chief justice sentenced him to a year in prison, on top of a RM 2,000 fine. He was released on a bail, and these charges were later dropped on grounds of immunity, which was still applicable at the time when the act was committed.<ref name="Asian_Bulletin">Asian Bulletin, Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League, Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League (China: Republic: 1949– ), Asian-Pacific Anti-Communist League, APLFD (Organization), Published by APACL Publications, 1993, pg 30</ref>

The Sultan responded to the ban by putting pressure on the state authorities to pull Johorean hockey teams from all national tournaments.<ref name="Kershaw110"/> In November 1992, Douglas Gomez, a coach for the Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar field hockey team, expressed his displeasure at being called to withdraw from a semi-final national hockey match by the Director of the Johor Education Department. The incident attracted the attention of the Sultan, who personally summoned Gomez to his palace, the [[Istana Bukit Serene]], where he was promptly reprimanded and assaulted by the Sultan.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|date=24–31 December 1992|page=16|title=Bending the rulers: Sultan's behaviour raises doubts over role of royalty|publisher=Far Eastern Economic Review|access-date=20 September 2007|archive-date=26 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326111658/http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Following Gomez's meeting with the Sultan, Gomez sought treatment to his face and stomach. Subsequently, he lodged a police report against the Sultan for assault. Gomez elaborated that the Sultan's bodyguards and members of the Johor Military Force present were merely onlookers, and that the Sultan was solely responsible for the injuries.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|date=7 December 1992|title=Gomez: Sultan beat me|pages=1, 3|author=K. Vijayan|work=[[New Straits Times]]|access-date=20 September 2007|archive-date=26 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326111658/http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Public responses and follow ups====
The assault resulted in a public outcry over the event<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|date=7 December 1992|title=Abdullah: Rakyat ashamed and angry|page=4|work=[[New Straits Times]]|access-date=20 September 2007|archive-date=26 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326111658/http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> which pressured all levels of the government up to the top ranks of the federal government to investigate into the matter.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|date=7 December 1992|title=Stem violence, Malay congress to government|page=4|work=[[New Straits Times]]|access-date=20 September 2007|archive-date=26 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326111658/http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the closing months of 1992, and also the opening months of 1993, dozens of articles mentioning misdeeds by the royal families of several states–but in particular Sultan Iskandar himself were published.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|date=20 January 1993|title=List of criminal acts done by the Johor Sultan|page=4|work=[[New Straits Times]]|access-date=20 September 2007|archive-date=26 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326111658/http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> A good deal of these alleged misdeeds that were mentioned included the charging of exorbitant fines–way above the prescribed legal limits–upon offenders who had obstructed the Sultan's car, amongst others.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|date=14 December 1992|title=Motorist: I was fined $500 for blocking royal motorcade|page=2|work=[[New Straits Times]]|access-date=20 September 2007|archive-date=26 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326111658/http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sultan Iskandar, bore the brunt of the backlash by the numerous references centred towards alleged acts of criminal wrongdoings even though many of the listed acts were committed by other members of the royal family.<ref>Aliran Monthly, Aliran Kesedaran Negaran, 1984, pg 30</ref>

The criticisms roused by the press prompted Members of Parliament of the [[Dewan Rakyat]] to convene a special session on 10 December 1992. All 96 parliamentarians present passed a unanimous resolution<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com.my/index.php/business/13599-on-bringing-back-royal-immunity|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303234834/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com.my/index.php/business/13599-on-bringing-back-royal-immunity|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 March 2009|date=2 December 2008|title=On bringing back royal immunity|author=Abdul Aziz Bari|publisher=The Malaysian Insider}}</ref> which called for action to curb the powers of the rulers if necessary. During the special meeting, parliamentarians disclosed past criminal records of Sultan Iskandar and his two sons, all of whom had been involved in a total of at least 23 cases of assault and manslaughter,<ref>''Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei (2004)'', Rowthorn, Benson, Benson, Kerr, Niven, pg 235</ref><ref name="Asian_Recorder">''Asian Recorder (1993)'', pg 22904</ref> five of which were committed by the Sultan after 1981, two by the Mahkota and three by the Bendahara.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://d.scribd.com/docs/1qk1gf12zfh2pc7brw49.pdf|date=20 January 1993|title=List of criminal acts done by the Johor Sultan|page=4|work=[[New Straits Times]]}}</ref>

