KUALA LUMPUR: The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, took the oath of office and signed the instrument of office as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong during for the 252nd (Special) Meeting of the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara, today.
The ceremony, which convened at 10.55am at the Balairung Seri (Throne Room), also saw the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, sworn in as the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The new Yang di-Pertuan Agong and his deputy will serve a five-year term beginning today.
Chaired by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the ceremony was attended by all the Malay Rulers except the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, who was represented by the Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan, Tengku Dr Muhammad Faiz Petra Sultan Ismail Petra.
Other rulers were the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar; Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah; Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail; Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin; and Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.
Also present were Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Dr Mohd Khalil Yaakob; Penang Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas; Sarawak Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud; and Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.
Sultan Abdullah succeeds Sultan Muhammad V, who stepped down as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Jan 6, after reigning for just over two years from Dec 13, 2016.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail were also present at the event.