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>KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, ascends the throne as the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara tomorrow.

Sultan Abdullah is scheduled to take his oath of office as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong and sign the instrument of the oath of office in a ceremony witnessed by the other Malay Rulers at the 252nd special meeting of the Conference of Rulers at the Balairung Seri (Throne Room) of the palace.

Sultan Abdullah, who will reign for a five-year term from tomorrow, succeeds Sultan Muhammad V, the Sultan of Kelantan, who stepped down on January 6 as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong after having reigned for about two years from December 13, 2016.

Tomorrow will also see the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, taking his oath of office as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara, also to reign for a five-year term.

The election of Sultan Abdullah as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong reflected the consensus and harmony among the Malay Rulers in arriving at their decision based on the unique rotational basis of the election in accordance with the Federal Constitution, upholding the system of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy practised in Malaysia. — Bernama</s>KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 — Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today performed the Friday prayers at the Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru here.

The King arrived at the mosque at 1.12 pm and accompanied by the Mufti of Federal Territories Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri and Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad.

Imam Muhammad Asem Salleh Sani delivered the Friday sermon titled ‘Raja DiDaulat, Negara Dimartabat’ before leading the congregation of almost 7,000 in performing the Friday prayers.

After the prayers, Sultan Abdullah spent some time mingling and shaking hands with the congregation before leaving the mosque at 2.20pm.

Sultan Abdullah was appointed as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a five-year reign beginning Jan 31, following the unprecedented resignation of Sultan Muhammad V as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on January 6.

The special meeting of the Conference of Rulers, which was chaired by the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin on January 24, also elected Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak as the Timbalan (Deputy) Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the same period.

The swearing in ceremony for both the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong was held at the Istana Negara yesterday. — Bernama</s>The new Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, inspects a guard of honours at the Dataran Parliament, on Jan 31, 2019. — Bernama</s>SINGAPORE, Jan 31 — Singapore leaders have conveyed congratulations to Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah who was sworn in today as the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

President Halimah Yacob, in her congratulatory message, said: “On behalf of the people of the Republic of Singapore, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Your Majesty on the auspicious occasion of Your Majesty’s assumption of office as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“Your Majesty is widely respected for your generosity and concern for the welfare of Malaysians from all walks of life. I am confident that under Your Majesty’s leadership, Malaysia will continue to enjoy prosperity and progress,” she said.

Halimah noted that Singapore and Malaysia enjoy a longstanding history of friendship and cooperation, underpinned by strong bonds between the peoples.

“I look forward to working closely with Your Majesty to further strengthen bilateral ties between our two countries. My husband and I take this opportunity to wish Your Majesty and Her Majesty, the Raja Permaisuri Agong, good health and happiness,” she said.

Sultan Abdullah, 59, was sworn in today as the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong in a ceremony steeped in tradition at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur. His Majesty was elected to the office by the Malay Rulers at the 251st (Special) Meeting of the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara on Jan 24 to reign for a five-year term from today.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his congratulatory message, said: “On behalf of the Government of Singapore, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations on Your Majesty’s assumption of office as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.”

“With Your Majesty’s wisdom and grace, I am confident that Malaysia will reach even greater heights of progress and success.”

Lee noted that Malaysia and Singapore shared a long and unique history built on close people-to-people ties and mutually-beneficial cooperation across many sectors.

“We also work well in regional and international fora. I am confident that our bilateral ties will strengthen further during Your Majesty’s reign. Ho Ching and I take this opportunity to send Your Majesty and Her Majesty, the Raja Permaisuri Agong, our respects and best wishes.” — Bernama</s>KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, will take the oath of office as the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong today to reign for a five-year term.

The swearing-in and signing of the instrument of the oath of office as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong will be held at the 252nd (Special) Meeting of the Conference of Rulers at the Balairung Seri (Throne Room) of Istana Negara.

At the same ceremony, the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, will take the oath of office as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, also to reign for five years.

Sultan Abdullah will also sign the instrument of the declaration of the holding of office, the contents of which will be read out by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Sultan Abdullah and his consort, Tengku Ampuan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, are scheduled to leave Istana Abdulaziz in Kuantan as early as 7 am to board a flight to the federal capital.

