Malaysia’s king, who is known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, has abdicated in an unprecedented move, with his successor set to be elected in January.

Sultan Muhammad V is stepping down immediately as the 15th King of Malaysia after serving since Dec. 13, 2016, according to a statement from the palace on Sunday which gave no reason for the abdication. Malaysia’s Conference of Rulers will convene on Jan. 24 to choose a successor, who will be inaugurated on Jan. 31, state news agency Bernama reported.

While the position is mostly ceremonial, it holds special discretionary powers, including swearing in the prime minister and pardoning convicts. Sultan Muhammad V pardoned Anwar Ibrahim, who is expected to become the nation’s next premier. It’s also prestigious among the country’s Malay Muslim majority, with Sultan Muhammad V, aged 49, one of the youngest to ascend the throne.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the election of the new king had to be expedited as he needed to consult the monarch “on certain matters.” The government, he said, won’t interfere in the selection, Bernama reported.

On Friday, Mahathir declined to comment on rumours that Sultan Muhammad V had married a former Miss Moscow during the king’s leave late last year, saying he had no official knowledge of it.

“The royalty is a key issue for Malays, and the protection of this institution by the ruling political power is very important.” said Johan Saravanamuttu, an adjunct senior fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. “But we also know that Mahathir has always taken a strong stance when it comes to the royalty. He pushes back, rightly or wrongly, when he sees that the rulers have done something unacceptable.”

Malaysia’s nine Malay state rulers elect the king among themselves through a rotational monarchy, with each term lasting for five years. They held a meeting on Monday to decide the next steps for electing the new monarch, according to the statement published by Bernama.

Mahathir’s had a thorny relationship with Malaysia’s royalty since 1993, when he changed the constitution to remove their legal immunity and scrapped laws barring people from criticizing the king.

The tension resurfaced in May, when Mahathir was made to wait for hours at the palace for his swearing-in as prime minister the day after his shock election victory, which led to Malaysia’s first change in government since its independence in 1957. He demanded to be inaugurated by 5 p.m., but was only confirmed close to 10 p.m. Former premier Najib Razak, who the king reportedly called “uncle”, had stopped short of conceding defeat earlier that day, saying instead the king could decide the next prime minister because no party achieved a simple majority.

The Sultan of Perak, Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, has carried out the king’s duties as acting monarch since November, when Sultan Muhammad V went on leave for medical reasons. Based on the historical rotation, the next kingship term may go to the Sultan of Pahang, Ahmad Shah, who didn’t attend the Monday meeting of Malay rulers for health reasons.

Sultan Muhammad V’s resignation was in accordance with Article 32(3) of the Federal Constitution, comptroller of the Royal Household Wan Ahmad Dahlan Ab Aziz said. He added the king had officially notified the other Malay rulers via letter.</s>KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's unique constitutional monarchy means the sovereign is neither absolute nor hereditary, but is elected among the heads of the nine royal houses who rule their own states.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong - or Supreme Ruler - is elected for a five-year term by the Conference of Rulers according to guidelines set out in the Federal Constitution and the regulations of the conference.

However, in practice, each of the nine houses is given a term according to its seniority - that is, length of reign in its state - and subsequently, a rotational system that continued the same order was the accepted convention.

Kelantan's Sultan Muhammad V abdication is unprecedented, which means that aside from the passing of previous Agongs, this is the first time the Conference must hold an unscheduled election within four weeks.

While Deputy Agong Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak is likely to be acting King in the interim, he is not next-in-line according to the succession order.

Next is Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang, but he has been ailing and his son has acted as Regent for two years. Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Ismail is follows him in the queue.

However, whatever the rulers may or may not have decided unofficially, the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal has to first ensure all nine consent to be nominated as Agong.

Candidacy is subject to certain criteria, such as whether he is a minor, or if the Conference resolves by secret ballot with a majority of at least five that he is unsuitable due to reasons such as infirmity of mind or body.

Although the Conference includes the non-royal governors of Malaysia's other four states, they are not allowed to vote nor be present during the election.

In the Election Meeting, only the nine, the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal, and the Assistant Secretary to the Conference of Rulers are involved. However, if a ruler is unable to attend, he may appoint another member of the Conference as a proxy to cast his vote.

The nomination list follows the order of succession, beginning with the next-in-line, unless this monarch has already declined the position.

The nine are given a ballot paper with the name of the first in the order to indicate whether he believes this candidate is suitable to be Agong.

If the candidate obtains a majority of at least five, he will be offered the position. If not, or if he declines, the process is repeated with the next name on the list.

The ballot is secret, and all are cast with unmarked paper and the same pen and ink. The ballots are destroyed once the results are known.

After the process is completed, the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal will inform the Prime Minister and Parliament who is to be the new head of the federation. The Prime Minister will then inform Malaysians, usually with a press release, who has been elected their King.

