Malaysia’s King Sultan Muhammad V on Thursday (August 30) canceled his official birthday celebrations and royal afternoon tea reception scheduled for September 9.
In an announcement, Controller of the Royal Household Datuk Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz promised that the allocated funds could be returned to the federal government through Tabung Harapan Malaysia.
“His Majesty Sultan Muhammad V expresses his gratitude to the government that has planned official events in conjunction with the official celebration of his birthday in 2018.” – we read within the statement.
However, the statement went on to say that the remainder of the king’s birthday events would go ahead as planned.
Indirectly, for the primary time in history, the king is not going to award any titles during official birthday celebrations, reports MalaysiaToday, in keeping with royal sources.
It is known that Sultan Muhammad V informed the Prime Minister’s Office and other sultans about this unprecedented move.
Traditionally, there could be a vetting commission chaired by the Prime Minister and including: Chief Secretary of the Government and Inspector General of Police.
This committee would investigate and make recommendations regarding key awards, particularly the Tun, Tan Sri and Datuk awards.
Recipients were often informed officially a minimum of two weeks before the investiture ceremony to permit them to make preparations, which include a rehearsal on the Agong Palace.
“This time, many individuals whose names were proposed and submitted said that nobody had received any official notification. In short, there isn’t a list of honorees this yr,” the source said.
Are you curious enough to know what the King of Malaysia likes? Here are 5 things value knowing about him.
1) He is one among the youngest kings of Malaysia
Sultan Muhammad V is one among the country’s youngest constitutional monarchs to ascend the throne. At 47, he’s half the age of his predecessor, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, who at 89 was the country’s oldest monarch, the BBC reported.
Several other sultans were reportedly of their 40s once they were sworn in as monarch.
2) He doesn’t have a queen by his side
He is the primary Yang di-Pertuan Agong in history to rule with out a queen consort or Raja Permaisuri Agong in Malay. But he has loads of company at home – he keeps horses, cats, chickens and birds as pets, reports The New Straits Times, which shows his gentle nature.
3) Connects with people, helps those in need
To promote healthy lifestyles and unity amongst his people, he organized marches in Kota Baru that were well attended, The Star and The New Straits Times reported.
Reportedly popular together with his residents, he can also be known for promoting social welfare and his philanthropic activities, akin to providing homes to flood victims.
4) He likes extreme sports
He loves four-wheel drive vehicles and enjoys extreme sports akin to off-road riding, archery and endurance challenges, The Star reports. He also enjoys horse riding, golf, football and bowling.
5) Known as a devout Muslim
Sultan Muhammad V is thought to go to mosques across the state of Kelantan and pray with the faithful. According to Malay Mail, he’s accompanied by an Islamic teacher when traveling abroad.
He studied diplomacy and Islamism at St Cross College, University of Oxford and on the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies. As king, he is taken into account the symbolic head of Islam within the country.
Source: The Straits Times, Malaysia Today and AsiaOne.com
