Iskandar of Johor - Early Life

Early Life

Sultan Iskandar (known as Tunku Mahmud Iskandar until 1981) was the third son of Sultan Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim by Sultanah Ungku Tun Aminah binti Ungku Paduka Bena Sri Maharaja Utama Ahmad, and was born on 8 April 1932 in Istana Semayam, Johor Bahru. (He had two older brothers, both of whom died in infancy.) Tunku Mahmud received his primary and secondary education in Ngee Heng Primary School and the English College (now Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar) in Johor Bahru. In 1952, he was sent to Australia for tertiary education at the Trinity Grammar School. After graduating in 1953, Tunku Mahmud travelled to the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom, where he enrolled into the Upper Chine School for three years. Upon completing his studies, Tunku Mahmud returned to Malaysia in 1956 and briefly served as a cadet officer in the Johor Civil Service, taking charge of affairs in District Affairs, Land and Treasury departments until his appointment as the Tunku Mahkota of Johor in May 1959.

In 1956, Tunku Mahmud married Josephine Trevorrow, from Cornwall, United Kingdom, with whom he had four children, including the crown prince, Tunku Ibrahim Ismail. The marriage ended with divorce in 1962. He remarried in 1961 – shortly before his divorce to Trevorrow, to Tengku Zanariah, who came from the Kelantan royal family. Tengku Zanariah had six children with the Sultan. Analysts such as Kate Wharton have observed that any literal references to Trevorrow's association with Sultan Iskandar was carefully omitted in all official biographies.

Tunku Mahmud was appointed the Tunku Mahkota of Johor from 1959 to 1961, and Raja Muda from 1966 to 1981, by Sultan Ismail. On 29 April 1981, he was re-appointed as the Tunku Mahkota shortly before his father's death.