Sultan Abdullah takes oath as sixth Sultan of Pahang

PEKAN: Sultan Abdullah Ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah is now officially the new Ruler of Pahang.

Sultan Abdullah took the oath at 11.16am on Tuesday (Jan 15).

With three hails of "Allahuakhbar" and another three of "Daulat Tuanku", Sultan Abdullah was proclaimed the sixth modern Sultan of Pahang.

He would henceforth rule under the name of Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah.

Sultan Abdullah succeeded his ailing father, Paduka Ayahanda Sultan Ahmad Shah, who abdicated the throne after reigning for nearly 45 years.

Article 9A of the amended state constitution empowered the royal council to conduct the abdication of a ruler due to ill health.

The proclamation ceremony was attended by members of the Pahang royal family, state excos, assemblymen and heads of departments.

Also at the event were Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Pekan MP Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is a Orang Besar Berempat.

Sultan Ahmad Shah was not present at the ceremony held at Istana Abu Bakar here.

The modern era of the Pahang sultanate can be traced back to 1882 when a Raja Bendahara, known as Wan Ahmad, took upon the title of Sultan Ahmad Al-Muadzam Shah after defeating his brother in a civil war.

Two of his sons ruled the state successively as Sultan Mahmud and Sultan Abdullah Al-Mu'tassim Billah.

The dynastic sultanate was continued by Sultan Abu Bakar and, from 1974 onward, Sultan Ahmad Shah.