His Highness, Almarhum Tunku Abdul Jalil Iskandar Ibni Sultan Ibrahim Ismail was the fourth of six children of Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, Sultan of Johor and Raja Zarith Sofiah, Permaisuri of Johor.
Tunku Jalil, as he was affectionately known, was born in Johor on 5th July 1990 and was appointed as Tunku Laksamana in 2010.
His Highness Tunku Abdul Jalil addressing the Malaysian Nature Society meeting at the office of our director Dato Chua Jui Leng where he advocated for the protection of local wildlife.
In his short life of 25 years, the young prince walked very much among commoners, winning the love and respect of the people. Many who have encountered him were full of praise for his humble, gentle, kind and compassionate nature.
A graduate in Zoology and Conservation Studies from the Zoological Society of London, Tunku Jalil was an ardent animal lover. Upon his return from London, he became a volunteer at the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Sabah. He was also a volunteer at the Singapore Zoological Garden’s Reptile and Veterinary Department for a year and the London Zoo for 2 years.
Tunku Jalil was also active in various charity organisations including the Johor Spastic Association, Malaysian Nature Society, the Orangutan Appeal UK and the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS).
It was not uncommon for people to see the young Prince, who was the MRCS vice-chairman for community services, helping to provide and distribute aid for flood victims at evacuation centres across Johor.
Tunku Jalil was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2014. Even as he fought the illness with courage and fortitude, the young Prince’s medical condition became a catalyst for charity and a beacon of hope for poor people suffering from cancer. This inspired his father the Sultan of Johor to launch the Tunku Laksamana Johor Cancer Foundation – and the slogan “Fight like Jalil” was coined.
Sadly Tunku Jalil passed away on 5th December 2015 at the age of 25.
“Human effort, awareness and dedication are to be in tandem with legislation to ensure the preservation.”
Tunku Abdul Jalil Conservation Centre at Long Beach was opened on 4th September 2018 by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Al-haj in memory of his son, His Highness Almarhum Tunka Abdul Jalil Iskandar Ibni Sultan Ibrahim.
The Centre and its environmental work is dedicated to the memory of Tunku Jalil.
