Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, the ruler of the Malaysia state of Pahang, was named the country's new king Thursday (Jan 24) following the shock abdication of Sultan Muhammad V earlier this month.
The leaders of Malaysia's royal houses, known as the Conference of Rulers, elected the 59-year-old Sultan Abdullah to a five year term under a system of rotational monarchy that is unique to Malaysia.
Muhammad V, 49, abdicated after just two years on the throne.
Sultan Abdullah will be sworn in as the nation's 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or head of state, in a ceremony on Jan 31.
He only became the sultan of Malaysia's central Pahang state on Jan 15 after his ailing 88-year-old father Sultan Ahmad Shah stepped down -- a move seen as paving the way for his son to take the national role.
The Sultan is heavily involved in sports governance -- he is the current president of the Asian Hockey Federation and a council member of FIFA, the world football body.
- Source: News websites
