JOHOR BARU • Several roads in the city's downtown area have been closed since yesterday evening for the royal wedding to be held at Istana Besar today.

Johor police chief Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said the affected roads include trunk roads Jalan Ayer Molek, Jalan Yahya Awal and Jalan Dato Onn. They will be reopened after the ceremony ends later today.

"We urge members of the public to use alternative routes to avoid traffic congestion," he said in a statement yesterday.

Johor princess Tunku Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Sultan Ibrahim will marry Dutchman Dennis Muhammad Abdullah today in a ceremony steeped in the royal customs of the Malaysian state. The "bersanding" (sitting-in-state) ceremony will be held in the evening.

Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, and Mrs Teo will attend the royal wedding as Special Representatives of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

DPM Teo and Mrs Teo will attend the wedding ceremony followed by the royal banquet, said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement yesterday.

Their visit for this special event "reflects the warm and close ties between Singapore and Johor", said the statement.