PETALING JAYA - The new King will take his oath of office on Jan 31, allowing him to carry out the duties of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong soon after, says the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal.

Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad said on Tuesday (Jan 8) taking the oath of office would mean that the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong would be able to take on his responsibilities immediately, even before being installed as King ceremonially.

Though a constitutional monarch, the King, or Yang di-Pertuan Agong, is seen as a symbol of Malay power and protector of Islam, the state religion.

Malaysia was jolted by the resignation of the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sunday (Jan 6) in an unprecedented move.

Neither the palace nor the Prime Minister's Office has given a reason for the sudden abdication of the 49-year-old monarch after just two years as King - three years short of the usual five-year tenure.

Under Malaysia's unique five-year rotation system involving the nine royal Malay houses, the next in line is Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang, 88, followed by Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, 60, of Johor, and then Sultan Nazrin Shah from Perak, 62.

Sultan Ahmad Shah is not in good health, and his son has been Regent for two years.

Sultan Nazrin Shah, the current Deputy King, will likely serve as Acting King until a new King is confirmed, reported the New Straits Times.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday that the government hopes the new king would be elected as soon as possible.

Syed Danial, the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal, explained on Tuesday the decision of the Conference of Rulers on Monday to hold a special meeting on Jan 24 to choose the new King, and on Jan 31 for the swearing-in ceremony.

Read also Malaysia's new King to be chosen on Jan 24 The Conference of Rulers groups the nine sultans and four governors of states with no royal families (Penang, Melaka, Sabah, Sarawak). However, voting for the next king is done only by the nine Malay rulers, with priority given to the monarch who is next in line. "Officially there are two occasions: One, the day the Rulers meet to choose the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and two, the day they take their oaths of office," said Syed Danial. "The former is a restricted meeting which only involves the substantive hereditary Rulers from the nine states and the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal, who is the person appointed by the Conference of Rulers pursuant to Schedule V of Article 38 of the Constitution as the Secretary. "The latter meeting (taking of Oath of Office) is formally a special meeting of the Conference involving all the members, meaning the Rulers and Yang di-Pertua Negeri (or their nominated representatives) in the presence of the Chief Justice of Malaysia (or the next most senior judge should he be absent). "The oaths to be taken by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Deputy must be witnessed by two Rulers who are selected by the Conference of Rulers," said Syed Danial. He further explained that the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong would then sign a proclamation that he had taken office from that date. "That proclamation will be read by the Prime Minister. For that special meeting (of taking Oath of Office), guests are invited to witness the august and important occasion. "They include the official advisers to the Rulers such as all the Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers, the Federal Ministers and other VIPs," said Syed Danial to The Star. Read also Malaysian King abdicates: 5 things about the Russian ex-beauty queen he reportedly wed Dr Mohammad Shamsuddin, an expert on Malay customs from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said the newly sworn-in King would then decide when he wanted to hold the ceremonial installation. "He will be advised by the Conference of Rulers on a proper date to hold the ceremony. Usually, it is within a year of the swearing-in. "However, the King can immediately assume all the duties of the King right after taking the oath of office, even though he has yet to be installed as the King ceremonially. "While the taking of Oath of Office is done among the Conference of Rulers themselves, the installation ceremony is largely a public affair and it is to announce to the public and the world that the country has installed a new King," said Dr Mohammad. </s> Kelantan's Sultan Muhammad V, seen here reading the Oath of Installation, was officially installed as the 15th Malaysian king yesterday under the country's unique royal rotation involving the nine Malay ruling houses. The installation ceremony, steeped in royal Malay customs, marked the formal commencement of his tenure as the supreme head of state of the Malaysian federation. Sultan Muhammad V, 47, had taken his oath of office on Dec 13. Under the rotational monarchy system, one of the rulers from Malaysia's nine royal houses takes turn every five years to become the Malaysian king. </s> KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — The Council of Rulers will meet on January 24 to elect the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong and his deputy after Sultan Muhammad V made the unprecedented move of resigning as King yesterday mid-term.

In a press statement, Keeper of the Royal Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad said the Council has also decreed that the swearing-in ceremony for the new Agong and the Deputy will be held on January 31.