A bill was passed by both the [[Dewan Rakyat]] and [[Dewan Negara]] on 19 and 20 January 1993 respectively.<ref>Change to take its course: PM tables amendment Bill despite Rulers' disagreement, New Straits Times, 19 January 1993, pg 1, 4.</ref> The bill, which proposed to remove legal immunity was approved by six out of nine sultans<ref>Six Rulers say 'Yes', New Straits Times, 16 January 1993, pg 1, 2</ref>—but saw stiff opposition from three, two of which included Sultan [[Ismail Petra of Kelantan]] and the Sultan Iskandar himself. Sultan Iskandar took up the initiative to obtain more royal support to stall the implementation of the proposed bill. The bill, which proposed to strip rulers and members of the royal families of legal immunity, would make them prosecutable by the law in any cases of proven criminal wrongdoings.<ref>Kershaw (2001), pg 110–2</ref>

Sultan Iskandar organised a rally which was to be held outside the palace with the aim of garnering public support to stall the bill's implementation. However, this was cancelled after intense pressure from the government. A report made during the rally quoted Sultan Iskandar calling upon all local civil servants to boycott state and federal functions in a show of support for his motion.<ref>''Summary of World Broadcasts'' (1993), Phrase: "... Straits Times of 21 January, the Sultan of Johor is reported as"</ref> Meanwhile, the federal government continued to pressure the rulers into assenting to the bills, which they did after several revisions of the bill were made by the government.  Following which, the proposed bill was enshrined into the [[Constitution of Malaysia|Federal Constitution]] in March 1993.<ref>Crouch (1996), pg 147</ref>

The bill allowed rulers who violated the laws to be prosecuted, while the [[Sedition Act (Malaysia)|Sedition Act]] of 1948 was also amended to allow public criticism of the rulers.<ref>''Mahathir, the Secret of the Malaysian Success: The Secret of the Malaysian Success'', Somun, Somun-Krupalija, pg 155</ref> A special court was created–presided by the [[Lord President of the Federal Court]]–to empower and prosecute members of the rulers and immediate members of the royal household.<ref>[http://www.parlimen.gov.my/Undang/1993/Bill-DR-1.pdf A BILL intituled: An Act to amend the Federal Constitution.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326111659/http://www.parlimen.gov.my/Undang/1993/Bill-DR-1.pdf |date=26 March 2009 }}, [[Dewan Rakyat]], January 1993, Retrieved 7 January 2009</ref>

====Aftermath====

Sultan Iskandar and his family members were not prosecuted for their past violations of the law on grounds that the royal immunity was still applicable when those incidents occurred.<ref>''Jendela masa: kumpulan esei sempena persaraan (2001)'', Othman, Khoo, pg 393</ref> Nevertheless, shortly after the incident, Sultan Iskandar was prompted to take steps to rehabilitate his public image, which was more or less tarnished by the incident. In a public speech shortly after the episode, the Sultan was noted to have somewhat toned down his hardline image and appeared to be somewhat more humble, appealing to Johoreans to maintain their loyalty to him.<ref name="Asian_Bulletin"/>

The Gomez incident also led to a review and proposal by the Federal Government in August 1993 to disband the [[Johor Military Forces]] (JMF).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|date=14 August 1993|title=End to Joh or Military Force, Muhyiddin: Sultan's private army will be disbanded|pages=1, 2|work=[[New Straits Times]]|access-date=20 September 2007|archive-date=26 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326111658/http://www.capi.uvic.ca/pubs/oc_papers/GILLEN.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, the bill to disband the JMF was subsequently repealed by parliament.<ref>[http://www.parlimen.gov.my/billindex/pdf/1994/Rang%20Undang-Undang%20DR%2020.pdf Rang Undang-Undang Askar Timbalan Setia Negeri Johor (Pembubaran Dan Pemansuhan) 1994] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326111721/http://www.parlimen.gov.my/billindex/pdf/1994/Rang%20Undang-Undang%20DR%2020.pdf |date=26 March 2009 }}, Susunan Fasal, [[Dewan Rakyat]], 1994</ref><ref>[http://www.parlimen.gov.my/Undang/1994/Bill-DR-20.pdf Johore Military Forces (Disbandment And Repeal) Bill 1994] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326111711/http://www.parlimen.gov.my/Undang/1994/Bill-DR-20.pdf |date=26 March 2009 }}, [[Dewan Rakyat]], 1994, Retrieved 7 January 2009</ref>

