Latest news with #TunkuAbdulRahman
The Star
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Princes shaping motorsports future
IN recent years, Malaysia's motorsports scene has gained unprecedented momentum thanks to the high-octane involvement of two royal siblings from Johor. The growing achievements of Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim and Tunku Putera Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim on the racetrack are not only rewriting motorsports history in Malaysia, but also igniting national pride. Tunku Abdul Rahman's passion for motorsports turned professional in 2019 when he made his debut in the Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia Series. Representing Johor Motorsport Racing, Tunku Abdul Rahman quickly established himself as a competitive force in the region. In 2024, Tunku Abdul Rahman achieved one of his career highlights by securing his first victory in the Asian Le Mans Series at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Teaming up with Luca Stolz and Jordan Love in a Mercedes AMG GT3, their victory was a culmination of strategy, endurance and pure racing prowess. Following closely in his brother's tracks is Tunku Abu Bakar, who began competing in the GT World Challenge Asia – GT3 series in 2022 with Triple Eight JMR. Though younger, Tunku Abu Bakar's talent was evident from the start, where he achieved his first career pole position and race win in Thailand. Tunku Abu Bakar's 2023 season ended on a high note with a runner-up finish in the GT3 Drivers' Championship, further cementing his reputation as one of Malaysia's most promising young racers. The royal siblings' shared passion led to the formation of Johor Motorsport Racing (JMR) early this year. The goal is to elevate local talent while competing at the highest levels in global GT racing competitions through JMR. The initiative reflects not just their love for the sport, but also a vision to see Malaysia dominate the international racing circuit. In a major move, JMR became South-East Asia's first team to field the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, an engineering marvel and a defining move by the Johor royals. This partnership marked a turning point, aligning Malaysia with some of the top racing technologies in the world. For the 2025 season, Tunku Abdul Rahman teamed up with Corvette factory driver Alexander Sims in car No.99, while Tunku Abu Bakar drove car No.66 alongside Jordan Love. Together, they have secured several podium finishes, firmly establishing themselves as serious contenders. Their efforts were recently recognised at the prestigious National Sports Award 2024, where both Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tunku Abu Bakar were conferred a special award for their outstanding contributions to motorsports. The ceremony was attended by none other than their father, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia – a proud moment for both the royal family and the nation. This recognition highlights how their journey has evolved beyond racing to become a powerful symbol of inspiration and national pride. It also reflects the government's growing acknowledgment of motorsports as a serious and emerging discipline. Beyond racing, both princes have become mentors and role models, introducing talent scouting programmes and technical training for aspiring drivers through JMR. Their goal is to nurture future champions from Malaysia who can shine on the international stage. Sultan Ibrahim and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, have shown their unwavering support, notably by attending races such as the GT World Challenge opener at Sepang. Their presence reflects how deeply motorsports is embedded within the Johor royal family. Both princes are known for their hands-on involvement in the day-to-day operations of JMR. From technical decisions to marketing strategies, their leadership is shaping a new kind of royal influence, one that is grounded in action rather than mere symbolism. Social media has played a crucial role in connecting them with fans, as their Instagram and TikTok accounts offer followers a glimpse into their training, race-day rituals and camaraderie, making motorsports more accessible and appealing to the younger generation. Their journey has not been without challenges, but they have approached each hurdle with resilience and professionalism. Whether facing technical setbacks or fierce competition, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tunku Abu Bakar remain unwavering in their drive and commitment – with an impact that extends far beyond the track. Young Malaysians now view motorsports as a viable career path – one accessible not just to the elite, but to anyone with talent, determination and proper support. The establishment of JMR is already paying dividends, as several young drivers have begun training under the team's development programme, laying the groundwork for a future Malaysian motorsports dynasty. Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tunku Abu Bakar's involvement is a testament to how sports can unite people from all backgrounds. By leveraging their status for the greater good, the princes are not only enhancing the Johor royal family's legacy but also contributing to Malaysia's sporting excellence. The princes are not merely participating in motorsports – they are also actively shaping its future in Malaysia. As the 2025 season roars ahead, one thing is certain: the Johor princes are racing not just for titles, but for legacy, for youth and for Malaysia's place on the global motorsports stage.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
JMR's Tunku Abdul Rahman leads GT World Challenge Asia
