Malaysia has introduced that its subsequent and 17th king will likely be Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, who was chosen by the nation’s 9 sultans on Friday.
He’ll take over in January, changing King Al-Sultan Abdullah who was appointed solely in 2019.
His dethroning is a part of Malaysia’s distinctive system of rotational monarchy during which the heads of its royal households – sultans of 9 of its 13 states – take turns to be king for a five-year time period.
After independence from British colonial rule in 1957, the order of rotation among the many sultans was decided by seniority, based mostly on how lengthy that they had been ruling. However that rule was dropped after all of the royal households accomplished a time period every. They now take turns based mostly on the preliminary order.
They maintain a secret vote however the poll solely has the identify of the sultan whose flip it’s. Every sultan is required to point whether or not they consider the nominee is appropriate to be king and the candidate should get a easy majority.
As soon as the result’s introduced, the poll papers are destroyed within the presence of the sultans.
Who’s the brand new king and why has the position develop into vital over time
Although the Southeast Asian nation is a parliamentary democracy during which the monarch largely serves as head of state – taking part in a ceremonial position – the place has develop into extra influential lately as a result of extended political instability throughout which the king has wielded hardly ever used discretionary powers.
The 64-year-old new king – Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar from the southern state of Johor – will take over from King Al-Sultan Abdullah when his time period expires on 31 January subsequent 12 months.
His election had been extensively anticipated, because the ruler of Johor state bordering Singapore was subsequent in line based mostly on a rotation order established among the many nation’s 9 state rulers. Sultan Ibrahim, a ruler who takes annual street journeys to satisfy folks in his state, earlier expressed his readiness to be king.
From left to proper, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah of Perak, Sultan Muhriz Munawir of Negeri Sembilan, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor and Sultan Sallehuddin Badlishah pose for footage earlier than the election for the subsequent Malaysian king on the Nationwide Palace in Kuala Lumpur Friday, 27 October 2023
(AP)
“It isn’t a promotion. It’s a accountability I’m ready to undertake,” he advised the nationwide Bernama information company final month. “The (folks) will all the time come first.”
Identified to have an enormous assortment of luxurious automobiles and bikes, he additionally has wide-ranging enterprise pursuits from actual property to mining. An organization he has a stake in has a three way partnership with struggling Chinese language property developer Nation Backyard to develop a $100bn undertaking known as Forest Metropolis in Johor.
He additionally owns a non-public military and is concerned in lots of enterprise ventures. This features a stake within the multibillion-dollar Forest Metropolis improvement undertaking in Johor with China’s beleaguered developer Nation Gardens.
Not like different conventional Malaysian rulers, Sultan Ibrahim has been outspoken about politics and has mentioned he has relationship with prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who he believes, needs to be given extra time to strengthen the economic system.
The sultan has publicly advocated establishing a particular financial zone between Johor and neighbouring Singapore to strengthen ties.
The incumbent too performed an unusually lively position in Malaysian politics, regardless of it largely being a ceremonial place the place the monarch acts as custodian of Islam within the Muslim-majority nation.
Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, left, wipes his tears subsequent to his sister Malaysia’s Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah after the election for the subsequent Malaysian king on the Nationwide Palace in Kuala Lumpur Friday, 27 October 2023
(AP)
The federal structure grants the monarch only some discretionary powers, with the king largely required to behave upon the recommendation of the prime minister and cupboard.
It additionally permits the king to nominate a major minister who he believes has a parliamentary majority, an influence by no means utilised till 2020, because the premier is often picked by way of an election.
King Al-Sultan used these powers throughout a interval of political instability triggered by the defeat of the United Malays Nationwide Organisation (UMNO), which had ruled Malaysia uninterrupted since independence till 2018. He picked the final three prime ministers of the nation.
In 2020, when then-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad resigned, the king met all 222 lawmakers to resolve which ones may command a majority to type the subsequent authorities. He appointed Muhyiddin Yassin because the premier after these conferences.
In 2021, when Mr Yassin misplaced his majority, the king picked Ismail Sabri Yaakob to be premier after an analogous course of.
He picked Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister in late 2022 when a normal election resulted in a hung parliament.
The king additionally has the facility to pardon convicted folks. In 2018, Al-Sultan’s predecessor, Sultan Muhammad V pardoned Mr Ibrahim, who was then imprisoned on sodomy and corruption prices that he says have been politically motivated.
(Extra reporting from companies)