KUCHING : The swearing-in ceremony for the position of Yang di-Pertua of Sarawak is scheduled to be held on Jan 29.
However, it cannot be confirmed whether the swearing-in ceremony is for the position of Acting Yang di-Pertua or for a new face appointed as the head of state.
A source close to the Sarawak State Astana said a special meeting was held at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly this morning, believed to discuss the appointment of a new Yang di-Pertua Negeri.
When asked if Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar would be appointed to the position, the source said the Sarawak State Astana was aware of the news but had yet to make a decision.
Yesterday, the people of Sarawak in particular were shocked by the news in a portal that Wan Junaidi, 78, had submitted his resignation Dewan Negara president and was expected to be appointed as the eighth Governor of Sarawak.
Wan Junaidi has not responded to the news of his resignation despite efforts to contact the former Santubong and Batang Lupar Member of Parliament.
Meanwhile, according to the source, Yang di-Pertua Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud who was previously in Istanbul, Turkiye, returned to Kuching last night.
Abdul Taib, 88, has held the position for 32 years since 1981 and was sworn in as the seventh Yang di-Pertua on March 1, 2014.