Malaysia’s royals prepared on Monday to pick a new king to replace Sultan Muhammad V, who abdicated in a historic first after reportedly marrying a Russian former beauty queen, holding a special gathering at the national palace. As the country reacted with shock to the news, Malaysia’s Islamic royal families set about the task of electing a new king. A special meeting of the rulers was held at the palace in Kuala Lumpur to set a date for a new king to be elected, official news agency Bernama reported. It will happen in the coming weeks. The national palace did not respond to requests for comment.
