How many sultans are there in malaysia

Seven of the royal families are hereditary monarchies, with the northern Kedah sultanate one of the oldest unbroken dynasties in the world, dating back to the 12th century. In Perak state, the second oldest ruling house in Malaysia, three royal families take turns to ascend the throne based on seniority. The ruler in Negeri Sembilan state, where the royal lineage is linked to the Minangkabaus from west Sumatra in Indonesia, is elected by a council of four territory chiefs.

Some of the royal families, especially those in the wealthy states of Selangor and Johor, have built-up large business interests. The most prominent is billionaire Sultan Ibrahim Ismail of Johor, who owns a fleet of jets and loves Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

The Johor sultan is also the most powerful, having his own army — a condition agreed upon for the state to join modern-day Malaysia.

His army's role is largely ceremonial today. Malaysia's constitutional monarchy was put in place after the country's independence from Britain in The nine heads of the royal families take part in what is known as the Conference of Rulers and every five years elect one among themselves to be Malaysia's king through a secret ballot. The throne was initially rotated based on seniority, but there is now an established rotation order from one state to the next, making the vote more of a formality.

Royals, however, can choose to divert due to health or other issues. The ruler of central Pahang state is next in line to be king. Sultan Abdullah Azlan Shah succeeded his ailing year-old father on Jan. Click here to join our channel indianexpress and stay updated with the latest headlines. Om Marathe Om Marathe writes on geopolitics, law, and science, and has a strong p Home Explained Explained: Malaysia is the world's only monarchy of its kind.

Written by Om Marathe Updated: August 3, pm. The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards. A further 3. After independence, the agong lived in a s villa near the centre of Kuala Lumpur that had been built for a wealthy tycoon. By Kate Mayberry. Published On 22 Jan The new agong is expected to be installed on January More from News.

Attack on Burkina Faso defence outpost kills at least In the 15th-century, the Malacca Sultanate gained regional dominance taking the nation through a Golden Age. Bahasa Malaysia, literature and the arts flourished until the fall of Malacca in The Portuguese gained control, which started almost five centuries of colonialism.

But the small Sultanates, in general, ruled themselves. Flash forward to the 19th-century when the British colonialists turned Malaysia into an economic powerhouse exporting tin. Internal feuding gave the British an excuse to impose direct rule. A British resident advised and effectively ruled the Sultan in the Federated States on everything except for religion. The Unfederated States at first resisted and eventually succumbed to pressure. In short, after centuries of rule, the Sultans lost their power and influence in their states on everything apart from Islam.