Pahang crown prince Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah will be proclaimed as the new state sultan on Jan 15.
This was confirmed in an announcement by Pahang Royal Council member Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah at the Istana Abu Bakar in Pekan.
Tengku Abdul Rahman said the proposal on the succession was made because of the health of his father, current ruler Sultan Ahmad Shah.
“In this sad situation, regretfully, I and my family have to accept the fact that my father can no longer shoulder the duties and responsibilities as ruler.
"In view of the situation, I and my closest family members agreed to propose to the Pahang Royal Council to appoint my elder brother Tengku Abdullah to be the successor,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Earlier, Malaysiakini reported multiple sources indicating that Tengku Abdullah would be made the new Pahang ruler next week.
Malaysiakini also learned that Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail will be pulled away from the Cameron Highlands by-election campaign in the middle of next week.
He is expected in Pekan, the seat of power for the Pahang royal household.
A source within the Pahang government told Malaysiakini that the proclamation ceremony will take place on Jan 15 in the town. This was also corroborated by a senior civil servant close to the palace.
"My information from the palace is that Tengku Abdullah will be proclaimed as the Pahang Sultan... so it is likely he will become the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong," said the source.
A third source from Pahang BN, who is also close to the state palace, said he too has been informed that Tengku Abdullah will be proclaimed as the new Pahang sultan, but did not state a timeline.
The talk came a day after Tengku Abdullah chaired a special meeting by the Pahang Royal Council, along with all its royal chieftains.
As Tengku Abdul Rahman announced, the council agreed to approve an amendment to Part 1 of Article 9A of the state constitution to give it the power to ask the ruler to abdicate due to his grave illness.
The amendment came into effect yesterday.
“I am confident that my brother will be an efficient, active and fair sultan, no less than my father... as my father has educated him well, with all the training and guidance with which Tengku Abdullah has been carrying out his duties as the Pahang regent,” he said.
Sultan Ahmad Shah was next in line to become the next Agong following the resignation of Kelantan ruler Sultan Muhammad V.
If he had not abdicated, and ill health prevented him from taking the throne, the position would have fallen to Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar under the rotational constitutional monarchy system.
Tengku Abdullah's proclamation as Pahang ruler now allows him to take on the position of Agong.
