Members of Malaysia's royal families have elected a new king following the abdication of the previous monarch, who was reported to have married a 25-year-old former Russian beauty queen while on medical leave.
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, the ruler of the central state of Pahang, will formally take over the throne at the end of the month for a five-year term, the keeper of the rulers' seal said in a statement.
He will replace outgoing Malaysian King Sultan Muhammad V, who resigned earlier this month after just two years on the throne.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with the king assuming a largely ceremonial role, including acting as custodian of Islam in the Muslim-majority country.
The king's assent is needed for the appointment of a prime minister and various senior officials.
Malaysia's nine royal households take turns to provide a king, who is chosen through a vote in a Council of Rulers, made up of the nine households, most of which are led by a sultan.
The head of the Pahang royal family was next in line in take over from Sultan Muhammad V, who is the head of the state of Kelantan.
Sultan Muhammad's abdication was the first time a monarch had stepped down before completing their tenure.
No reason was given for his decision, which came after images purporting to show him getting married in Russia appeared on social media in December.
Posts identified his new wife as Oksana Voevodina, who won a Miss Moscow contest in 2015.
The new king, Sultan Abdullah, succeeded his ailing father as ruler of Pahang last week, and his ascent to the Pahang throne was seen as a sign he would take over as the new monarch.
Sultan Abdullah is on the non-executive supervisory council of football governing body FIFA.
He is also the president of the Asian Hockey Federation.
Reuters