The Agong will begin carrying out his royal functions after signing the oaths of office in a ceremony before the Conference of Rulers, and in the presence of the Chief Justice of Malaysia.</s>KUALA LUMPUR – A day after the dramatic abdication of Malaysia’s King Sultan Muhammad V, all eyes are on the Conference of Rulers, which met on Monday to decide which of the nation’s nine hereditary rulers will become the next king.

Under Malaysia’s unique system of constitutional monarchy, nine sultans, each overseeing a different state, take turns to be king for five-year stints. These nine royals form the Conference of Rulers, along with four state governors who attend but cannot vote. The group will officially vote on the new Agong, roughly translated as king of kings, on January 24 and he will be formally sworn in on January 31.

Under the rotational system, the Sultan of Pahang state, Ahmad Shah, is next in line although the sultan is ailing according to local media, a rumour the palace has strenuously denied.

What does the king’s dramatic abdication mean for Malaysia?

Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak, who is currently the deputy king and is carrying out the functions of the king until a new one is elected, are the next two names in the rotational system. Although the functions of the king are largely ceremonial, he also serves to safeguard Islam in Muslim-majority Malaysia, and must assent to the appointment of individuals for various senior government roles including that of prime minister.

Under the constitution, there are only three instances in which the ruler who is next on the list can be denied the position: if the royal is a minor, if the Conference of Rulers by secret ballot resolves that he is unsuitable by reason of infirmity of mind or body or any other cause to exercise the functions of king, or if he declines to take the position. The ballot would then move to the next ruler on the list.

In 2016, the Sultan of Johor claimed he had been offered the role of king, bypassing both Kelantan – Muhammad V’s home state – and Pahang, saying he had rejected the offer out of respect for the rotational system.

According to lawyer and constitutional expert Surendra Ananth, there is no time frame for when a new king must be chosen.

“Legally speaking there is no time cap. Practically speaking it should be done as soon as possible as there are a number of discretionary and non-discretionary functions of the [king] under the constitution, such as the appointment of a number of constitutional offices, dissolution of parliament and so on.”

Constitutional lawyer Lim Wei Jiet believes it is “not likely that the Conference of Rulers will break from tradition … Sultan Ahmad Shah may most probably assume the [king] post”.

Kadir Jasin, media adviser to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, said the elected government would have no say in who became the next king.

“This is strictly a matter for the rulers to decide,” he told .

However, he suggested the path for the royal household of Pahang to attain the kingship was made “complicated” by Sultan Ahmad Shah not being well.

Online, some have suggested Sultan Ahmad Shah could abdicate, allowing his son to be king.

One other theory is that Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Ismail, who passed up the opportunity to be king in 2016, would now be handed the role by his peers.

The monarch and Mahathir are believed to have a fractious relationship, and his appointment could be a cause for concern for the premier’s eight-month-old administration.

But Kadir, the Mahathir adviser, brushed off concerns.

He said similar questions had been raised in the 1980s – during Mahathir’s first stint as prime minister – when Sultan Ibrahim Ismail’s father Mahmood Iskandar was the king. Then, too, questions had arisen about Mahathir’s relationship with the royal household of Malaysia’s southernmost state.

“But all the speculation turned out to be wrong. They [Mahathir and Sultan Iskandar] had a good relationship,” Kadir said.

Mahathir has twice put in place constitutional amendments to limit the monarchy’s power: first in 1983 when he forced it to give up the right to veto new laws by withholding assent and again in 1993 when he ended its immunity from prosecution following complaints of errant behaviour.

On January 2 of this year, Mahathir said in a blog post that monarchs were not above the law. Sources said the remarks were aimed at the Johor royal family.

Historically there has not been any departure from the rotational election list, save for in 1984 when Johor and Perak states switched orders after Perak’s sultan died a few months before the inauguration.

“As a result, Sultan Iskandar of Johor took over as the 8th Agong. Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak then took over as the 9th Agong. Hence, we can see a slight shift here – Perak was supposed to precede over Johor in the ‘election list’, but this was hampered by unfortunate circumstances,” said Lim.

Sultan Muhammad V, 49, resigned on Sunday after weeks of speculation claiming he would abdicate. No official reason was given, although this is the first time in Malaysia’s modern-day monarchy that a king has stepped down.

In the statement on Sunday, the sultan conveyed his thanks to the other Malay rulers who chose him as the Yang di Pertuan Agong in December 2016, and to the prime minister and the government who cooperated in overseeing the country.

The Oxford-educated 49-year-old had taken a two-month leave of absence in November and was due back in office on January 1, but questions arose last week over whether he had returned.

Muhammad V took the leave of absence on medical grounds. Foreign media reports said he had married a Russian beauty queen while he was away from the national office – though neither he nor the palace ever confirmed this.

The youngest Agong elected, Muhammad V’s tenure was marked by several clashes with Mahathir.

In May, after the general election that saw former governing coalition Barisan Nasional toppled for the first time in its 61-year rule, there was widespread speculation that the palace had delayed Mahathir’s swearing in as prime minister. In June, the government and the Agong reached an impasse regarding the appointment of ethnic Indian lawyer Tommy Thomas as attorney general, a position normally reserved for a member of the Malay-Muslim majority race – although the constitution does not specify a specific race, gender or religious requirement for the role. The Agong consented to the appointment after two weeks of the stand-off.

