Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, an influential 65-year-old sultan, was sworn in at the National Palace in the capital Kuala Lumpur. A coronation ceremony is to take place in several months.
The function of the king is essentially honorary in Malaysia but his role has increased in recent years in the face of the fracture in the Malaysian political landscape. The king has the right of pardon and is the official leader of Islam in the Muslim-majority country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.