By Harlina Samson
KUALA LUMPUR — The installation of Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong is set to take place today in a ceremony steeped in royal Malay customs and tradition at Istana Negara, a historic event under the country’s unique system of constitutional monarchy.
To be held at Balairung Seri or the Throne Room of Istana Negara in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, the installation ceremony will formally mark the beginning of the five-year reign of Sultan Abdullah as the head of state of Malaysia.
The installation will certainly be of historical significance and sentimental value to Sultan Abdullah and Her Majesty Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah as it takes place on the 60th birthday of His Majesty.
As part of the preparations for today’s event, Istana Negara, as the grand venue, has been beautifully and meticulously decorated to add gaiety to the occasion, highlighting its stature as the landmark of the constitutional monarchy system practised by Malaysia.
Istana Negara’s Grand Chamberlain (Datuk Paduka Maharajalela) Azuan Effendy Zairakithnaini aptly said: “The time has come for the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong to be installed, with the legacy to uphold the Institution of Constitutional Monarchy.”
The installation ceremony itself, dignified and resplendent, stands testament to the perpetuity of the reign of the Malay monarch in the 62 years since the independence of the country. Fifteen rulers have been installed in a similar ceremony steeped in tradition.
This will be the second time that a sultan from Pahang is installed as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong after His Majesty’s father, the late Paduka Ayahanda Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, was installed as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong and reigned from April 1979 to April 1984.
Sultan Abdullah was proclaimed as the sixth Sultan of Pahang, succeeding his father on Jan 15, and was elected as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong by the Conference of Rulers on Jan 24 and sworn in on Jan 31.
“The preparations at Istana Negara have been meticulously made to meet the expectations of Their Majesties and, of course, without a flaw or imperfection. With the help of the thousands who are involved (in the preparations), we pray that all the hard work will materialise,” said Azuan Effendy.
About 700 guests, comprising also the Malay Rulers, Yang Dipertuas Negeri and Cabinet ministers, are expected to attend and witness the ceremony.
Among them will be foreign royal dignitaries, including the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al-Nahyan.
The ceremony begins at 9 am and will be broadcast live by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and other television stations.
— BERNAMA