Muhammad V was also the ruler who handed democracy icon and prime minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim a royal pardon in May, wiping clean his record of multiple charges of sodomy and corruption and releasing him from prison.</s>Malaysia’s monarchy was in a state of flux on Monday after its king abdicated the throne at the weekend in a historically unprecedented move.

Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan resigned as the 15th Agong, or Supreme Ruler of the federation, the National Palace said on Sunday.

The Sultan ruled for slightly more than two years, since December 2013.

Malaysia’s kings are usually selected on a rotational basis from amongst the country’s nine monarchical heads for a stipulated five-year term.

The king’s role is largely ceremonial, as most of the authority to govern is held by the prime minister and cabinet.

The next king in line is the Sultan of Pahang, but the 88-year-old’s ailing health has raised questions of who should rightly succeed.

The council of nine sultans met at the National Palace to determine who the next king will be.

The abdication was not entirely unexpected.

Rumours had been swirling that the king might step down after a rare meeting was convened amongst the country’s nine state rulers recently.

Sultan Muhammad had been on a two-month leave of absence since November, during which time reports and images surfaced that he had wedded former Russian beauty queen Oksana Voevodina in Moscow.

The palace has neither confirmed nor denied these reports, however the wedding sparked concerns that a foreigner might be inaugurated as Queen.

During the king’s absence, the Sultan of Perak Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah was ruling as Deputy King.

As recently as Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed denied rumours of an abdication, saying he did not receive letters or any official indication about the possible abdication.

Other political figures thanked the King for his service.

“The highest appreciation to Sultan Muhammad V for his service as the 15th Agong (King).

“We Malaysians pray that you will always be granted health and protection by God,” ex-premier Najib Razak wrote on Facebook. (dpa/NAN)</s>(dpa/NAN) Malaysia is in a state of confusion after its king abdicated the throne at the weekend in a historically unprecedented move.

Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan resigned as the 15th Agong, or Supreme Ruler of the federation, the National Palace said on Sunday.

The Sultan ruled for slightly more than two years, since December 2013.

Malaysia’s kings are usually selected on a rotational basis from amongst the country’s nine monarchical heads for a stipulated five-year term.

The king’s role is largely ceremonial, as most of the authority to govern is held by the prime minister and cabinet.

The next king in line is the Sultan of Pahang, but the 88-year-old’s ailing health has raised questions of who should rightly succeed.

The council of nine sultans met at the National Palace to determine who the next king will be.

The abdication was not entirely unexpected.

Rumours had been swirling that the king might step down after a rare meeting was convened amongst the country’s nine state rulers recently.

Sultan Muhammad had been on a two-month leave of absence since November, during which time reports and images surfaced that he had wedded former Russian beauty queen Oksana Voevodina in Moscow.

The palace has neither confirmed nor denied these reports, however the wedding sparked concerns that a foreigner might be inaugurated as Queen.

During the king’s absence, the Sultan of Perak Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah was ruling as Deputy King.

As recently as Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed denied rumours of an abdication, saying he did not receive letters or any official indication about the possible abdication.

Other political figures thanked the King for his service.

“The highest appreciation to Sultan Muhammad V for his service as the 15th Agong (King).

“We Malaysians pray that you will always be granted health and protection by God,” ex-premier Najib Razak wrote on Facebook.</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>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>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>Malaysia’s monarchy was in a state of flux on Monday after its king abdicated the throne at the weekend in a historically unprecedented move.

Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan resigned as the 15th Agong, or Supreme Ruler of the federation, the National Palace said on Sunday.

The Sultan ruled for slightly more than two years, since December 2013.

Malaysia’s kings are usually selected on a rotational basis from amongst the country’s nine monarchical heads for a stipulated five-year term.

The king’s role is largely ceremonial, as most of the authority to govern is held by the prime minister and cabinet.

The next king in line is the Sultan of Pahang, but the 88-year-old’s ailing health has raised questions of who should rightly succeed.

The council of nine sultans met at the National Palace to determine who the next king will be.

The abdication was not entirely unexpected.

Rumours had been swirling that the king might step down after a rare meeting was convened amongst the country’s nine state rulers recently.

Sultan Muhammad had been on a two-month leave of absence since November, during which time reports and images surfaced that he had wedded former Russian beauty queen Oksana Voevodina in Moscow.

The palace has neither confirmed nor denied these reports, however the wedding sparked concerns that a foreigner might be inaugurated as Queen.

During the king’s absence, the Sultan of Perak Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah was ruling as Deputy King.

As recently as Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed denied rumours of an abdication, saying he did not receive letters or any official indication about the possible abdication.

Other political figures thanked the King for his service.

“The highest appreciation to Sultan Muhammad V for his service as the 15th Agong (King).

“We Malaysians pray that you will always be granted health and protection by God,” ex-premier Najib Razak wrote on Facebook. (dpa/NAN)</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.

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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.