Sultan Muhammad V has become the first king in Malaysia's history to abdicate, ending speculation following a two-month leave of absence for medical treatment. "The National Palace informs that his majesty has resigned as the 15th king effective January 6," the royal palace said in a statement Sunday. The palace did not give a reason for the 49-year-old monarch stepping down, but photos emerged late last year of Sultan Muhammad V's marriage in Russia to 25-year-old model Oksana Voevodina, Miss Moscow 2015.
The king's abdication isn't expected to have much effect in Malaysia, a constitutional monarchy where most of the power is wielded by the prime minister. Sultan Muhammed V, elevated to the throne in December 2016, also only had three years left in his reign; under Malaysia's unique monarchy, the throne is rotated every five years among the Muslim country's nine royal houses. His replacement will be selected by the Council of Rulers, made up of the nine sultanates.
Malaysia's prime minister is currently Mahathir Mohamed, 92, whose coalition toppled the longtime ruling United Malays National Organization last May. Former Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested months later, charged with money laundering and other charges stemming from scandal-plagued state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What’s the best way to use your year-end bonus?the explainer Pay down debt, add it to an emergency fund or put it toward retirement
-
10 concert tours to see this winterThe Week Recommends Keep cozy this winter with a series of concerts from big-name artists
-
What are portable mortgages and how do they work?the explainer Homeowners can transfer their old rates to a new property in the UK and Canada. The Trump administration is considering making it possible in the US.
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