===Political===

====Yang di-Pertuan Agong (1980s)====
Shortly before his election as the Yang-Di Pertuan Agong in 1983, a spate of reports alleging Sultan Iskandar's intention to launch a coup d'état by launching a [[state of emergency]] to overthrow the government circulated within political circles, which reached Prime Minister of Malaysia [[Mahathir Mohamad]]. The Sultan reportedly fostered close relations with several key military personnel, including the Army chief Jeneral Zain Hashim.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Economist SEA Correspondent |title=Kings Men Purged |publisher=The Economist |date=26 November – 2 December 1983}}</ref> The government subsequently took action to curb constitutional loopholes within the constitution and took to task of reducing the power of the royal veto in passing legislation, culminating in a constitutional crisis in late 1983.<ref>Milne, Mauzy (1999), pg 32–33</ref> Nevertheless, during his inaugural speech as the Agong in 1984, about a month after the constitutional amendments were passed in parliament, Sultan Iskandar voiced public support for the revised constitution and pledged to act in accordance to the Prime Minister's advise.<ref>Shome, Shome (2002), pg 137</ref>

A diplomatic scandal between the United Kingdom and Malaysia broke out in 1984, when several British newspapers published pieces on Sultan Iskandar's coronation, citing the headlines such as  "Killer becomes King" and "King a Killer", which enraged the Malaysian government, who demanded an apology from the British government. The British government refused to apologise on behalf of the newspapers, triggering tensions between the two countries.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}<!--Supposedly this is supported by some issue of Asian Recorder--> Two months later, in June 1984, Sultan Iskandar in his capacity as the Agong, surprised the Malaysian public when he publicly called upon [[Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia|Deputy Prime Minister]], [[Musa Hitam]], to make a public apology in front of the entire congregation present at the [[National Mosque of Malaysia|National Mosque]]. Sultan Iskandar, on his part, was angry over remarks which Musa made during the course of the 1983 constitutional crisis that he deemed to be disrespectful. Musa abided to the Agong's demand and boldly came forward to make the apology, which was greeted by a thunderous applause from the entire congregation. The event, which was broadcast live throughout the nation on Malaysian Radio (although the television stations abruptly terminated its broadcast halfway), was seen by many observers as an act of confrontation by the Agong to put Musa in his place.<ref>Milne, Mauzy (1999), pg 35–36</ref>

In 1988, also serving in his capacity as the Yang-Di Pertuan Agong, the [[Lord President of the Federal Court]] Tun [[Salleh Abas]] was sacked by the Agong in what led to the [[1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis]].<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=akRCLUMdvsNM&refer=asia Anwar's Second Sex Case Puts Malaysia Courts on Trial], Bloomberg, Angus Whitley, 20 August 2008</ref> However, observers suggested a remarkably warm relationship<ref name="Crouch_146">Crouch (1996), pg 146</ref> between [[Prime Minister of Malaysia|Prime Minister]] Mahathir Mohamad and the Agong, both of whom shared common resentment towards the chief justice, Salleh Abas. In 1973, Iskandar was convicted of assault and was sentenced to six months imprisonment, to which Salleh Abas served as the public prosecutor hearing the case. As the public prosecutor, Salleh had appealed to the chief justice, Raja [[Azlan Shah of Perak|Azlan Shah]], for handing down a heavier sentence for Iskandar, which earned his wrath.<ref name="KamarulAbdullah"/><ref>''Malaysian Politics: The Second Generation'', Means, pg 239</ref><ref>Kershaw (2001), pg 224</ref> The sacking of the Lord President, was however not without controversy, given the alleged manner in which the Agong and Prime Minister had handled the matter–including an incident which the Agong had refused to forgive the Lord President in spite of Salleh's willingness to offer his apology to the Agong, which he turned down.<ref>[http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/press_statement_of_tun_salleh_abas.html Press Statement of Tun Salleh Abas], The Malaysian Bar, Tun Salleh Abas, 26 September 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/opinions/comments/comment_tun_salleh_and_the_judiciary.html?date=2009-01-01 Comment: Tun Salleh and the judiciary]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, The Malaysian Bar, Suppiah s/o Pakrisamy, 29 April 2008</ref>

====Later years (2000 onwards)====
Sultan Iskandar's public call to support [[Abdullah Badawi]]'s administration in October 2006 created a minor stir among Mahathir's supporters, when he remarked that "Mahathir should act like a pensioner". The call came at a time when Mahathir's spate of criticisms against Abdullah's was at its most intense.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nationmultimedia.com/worldhotnews/read.php?newsid=30018070|author=Agence France-Pesse|title=Malaysian sultan calls for scrapping of causeway to Singapore|publisher=[[The Nation (Thailand)]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929124218/http://nationmultimedia.com/worldhotnews/read.php?newsid=30018070|archive-date=29 September 2007}}</ref> The Sultan was the first state ruler to publicly defend the policy of the government during the period of Mahathir's criticisms against the Abdullah administration.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/10/24/nation/20061024191325&sec=nation|date=24 October 2006|title=Johor Sultan: Support Pak Lah|author=Nelson Benjamin and Meera Vijayan|work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109184423/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2006%2F10%2F24%2Fnation%2F20061024191325&sec=nation|archive-date=9 November 2006}}</ref> Earlier sources however, noted Sultan Iskandar's concerns with the deepening rift between Mahathir and Abdullah and had asked to be photographed together with the two leaders during the [[United Malays National Organisation]]s (UMNO) 60th anniversary celebrations in Johor Bahru.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=226228|date=24 October 2006|title=Johor Sultan Tells Dr Mahathir To Act Like A Pensioner|publisher=[[Bernama]]}}</ref>