“The Rulers attending this meeting has decided to hold a special Council of Rulers meeting on Thursday, January 24, 2019 for the purpose of electing the Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI and the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“The Rulers have also decided that a Special Meeting for the swearing-in ceremony by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong will be held on Thursday, January 31, 2019,” said Syed Danial after the Rulers met this morning at Istana Negara.

Today’s meeting was attended by Rulers Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin from Terengganu, Perlis’ Raja Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, Negri Sembilan’s Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz, Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim, Perak’s Sultan Nazrin, who is the current Deputy Agong, and Kedah’s Sultan Sallehuddin.

Sultan Ahmad Shah, the Ruler of Pahang, was unable to attend due to health reasons, while Selangor ruler Sultan Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was out of the country.

Yesterday, Sultan Muhammad V from Kelantan tendered his resignation after ruling as Agong from December 13, 2016.

He had earlier taken two months’ leave due to health reasons from November 1 to December 31, 2018.

A palace official who requested anonymity observed that in the event Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang cannot attend the upcoming meeting, he can choose a proxy as his representative.

"A ruler can appoint a proxy from another full Ruler (among the Council of Rulers) to vote on his behalf," said the official when asked regarding the possibility of an absent vote.

The King is chosen from the nine Malay Rulers based on a rotational system, which means that the Pahang Sultan is next in line and is likely to be up for the election, followed by Johor and Perak.

Only one candidate will be nominated for election by the Conference of Rulers. The Governors of Penang, Melaka, Sabah, and Sarawak cannot participate in the election even though they are members of the Conference.

The nine Malay Rulers will state in their ballot whether the candidate is suitable or not to be the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, upon which he is elected as King after he gets a majority of five votes. The second-most senior ruler will be up for the election instead if the successful nominee declines the position or fails to get at least five votes. </s> KUALA LUMPUR: Sultan Muhammad V stepped down as Malaysia's king on Sunday (Jan 6) after just two years on the throne - marking a first in the country's history. 



The king had officially notified the Malay Rulers on his abdication through a letter sent to the Secretary of the Conference of Rulers, said the comptroller of the royal household in a statement.

“In discharging the wishes of His Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V, Istana Negara hereby announces that His Majesty is abdicating as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong effective Jan 6, 2019, pursuant to Article 32 (3) of the Federal Constitution,” said Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.

Wan Ahmad Dahlan said Sultan Muhammad V expressed his gratitude to the Malay Rulers, who elected him as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Dec 13, 2016.

He also expressed his appreciation to Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and the government for their cooperation in governing the country.

"During his tenure as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, His Majesty worked to fulfil his responsibilities and the trust placed in him as the head of state, serving as the pillar of stability, the source of justice and as an umbrella of the solidarity and unity of the people,” said Wan Ahmad Dahlan. 



The comptroller said that Sultan Muhammad V, as the supreme commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, was proud of the sacrifices and devotion shown to him and the country over the years.

“His Majesty hopes that all Malaysians will continue to stay united, tolerant and in agreement in shouldering the responsibility to safeguard the country’s sovereignty so that Malaysia will remain in peace and harmony,” he said.



The former king was ready to return to working on the development of Kelantan together with the state government and the people, Wan Ahmad Dahlan added.

In Malaysia's constitutional monarchy system, the election for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is held on a rotational basis every five years.

The Conference of Rulers must meet to elect a new king no later than four weeks once the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong falls vacant.

According to the rotation in place, the Sultan of Pahang would be next in line.

Rumours of the abdication were circulating online earlier in the week, although Mahathir said he did not receive official word on the matter.

"I didn't receive letters or any official indication about anything, so I am not going to talk about it," said Mahathir at a press conference on Friday.

Mahathir also said that "as far as (he) knew", the king had resumed duties after going on leave for two months up until Dec 31.

According to online reports in November, the 49-year-old monarch recently married 25-year-old former beauty queen Oksana Voevodina, who held the title of Miss Moscow in 2015.

The reports featured pictures of the supposed wedding, which were said to have taken place on Nov 22 in a concert hall in the upscale Moscow suburb of Barvikha.

