KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s king has abdicated, royal officials said on Sunday, in a historic first for the country that ended weeks of speculation about his future after he took medical leave. Sultan Muhammad V’s decision marks the first time a king has abdicated in the Muslim-majority country since it gained independence from Britain in 1957. It came after the king took leave at the start of November for two months, during which time unconfirmed reports circulated that he had married a Russian former beauty queen. Sultan Muhammad V studied at St Cross College at Oxford and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, according to official media. The king is also the symbolic head of Islam in the nation, as well as the nominal chief of the military.

Source: Pakistan Today January 06, 2019 13:18 UTC