Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar becoming king of Malaysia

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar from the southern state of Johor has been elected by Malaysia’s royal families to become the country’s next king.

He will be installed as Malaysia’s king from Jan 31, 2024, the first time he will be holding the post and 34 years after his father's reign.

The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Keeper of the Royal Seal Syed Danial Syed Ahmad on Friday (Oct 27) after the country’s nine sultans met at the Conference of Rulers to vote on who among them would be the next head of state, also known as Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA), for the next five years.

The role of the king in Malaysia is predominantly ceremonial, but in recent years, the monarchy’s influence has grown due to prolonged political instability, leading the incumbent king to exercise rarely used discretionary powers.

Malaysia follows a distinctive system in which the heads of its nine royal families take turns serving as the monarch for a five-year term.