A month later, in November 2006, another small stir erupted during the launching ceremony of the Iskandar Development Region, when Sultan Iskandar voiced his opinion that the [[Johor-Singapore Causeway|Causeway]], which connects [[Johor]] and Singapore, should be removed to allow ships to pass through to promote development of the state. He also remarked that the people should be wary of all foreigners as they were "vultures" and also urged the people not to hold them in high regard, citing his displeasure that his ancestors were "deceived" by dirty tactics employed by colonialists to build the Causeway.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/11/5/nation/15929677&sec=nation|date=5 November 2006|title=Sultan's Causeway remark causes a stir|author=Michael Richardson|work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]|location=Malaysia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304004941/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2006%2F11%2F5%2Fnation%2F15929677&sec=nation|archive-date=4 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/printable.php?id=227815|date=4 November 2006|title=Demolish Causeway – Sultan Iskandar|publisher=[[Bernama]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304000102/http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/printable.php?id=227815|archive-date=4 March 2009}}</ref>

At the inaugural 12th Johor State Assembly Seating in April 2008, a minor controversy erupted when one opposition state assemblyman (ADUN), Gwee Tong Hiang, flouted dress regulations by appearing in a lounge suit and tie instead of the usual official attire and songkok. This resulted in him being dismissed from the assembly chamber shortly before the Sultan's arrival.<ref>[http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/20/nation/21603605&sec=nation DAP rep thrown out of assembly] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304014130/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2008%2F6%2F20%2Fnation%2F21603605&sec=nation |date=4 March 2009 }}, Gladys Tay and Farik Zolkepli, 20 June 2008, [[The Star (Malaysia)]]</ref> Gwee, a [[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|Democratic Action Party]] (DAP) ADUN, reportedly argued that there was no stated order to wear the official attire and songkok and stated his desire to wear a western suit,<ref>[http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,168570,00.html No uniform or songkok? Please leave assembly] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304132253/http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,168570,00.html |date=4 March 2009 }}, 22 June 2008, The Electric New Paper</ref> promptly drew flak from other ADUNs and the Menteri Besar, [[Abdul Ghani Othman]] who had earlier on met to agree to don in the official attire and songkok prior to the assembly, whereby Gwee was absent.<ref>[http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/10/nation/21502414&sec=nation Johor DAP reps can wear songkok] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304014055/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2008%2F6%2F10%2Fnation%2F21502414&sec=nation |date=4 March 2009 }}, Nelson Benjamin, 10 June 2008, [[The Star (Malaysia)]]</ref> The Sultan, apparently angry at Gwee, sharply criticised him two days later<ref>[http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=341069 Sultan Reprimands Bentayan State Assemblyman Over Attire], 21 June 2008, [[Bernama]]</ref> and publicly called upon Gwee to seek an audience with him.<ref>[http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/21/nation/20080621202455&sec=nation Johor Sultan unhappy with DAP's Gwee] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122055459/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2008%2F6%2F21%2Fnation%2F20080621202455&sec=nation |date=22 January 2009 }}, Meera Vijayan, 21 June 2008, [[The Star (Malaysia)]]</ref>

===Lifestyle===
During his time as the Agong, Sultan Iskandar was often seen in public carrying a pistol in his waistband, which drew considerable concern and discomfort from the Malaysian public due to his past record of criminal offences.<ref name="Asia & Pacific 1984, pg 229">''Asia & Pacific'' (1984), pg 229</ref> He was also reputed to have led a flamboyant lifestyle, which also drew similar criticism.<ref name="Asia & Pacific 1984, pg 229"/> He was also known to be a motorbike enthusiast; documentaries on national patriotism would feature Sultan Iskandar, the then-Agong, riding out on a police motorbike and his flamboyant appearance during a few public ceremonies. These documentaries drew criticisms from the Malaysian public, who felt that the television clips of Sultan Iskandar were inappropriate for its theme and national image.<ref>Kershaw (2001), pg 225</ref>