Expats living in the capital will have noticed the flurry of excitement as, in mid-December, the new king made his way to the palace to take up his place on the throne. Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of the state of Terengannu stepped down on 13 December as his 5-year term ended to allow Kedah's Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah to take his place. Not only will Abdul Halim be the oldest monarch ever to rule, he is also taking the throne for the second time.Malaysia's king system is quite unusual, and offers each of the nine sultans a five-year term, with the kingship rotating fairly among them, although the succession is always dependent on approval by the rulers. The nine sultans get a chance to rule every 45 years and therefore, if they live long enough, they can survive to take a second term on the throne. Abdul Halim was first crowned back in 1970 as, at 43 years old, one of the youngest monarchs, and now gets his second chance of kingship at the age of 84.
The ceremony for the new monarch took place on 13 December and involved Sultan Abdul Halim inspecting a military honour guard before receiving a 21-gun salute at Parliament. He was then sworn in by taking an oath and signing the instrument of office in the presence of the other rulers. This was followed by a prayer, recited by the chief imam of Malaysia’s National Mosque, and the reading of the appointment letter by the Prime Minister.
Although officially declared the head of state and of Islam, the king's role is largely ceremonial due to the rotation system and because Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy. Beyond his federal powers - he has the power to name the prime minister and can dissolve parliament - the king's powers are limited primarily to the states which are not sultanates (Penang, Melacca, Sabah and Sarawak) and to the three federal territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan).
Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah has been the ruler in the northern state of Kedah for more than 50 years and is well-loved among his subjects: his send-off from the airport in Kedah that bears his name was emotional and unofficial, with hundreds lining the streets at dawn to wish him well.
His welcome at the new Istana Negara (National Palace) was equally enthusiastic, and it is hoped that, despite his old age, the new king will bring his tireless passion about the welfare of Malaysians to his new position.
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