JOHOR Motorsports Racing (JMR) secured podium finishes in the fith and sixth rounds of the GT World Challenge Asia in Buriram, Thailand today. The results also bring Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim to the top of the championship driver point standings with a 62-point lead at the midway point of the season. Tunku Abdul Rahman and teammate Ben Green took off to a brilliant start for JMR, with Green setting a scorching qualifying lap around the 4.5 kilometres (km) Chang International Circuit to claim pole position for Sunday's race. Green set the scene for the duo as he put on a consistent performance and a clean race before handing the #99 car to Tunku Abdul Rahman. His Highness then sealed a near-perfect weekend, having already raced to a hard- fought second-place result in Saturday's chaotic fifth round. Commenting on the race, Tunku Abdul Rahman said he was glad to have finished the race at the front of the pack. 'I feel like I got some redemption from Indonesia and hopefully we can continue fighting for this points' lead. I really enjoyed this weekend and I couldn't ask for more. Meanwhile, JMR's Tunku Putera Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim and teammate Jordan Love faced a contrasting fortune as they had to retire the number 66 car after experiencing rear brake failure halfway through the race. Rounds seven and eight of the GT World Challenge Asia will be held at the Fuji International Speedway in Japan from July 11-13.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
JMR's Tunku Abdul Rahman rockets to top of GT World Challenge Asia standings
JOHOR Motorsports Racing (JMR) secured podium finishes in the fith and sixth rounds of the GT World Challenge Asia in Buriram, Thailand today. The results also bring Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim to the top of the championship driver point standings with a 62-point lead at the midway point of the season. Tunku Abdul Rahman and teammate Ben Green took off to a brilliant start for JMR, with Green setting a scorching qualifying lap around the 4.5 kilometres (km) Chang International Circuit to claim pole position for Sunday's race. Green set the scene for the duo as he put on a consistent performance and a clean race before handing the #99 car to Tunku Abdul Rahman. His Highness then sealed a near-perfect weekend, having already raced to a hard- fought second-place result in Saturday's chaotic fifth round. Commenting on the race, Tunku Abdul Rahman said he was glad to have finished the race at the front of the pack. 'I feel like I got some redemption from Indonesia and hopefully we can continue fighting for this points' lead. I really enjoyed this weekend and I couldn't ask for more. Meanwhile, JMR's Tunku Putera Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim and teammate Jordan Love faced a contrasting fortune as they had to retire the number 66 car after experiencing rear brake failure halfway through the race. Rounds seven and eight of the GT World Challenge Asia will be held at the Fuji International Speedway in Japan from July 11-13.
Free Malaysia Today
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Dr M must share blame for frayed race relations, says ex-Umno MP
Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tan Cheng Lock, and VT Sambanthan are widely recognised as three of the country's founding fathers who ensured that their respective communities contributed to nation-building. PETALING JAYA : A former Umno MP says Dr Mahathir Mohamad must take some of the blame for the deterioration of race relations in Malaysia—a decline the former prime minister claims accelerated after he resigned in 2003. Tawfik Ismail said Mahathir's decision to focus on policies such as Malaysia Incorporated, which encourages closer collaboration between the public and private sectors, meant that other policies aimed at fostering unity had to take a back seat. He stated the nation's founding fathers had formed a multiracial leadership and approached the pressing issues of their time from a realistic standpoint. Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tan Cheng Lock, and VT Sambanthan are widely recognised as three of the country's founding fathers. Tawfik — the son of Malaysia's second deputy prime minister, Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman — said the trio formed a coalition of patriots and ensured that their respective communities contributed to nation-building. Tawfik Ismail. 'The spirit of 'give and take' was their guiding force,' the Sungai Benut MP from 1986 to 1990, told FMT. But when Mahathir came to power in 1981, Tawfik said policies and ideologies which were designed to fix race-relations after the 1969 racial riots, such as the Rukun Negara, became less of a priority. In some cases these post-May 13 policies were exploited, like the New Economic Policy. Tawfik said that Mahathir's administration had failed to put to good use the legal safeguards for Malay rights established after the May 13 riots and capitalised on them to push for greater Malay dominance, including in the private sector. Following the race riots, the Federal Constitution was amended to prohibit any challenge to the special privileges of Bumiputeras, Islam, and Malay as the national language. 'It was an attempt to moderate race-based politics and Rukun Negara was made as the national ideology. But Mahathir did not take these as foundation stones for nation building and instead entrenched Malay dominance in all sectors.' Dr Mahathir Mohamad. On May 8, Mahathir told FMT the racial divide in the country appeared to be widening and was more pronounced than during his time in office. Mahathir attributed racial tensions to the absence of a unifying national language and race-based political parties. He contrasted this with the relative harmony in neighbouring countries with sizeable Chinese populations, such as Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Wong Chin Huat, a political scientist at Sunway University, took aim at Mahathir, claiming that the perceived racial calm during his tenure as prime minister stemmed from his authoritarian rule. Wong Chin Huat. He said Mahathir subscribed to the belief that Malaysia belongs to the Malays, disregarding the perspectives of minorities—including those from Sabah and Sarawak—and framing national unity as contingent upon their assimilation. 'His ideas were shaped by the narrow nationalism and authoritarianism in the Cold War era. These are very last century (ideas).' Wong also suggested that Malaysia follow in Indonesia's footsteps by dismantling the excessive concentration of federal power to reduce the fear among Malays that the government could fall into the hands of other communities. 'If Malays can feel politically secure like Indonesian Muslims, the ethno-religious tensions that Mahathir laments would fade away,' he added.