Mahathir said then that he did not have official confirmation on the wedding. </s> He replaces Muhammad V, the sultan of Kelantan who abdicated on 6 January. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, in which the sovereign plays a largely ceremonial function. The throne passes on a five-year rotational basis between the rulers of the country's nine states headed by Islamic royalty.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin al-Mustafa Billah Shah (pictured), the 59-year-old Sultan of Pahang, was elected this morning as the new king of Malaysia, at the end of a special meeting of Malay rulers. He succeeds Muhammad V, the sultan of Kelantan, who resigned on 6 January after only two years on the throne.

A statement by the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal Syed Danial Syed Ahmad also announced that Perak’s Sultan Nazrin Shah was elected deputy king.

The special meeting, which began at 11.15 am at the Istana Negara (National Palace), was chaired by Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu. Eight of the nine Malay rulers cast their ballot papers during the election process.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, in which the sovereign plays a largely ceremonial role. The king is elected on a rotational basis every five years by rulers of the country's nine states headed by Islamic royalty.

Abdullah became the new ruler of Pahang – in place of his elderly and sick father – on 15 January, following Muhammad V’s historic abdication.

The abdication, a first for Malaysia in modern times, followed reports that he married an ex-beauty queen in Russia in November during a purported two-month medical leave. </s> Malaysia's king, Sultan Muhammad V, has unexpectedly stepped down from his role. The king abdicated on Sunday, making him the country's first ever monarch to do so. The palace gave no reason for why the king had only served two years out of his five-year term, but said the resignation would take effect immediately.

"His Majesty tells the people of Malaysia to continue to be united to maintain unity, tolerance, and work together," a statement from the palace said. They would not comment on rumours of the king's recent marriage to Russian beauty queen, Oksana Voevodina, nor on his health. Sultan Muhammad had taken medical leave in November and just days later, photos surfaced that appeared to show him marrying Oksana, 25.

The king, pictured last summer, abdicated on Sunday

The 49-year-old king and Oksana, a former Miss Moscow winner, were allegedly married on 22 November in Barvikha, Russia. They also had a traditional Malay wedding in Malaysia prior to the nuptials. Oksana has reportedly converted to Islam and changed her name to Rihana Oxana Gorbatenko.

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The palace has also said that the king is preparing to return home to the state of Kelantan. His successor has yet to be named and Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, who stood in for the king while he was on medical leave, will continue in his acting position. The new successor is expected to be chosen on 24 January and inaugurated the following week on 31 January.

The king's role is largely a ceremonial one

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The king's role in Malaysia is largely a ceremonial one. Power remains in the hands of parliament and the prime minister, with the king holding special discretionary powers. These include pardoning convicts and swearing in the prime minister. Malaysia has had a rotational monarchy – which means the role is passed between nine hereditary state rulers – since the country gained its independence from the UK in 1957.

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox. </s> The Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin, has been sworn in as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Sultan Abdullah, 59, was sworn in at the national palace Istana Negara in the capital Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (Jan 31).

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad read out the instrument of proclamation, which officially signifies the new King’s ascension to the throne, Bernama reported.

Sultan Abdullah succeeds Kelantan ruler Sultan Muhammad V, who abdicated on Jan 6 after having reigned for about two years.

The Sultan of Perak, 62-year-old Sultan Nazrin Shah, also took his oath as the elected deputy king.

Read also: Here’s what we know about Malaysia’s new king </s> Malaysian King Sultan Muhammad V stepped down from the throne on Sunday, royal palace officials announced but without stating a reason for the first abdication by one of the country’s monarchs in its 61-year history.

The resignation of the 49-year-old monarch, Malaysia’s 15th king who is the sultan or ruler of Kelantan state, took immediate effect, the palace said in a statement. It gave no details about who would succeed Sultan Muhammad V, who had only ascended to the throne in December 2016 under Malaysia’s rotating system of monarchs.

“The palace would like to inform that Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku has resigned as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the Supreme Ruler of the federation effective January 6 in accordance with Article 32(3) of the Federal Constitution,” said Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz, the comptroller of the Royal Household, referring to the king by his full title in Malay.