They are scheduled to arrive at the Bunga Raya Complex of the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang at 8.30am.

According to the programme, the royal entourage will proceed to Parliament Square for the official reception and then head to Istana Negara.

Sultan Abdullah succeeds Sultan Muhammad V, the Sultan of Kelantan, who stepped down on Jan 6 as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong after having reigned for about two years from Dec 13, 2016. — Bernama</s>SEPANG, Jan 31 — The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, flew in to the KL International Airport (KLIA) here today to take the oath of office as the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara.

Sultan Abdullah and his consort, Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, flew in to KLIA in a special aircraft from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Kuantan, arriving at the Bunga Raya Complex of KLIA at about 9.10am.

Their Majesties were welcomed on arrival by Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, and Tengku Laksamana Selangor Tengku Sulaiman Shah Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin.

Also present were Majlis Rasmi Kerajaan chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Zuki Ali, who is also Senior Deputy Secretary-General, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Deputy Secretary-General (Management), PMO, Datuk Junaidah Kamarruddin and senior government officials.

Their Majesties walked past a guard-of-honour mounted by two officers and 26 men led by Captain Abdul Munir Mohani @ Che Omar of the 1st Battalion Royal Rangers Regiment from the Wardieburn Camp in Kuala Lumpur.

Sultan Abdullah, accompanied by Tunku Azizah, proceeded to Parliament Square for the official welcoming ceremony before going to Istana Negara for the swearing-in and signing of the instrument of office as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Sultan Abdullah was elected as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the 251st (Special) Meeting of the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara on Jan 24 to reign for a five-year term from today.

His Majesty succeeds Sultan Muhammad V, the Sultan of Kelantan, who stepped down as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Jan 6 after reigning for just over two years from Dec 13, 2016. — Bernama</s>KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, has arrived for his official reception at Parliament Square here today, the final stop before his installation as the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Upon his arrival here shortly after 10am, the national anthem Negaraku and Hormat Diraja were performed while Sultan Abdullah was given a 21-gun salute by the Royal Artillery Regiment from Kem Sungai Buloh led by Major Mohammad Asri Che Wil.

During the ceremonial salute, Sultan Abdullah inspected the guard of honour mounted by four officers and 103 men from the 1st Battalion Royal Malay Regiment based in Kem Perdana, Sungai Besi led by Major Mohd Izham Ahmad Rashidi.

Federal Territories Mufti Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad then performed the prayer recital before Negaraku and Hormat Diraja were performed again, before the royal entourage left for Istana Negara.

Also present were Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali; Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her husband, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim; Cabinet ministers, and senior government officials.

Sultan Abdullah and his consort, Tengku Ampuan Pahang Tunku Azizah Maimunah Iskandariah Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, had flown to KLIA on a special aircraft from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Kuantan, arriving at the Bunga Raya Complex of KLIA at about 9.10am.

The royal entourage is headed to Istana Negara for the swearing-in and signing of the instrument of the oath of office as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The oath-taking and the signing of the letter of oath will be held at the 252nd (Special) Meeting of the Conference of Rulers at the Balairung Seri (Throne Room) of Istana Negara.

Sultan Abdullah, who will reign for a five-year term from tomorrow, succeeds Sultan Muhammad V, the Sultan of Kelantan, who abdicated on January 6 as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong after holding the post since December 13, 2016.</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>KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — The Malay Rulers convened today at Istana Negara for the 252nd (Special) Meeting of the Conference of Rulers, during which the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong took their oath and signed the instruments of office.

The meeting, which convened at the Balairung Seri (Throne Room) of the palace at 10.55am was chaired by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, and attended by all the Malay Rulers except the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, who was represented by the Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan, Tengku Dr Muhammad Faiz Petra Sultan Ismail Petra.

The other rulers were the 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 of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin; and Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir.

Also present were Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Dr Mohd Khalil Yaakob, Penang Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas, Sarawak Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud and Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.

At the meeting, the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, took the oath of office as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, to reign for a five-year term from today.

After the swearing-in, Their Majesties signed the instrument of office.

Sultan Abdullah succeeds Sultan Muhammad V who stepped down as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Jan 6 after reigning for just over two years of the five-year term from Dec 13, 2016.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail were also present at the event. — Bernama
Abdullah of Pahang is elected the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.