Malaysia's King Abdicates After Marrying Former Miss Moscow
Malaysia's King Abdicates After Marrying Former Miss Moscow
Malaysia’s nine royal houses rotate the throne among them every five years, and Sultan Muhammad V, shown here in September, had been expected to give up the throne in three years’ time.
Photo:
ahmad yusni/Shutterstock
Malaysia’s king has abdicated after weeks of speculation following his apparent marriage to a former Russian beauty queen.
Sultan Muhammad V’s decision marks the first time that a king has abdicated in Malaysia. A statement from the royal palace issued Sunday didn’t provide any reason for the 49-year-old king stepping down after just over two years on the throne.
Speculation about Sultan Muhammad’s future had grown after images emerged online late last year appearing to show his marriage to a former Miss Moscow nearly half his age, Oksana Voevodina.
The palace hasn’t commented publicly on the reports of his marriage.
A royal shake-up will likely have little immediate political or economic effect in Malaysia. The country’s nine royal houses rotate the throne among them every five years, and Sultan Muhammad had been expected to give up the throne in three years’ time.
Miss Moscow 2015 Oksana Voevodina, in 2015 in Moscow.
Photo:
Reuters
The next king will be elected by the Council of Rulers, which comprises all nine sultanates. The monarch’s role is largely ceremonial, but he—customarily it is always a man—is regarded as a symbol of the country’s Muslim Malay majority.
Real power instead lies with the elected government, which is currently led by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who returned to power last year at the age of 92 in a stunning election upset.
Mr. Mahathir’s opposition coalition unseated the United Malays National Organization for the first time in the country’s history after former leader Najib Razak was caught up in a multibillion-dollar scandal surrounding state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB.
Mr. Najib has been charged with multiple counts of money-laundering, among other charges. He denies any wrongdoing.
Write to James Hookway at james.hookway@wsj.com
Appeared in the January 7, 2019, print edition as 'Malaysia’s Monarch Abdicates, In a First.'
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