The previous king, Sultan Muhammad V, stepped aside this month following just two years on the throne after reports surfaced he had married the former Miss Moscow while on medical leave. There was great shock across Malaysia at the first abdication of a monarch in the country’s history. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with a unique arrangement where the national throne changes hands every five years between rulers of the country’s nine states. Malaysian king resigns after marrying Russian beauty queenThe meeting got under way at 11:15 am, Bernama said. To be elected as the national king, a sultan must be supported by at least five of the state rulers.

Source: The Express Tribune January 24, 2019 06:00 UTC