AVA - Malaysia's king steps down from throne - palace

Sultan Muhammad V has stepped down as Malaysia's king hot on the heels of his reported marriage to a Russian beauty queen.

The king’s future has been the source of rampant speculation since he took medical leave at the start of November last year. He was due to return to his duties earlier this week but instead issued a statement on Sunday announcing that he is abdicating the throne that he has held for only two years.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with the unusual arrangement seeing the king selected from the royal rulers of the nine Malay states on a rotational basis, with each king’s term lasting five years. Muhammad V is the first monarch to abdicate the throne since the Muslim-majority country gained independence from Britain in 1957.
In his statement, the 49-year-old expressed his gratitude to the Malay Rulers, who elected him in 2016. He also paid tribute to Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and the government for their cooperation in governing the country.