PETALING JAYA (The Star) - Malaysia welcomed a new King with the election of Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah as the country’s 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah, will meanwhile continue to serve as the deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The election of the Pahang Ruler as the country’s new Head of State took place 19 days after the unprecedented resignation of the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan.
Malaysia practices a unique system in choosing its monarch, whereby the King and his deputy are elected by the nine Malay Rulers to serve for a five-year term under a rotation system.
The announcement on Sultan Abdullah’s election as the King was made after the balloting process which took place at the 251st special meeting of the Conference of Rulers.
Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad said that Sultan Abdullah will reign as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong for five years beginning Jan 31.
Sultan Nazrin Shah would reign as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the same period.
On Jan 15, Sultan Abdullah was proclaimed the sixth Sultan of Pahang in the modern era, succeeding his father Sultan Ahmad Shah who is unwell.
He has been the state regent for the past two years due to his father’s ill health and the state succession was seen as paving the way for him to become the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The special meeting of the Conference of Rulers, which was chaired by the Sultan of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, was attended by all the Malay Rulers except for Sultan Muhammad V.
The other Malay Rulers who attended the meeting were the Sultan of Perak; Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar; Sultan of Kedah Sultan Sallehuddin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah; Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail.
Sultan Abdullah; Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah; and Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir were also present.
Syed Danial said that in accordance with Paragraph 3, Part I of the Third Schedule of the Federal Constitution, the decision of the Conference of Rulers had been conveyed to both Houses of Parliament.
“The Prime Minister has also been informed,” he said.
The Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal had said in a statement on Jan 7 that the Conference of Rulers had decided that the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong would take their oath of office and sign the instrument of office on Jan 31.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/01/25/sultan-of-pahang-is-ne...
