The 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Malaysia’s head of state, is slated to be elected during a Conference of Rulers special meeting today. The assembly, set to kick off at 10am at Istana Negara, will witness the nine Malay Rulers casting their votes to select not just the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong, but also a new Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The necessity for this special meeting stems from the impending end to Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s reign as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which is due to conclude on January 30 of the upcoming year. Al-Sultan Abdullah took up the mantle of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on January 31, 2019, following his election at the Conference of Rulers’ special meeting held a week prior.
As specified in Section 2, Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the Federal Constitution, the Conference of Rulers is tasked with offering the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to the Ruler qualified for election, whose state ranks first on the election list. In the event that the Ruler in question declines the offer, the Conference of Rulers can proceed to extend the offer to the Ruler of the next state on the list, and continue in this manner until a Ruler accepts the position.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s election operates on a rotation basis, a system agreed upon by all the nine Malay Rulers. The first rotation cycle, which ran from 1957 (when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s office was established) to 1994, saw Negri Sembilan topping the election list, followed by Selangor, Perlis, Terengganu, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Johor, and Perak.
Malaysia stands out globally as it is among the 43 nations that uphold a constitutional monarchy system. More uniquely, it is the sole country that adopts a rotation system among the nine Malay rulers. This insightful report comes courtesy of Bernama.
