Malaysia celebrates Sultan Ibrahim’s coronation as 17th king

The coronation ceremony for King Sultan Ibrahim, 65, at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur followed his oathtaking in January as the country’s 17th monarch.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with a unique arrangement that sees the throne change hands every five years between the rulers of nine Malaysian states headed by centuries-old Islamic royalty.

While chiefly ceremonial, the position of king has in recent years played an increasingly important role.

Royal intervention was needed to name prime ministers three times following the collapse of governments and a hung parliament that followed the 2018 electoral defeat of scandal-tainted premier Najib Razak.