The Sun
12-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Honouring mothers and the place where life began
EVERY Mother's Day, we find ourselves drawn to the quiet and unyielding strength of a mother's love. It is a day to honour the women who have carried, nurtured and shaped us – and to remember the spaces where these stories of life first begin: our nation's maternity hospitals. These are not just buildings. They are places where joy and pain meet, where futures are quietly set in motion and where a mother's resilience leaves its first invisible mark on the world. Among these, Kuala Lumpur Maternity Hospital – or as many fondly remember it, Hospital Bersalin Kuala Lumpur – holds a special place in Malaysia's collective memory. The story of this maternity hospital began with the hopes of a newly independent nation. Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's first prime minister, was deeply concerned about the well-being of mothers and their newborns. In a post-independence capital experiencing rapid growth, maternal healthcare was limited and basic. Recognising this need, Tunku envisioned a modern, dedicated maternity facility. On May 12, 1961 – a date that fittingly coincided with the global celebration of mothers – he officiated the construction of the Kuala Lumpur Maternity Hospital. It was a decisive step, not just for healthcare but as a symbol of the young nation's commitment to its people. The hospital's design was entrusted to K.C. Duncan, a senior architect from the Public Works Department (JKR). Inspired by Le Corbusier's modernist principles, Duncan created a building that responded intelligently to Malaysia's tropical climate. Ventilation blocks allowed fresh air to circulate through non-air-conditioned wards and corridors, long before air-conditioning was standard. Its clean lines, honest materials and human-focused spaces marked a new chapter in healthcare design – one centred on functionality, dignity and well-being. But beyond architectural achievements, Kuala Lumpur Maternity Hospital became something greater – a sanctuary of beginnings. For decades, its delivery rooms echoed with the cries of newborns, marking the start of countless Malaysian stories. Mothers from all walks of life – royalty and labourers, homemakers and professionals – passed through its doors, each carrying a silent hope for the future. For some, it was the place where they delivered more than one child, each a fresh chapter of sacrifice and devotion. For others, it was the first place they cradled a tiny heartbeat against their own, exhaustion mingling with awe. Every cry and every heartbeat heard within those walls is a living reminder of life's miraculous, everyday beginnings. Today, while newer facilities have risen across the country, this hospital – along with others in Penang, Johor, Sarawak and beyond – continues to evolve. Maternity care has expanded to include not just safe delivery but postnatal counselling, breastfeeding support and mental health services. It reflects a growing recognition that caring for a mother extends beyond birth, embracing the full, complex journey of becoming one. Motherhood, in every culture and time, is a quiet kind of heroism. It is forged in sleepless nights, carried through unspoken fears, and sustained by the enduring strength to give, even when depleted. It is a universal story written in different languages but felt in the same aching, joyous corners of the heart. As mothers ourselves, we understand this intimately. We have known the weight of responsibility, the anxious prayers during labour and the indescribable relief at a baby's first cry. Regardless of where one is born – in a humble kampung home, a public ward or a private suite – the pain of delivery humbles and the moment of birth transforms it into something eternal. That moment connects us not only to our children but to every mother before and after us. It reminds us that every life begins with a woman's courage and that this resilience, though often unseen, is the invisible scaffold of a nation. As we celebrate the women who raised us, let us also honour the spaces that silently cradle our futures. Maternity hospitals are more than functional institutions; they are living archives of stories, struggles and beginnings. Their walls have borne witness to the first moments of countless lives and deserve a place not only in our healthcare history but also in our cultural memory. As architects and mothers, we believe it is important to preserve these places, not only for their physical heritage but for the intangible legacy of care and resilience they represent. In a rapidly modernising city, these spaces remind us of who we are and where every journey begins. This Mother's Day, under the theme 'Every Birth is a Miracle, Every Mother is a Hero', we salute not just mothers but also the midwives, doctors, nurses and support staff who stood quietly beside them. We pay tribute to professionals and visionaries like Tunku who placed maternal care at the heart of national development. As we reflect on our mothers, let us remember the words of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him): 'Paradise lies at the feet of your mother.' Their sacrifice is priceless, their love foundational. To every mother, by whatever name you are called – mak, ibu, mama, bonda, umi, maa, amma, mum or mummy – thank you. We love you. Always. Dr Zuraini Md Ali is an associate professor at the Building Surveying Department, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya and a mother of seven. Dr Nor Hayati Hussain is an assistant professor at the School of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology and a mother of six. 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