KUALA LUMPUR: Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, who will become the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, has set high standards for the public administration led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Political analyst Mujibu Abd Muis said as a visionary ruler, Sultan Ibrahim's proactive approach aligned with Anwar's leadership style that was all about "reforms".
"Sultan Ibrahim has always been vocal in expressing his views and desire to see changes in many areas, including agriculture.
"This could be an indicator of a good relation between the next king and prime minister in achieving feats in the years ahead," said Mujibu, who is Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Malay Rulers Institution Chair fellow.
He said with Sultan Ibrahim's reign, the institution of the constitutional monarchy would have a bigger role as a check-and-balance to propel a dynamic government.
He said the Johor ruler had proven this by addressing issues faced by the people in the state legislative assembly.
"One thing His Majesty insisted is for everybody to stop politicking and to focus on maintaining stability so that the government can focus on its job.
"He has laid a good foundation by setting a clear bottomline and reminding all parties on the need to respect the mandate given by the people," he said.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan said Sultan Ibrahim and Anwar were on the same page in eradicating corruption either in the public service or private sector.
The ruler is very vocal on various matters and he would say things outright if he's unhappy with certain things, he said.
"His Majesty did say Anwar is the best prime minister that he has worked with, which is a positive note towards his administration.
"It's going to be a very interesting era; Anwar as prime minister and Sultan Ibrahim as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong because both of them envision an efficient and corrupt-free Malaysia, in terms of administration," he told the New Straits Times.
Sultan Ibrahim had earlier this month reminded all state civil servants to ensure they were not lured by the trappings of corruption.
He also warned government staff in Johor that they were being watched and that anyone of them who are living luxuriously and beyond reasonable means would raise questions.
Sultan Ibrahim, during an interview with an English daily in March had also said he had been able to work well with Anwar as prime minister, compared to any past heads of government.
He was reported as saying that the government helmed by Anwar must live up to the high expectations of Malaysians in getting rid of corruption, which he described as a "cancer".
Sultan Ibrahim will replace Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah whose reign will end on Jan 30 next year.