Malaysia will have a new supreme head this month
According to media reports here, the Conference of Rulers of Malaysia will hold a special meeting on the 7th. The resolution will meet on the 24th of this month to select a new Supreme Head of State and Deputy Supreme Head of State to replace the 15th Supreme Head of State Mohammed V who announced his resignation on the 6th of this month. .
The meeting also announced that the newly elected Supreme Head of State and Deputy Supreme Head of State will be sworn in on the 31st of this month.
The meeting of rulers was composed of hereditary sultans or state rulers from 9 states in Malaysia. The sultan of Selangor and Pahang did not attend the meeting due to their overseas trips and poor health. The meeting expressed respect for the decision of Mohammed V to resign and praised his contribution to the performance of his duties during his tenure as the Supreme Head of State.
The meeting also announced on the same day that before the new Supreme Head of State is elected, the current Deputy Supreme Head of State Nazrin Shah will assume the duties of the Supreme Head of State. Nazrin Shah served as the supreme head of state during Mohammed V’s leave for “health reasons” from November 2 to December 31 last year.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir said at a public event earlier in the day that he respected Mohammed V's decision to resign and would not interfere in the election of the new supreme head, but he hopes that the new supreme head can be selected as soon as possible.
Malaysia implements a constitutional monarchy federal system. The supreme head of state is the head of state, the leader of Islam and the commander of the armed forces, elected by the Council of Rulers from among the hereditary sultans or state rulers of Malaysia's 9 states for a term of 5 years. Mohammed V was elected in October 2016 and was sworn in in December of that year. His term of office was not over half of the time when he announced his resignation.