Iskandar Ismail, leader of the large and prosperous southern Malaysian state of Johor for nearly 30 years, died Friday at the age of 77. Sultan Iskandar was the embodiment of the contradictions that make up modern-day Malaysia. He had a common touch rare among members of Malaysia's nine royal houses, and he was loved by many of his subjects in the southern state, just across the narrow straits from Singapore. He often walked freely in the streets, paying for everyday goods in corner shops with cash from his own wallet, and delivering impromptu sermons at local mosques on Friday afternoons.
The Wall Street Journal,
Jan 28, 2010
