The Kelantan government will now allow portraits of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and the Queen Tunku Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah to be put up at offices of the state and federal governments.

According to Malay language daily Sinar Harian, Deputy State Secretary (Administration) Adnan Hussin issued an updated directive, dated yesterday, April 4.

“It is with all due respect that we refer to the matter above. The state administrative order of the Kelantan state secretary numbered 1 for the year of 2019 has been amended as follows.

“Only the portraits listed above can be displayed at all state and federal government offices in Kelantan,” the letter states.

This is in addition to the state’s previous ruling that allowed only four official portraits to be displayed in the offices - that of Kelantan’s Sultan Muhammad V, Crown Prince Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra, former ruler Sultan Ismail Petra and Menteri Besar Ahmad Yaakob.

Ahmad’s aide previously confirmed that the original ruling had come from the Kelantan palace.

"The state government can’t simply comment on the directive of the palace, or risk interfering with the palace's affairs,” Ahmad was previously quoted as saying in Mandarin language daily Sin Chew Daily.

Notably absent from the list is Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.