Throne in turmoil? Malaysia’s Mahathir refuses to quash rumours of sultan’s abdication
- Prime minister says he has no information about the truth of speculation about the future of the Malaysian monarch
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday refused to quash swirling speculation that the country’s king, Sultan Muhammad V, is set to abdicate after two months of absence on medical grounds.
With rising concerns over the stability of Mahathir’s eight-month-old ruling coalition, online commentators had wondered aloud whether a dramatic upheaval of the monarchy – which continues to hold significant sway – would pose another headache for the 93-year-old premier.
Rumours that the monarch would either be leaving of his own volition or had been asked to quit by provincial sultans who take turns being the Yang di Pertuan Agong, or “king of kings”, have lit up social media since Monday.
Asked about the status of the king during a routine press conference on Friday, Mahathir said he was in the dark.
“Like you, I heard rumours … I didn’t receive any letters or any official indication about anything so I am not going to talk about rumours,” Mahathir said.
Asked if Muhammad V was “back at his role”, the prime minister said: “As far as I know”. Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, the deputy chief minister of Muhammad V’s provincial seat of Kelantan, said his administration had not heard anything, urging the country’s attorney general to “take action” against those spreading rumours.
The public whispers, including questions about the 49-year-old’s lifestyle, are unusual given the reverence with which most Malaysians view the country’s royalty.