The abdication took place following days of reports in regional media speculating that the king might be stepping down after marrying a Russian woman abroad in late November.

The king sent a letter to the secretary of the Conference of Rulers notifying them about his decision to resign from the throne, Wan Ahmad Dahlan said. The conference is Malaysia’s council of nine traditional rulers and four governors. They represent the 13 states in the Malaysian federation, elect a king to a five-year term, and take turns on the throne.

“During his tenure as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, His Majesty had worked to fulfill his responsibilities and the trust placed in him as the head of state, serving as the pillar of stability, the source of justice and as an umbrella of the solidarity and unity of the people,” the royal comptroller said, adding that Sultan Muhammad V was preparing to return to his home state to “safeguard its people” and work for their betterment.

“His Majesty also hopes that all Malaysians will continue to stay united, tolerant and in agreement in shouldering the responsibility to safeguard the country’s sovereignty so that Malaysia will remain in peace and harmony,” Wan Ahmad Dahlan said.

Sultan Muhammad V was officially installed as king of Malaysia, a multi-ethnic though predominantly Malay Muslim nation of nearly 32 million people, in a ceremony on April 24, 2017, four months after ascending to the throne.

In early November 2018, the king went on a two-month leave of absence for “medical treatment,” during which the Sultan of Perak, Nazrin Shah, took over the throne as acting king, the palace said at the time.

During Sultan Muhammad V’s absence foreign media outlets reported that he married a Russian beauty queen who had converted to Islam, Oksana Voevodina, in a wedding near Moscow on Nov. 22. The king was single before taking the throne.

On Nov. 29, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he did not know about the reported marriage and had not received any official confirmation about it, reports said. Mahathir later confirmed to the media that the ruler had returned and resumed his duties as the country’s king. On Dec. 31, Sultan Nazrin Shah formally ended his duties as acting king.

There was no comment from the prime minister late on Sunday night (local time). A spokesman for Mahathir did not respond immediately to an inquiry from BenarNews.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told reporters on Sunday evening that the cabinet was “just being informed” about the abdication through the official statement from the royal palace.

“However, I feel sad as he was the king when we came into power. He was the king who swore-in the new prime minister during the historical change of government,” said Wan Azizah, the country’s first woman to hold the post of deputy PM, adding that she respected the sultan’s decision.

She was alluding to last year’s general election in which the opposition Pakatan Harapan alliance swept the Barisan Nasional coalition out of power for the first time in the country’s history.

“The Yang Dipertuan Agong was also the one who pardoned my husband [Anwar Ibrahim],” the deputy prime minister added, while speaking to media on the sidelines of an event at the International Islamic University Malaysia campus in Gombak, Selangor state.

Under the Malaysian constitution, the king is the supreme head of the federation and supreme commander of the armed forces. He also acts as the head of Islam in his home state, and in the states of Malacca, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.

Under Article 153 of the constitution, the king must also safeguard the special position of ethnic Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the legitimate interests of other communities, according to information posted on websites belonging to the government and Conference of Rulers.

In addition, the monarch presides over the opening of parliamentary sessions and has the power to swear in members of the cabinet and grant royal pardons.

After a ruler has served as king, he cannot stand for re-election until all rulers of the other states have also stood for election under the rotational system.

The king may resign his office by writing to the Conference of Rulers, and may also be removed from office by his fellow rulers.

Sultan Muhammad V was on the throne when he granted a pardon that allowed Anwar Ibrahim, a senior opposition leader who was imprisoned by the previous government on a sodomy charge to be freed from custody and re-enter politics. Anwar, the husband of Wan Azizah, is next in line to become prime minister. </s> The 15th king of Malaysia, King Muhammad V, kissing a ceremonial "keris" (dagger) during his coronation at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. The Sultan of Kelantan replaces Sultan of Kedah Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Following Muhammad V of Kelantan's abdication as King of Malaysia on Sunday, the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal explains that the Conference of Rulers will elect a new King on 24 January, who will assume duties immediately after taking the oath of office on 31 January.