Malaysia elects new king

Baku. 24 January. REPORT.AZ/ Al Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah has been elected the sixteenth king in the history of independent Malaysia, Report informs citing the RIA Novosti.

The meeting to elect a new king began at 11.15am at Istana Negara, and was chaired by Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu.
The King of Malaysia, according to the constitution of the country, is elected every five years from his environment nine hereditary sultans, traditional hereditary rulers of nine states of the country.

The previous king, Sultan Muhammad V, stepped aside this month after just two years on the throne, following reports that he had married the former Miss Moscow while on medical leave.

The new king of Malaysia, Sultan Abdullah, is a 59-year-old athlete and sponsor of national sports programs, the president of the Malaysian Football Federation and a member of the FIFA board.