Members of Malaysian royal families has on Thursday, elected Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah as the new king of Malaysia, following the unexpected resignation of the previous leader.
According to Reuters news reports, in an official statement, the keeper of the rulers’ seal said Sultan Abdullah, the ruler of the central stage of Pahang, will formally take the office on January 31 for a five-year terms, serving as the king of the country.
Malaysia has nine royal households, who holds turns to sit on the throne, and through the Council of Rulers voting, the next king of the country is being decided, made up of those nine royal households.
On January 8, Malaysia’s King Sultan Muhammad V has stepped down from his throne, after completing his two-year leadership, the very first time a monarch has resigned before completing their five-year ruling.
In an official statement, the national palace said the King’s decision to resign took effect immediately. No details of his resignation were provided and the palace officials also refused to respond to a request for comment.
Malaysia considered as a constitutional monarchy and thus the King assumed a largely ceremonial role, including as a guardian of Islam in the Muslim-majority country. However, the acceptance of King is needed before the appointment of senior public officials or a prime minister.