Translated material
The Perfect One Died
Long live the new Perfect One!
In Malaysia, King Salahuddin Abdul Aziz died at the age of 76. Two months ago in Singapore he underwent a heart muscle transplant, and in recent days he was connected to an “artificial kidney” and a ventilator. The deceased left behind ten sons and four daughters, but none of them will succeed him on the throne.The fact is that after gaining independence from Great Britain in 1957, Malaya (renamed Malaysia during a short-term union with Singapore in 1963) became a constitutional monarchy with a unique system of forming royal power. The country consists of two central territories, four states, which are governed by government-appointed governors, and nine sultanates. The Sultans, descendants of the ancient Malay kings, constitute the Council of Rulers, which elects a new monarch from among its members every five years. Translated from Malay, his official title is translated as: “He Who Is the Most Perfect Master.”
In fact, Malaysia's "ultimate master" is Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for more than 20 years. The powers of the local monarch are similar to the functions of the English queen: the king of Malaysia is the constitutional head of the cabinet and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, his responsibilities include signing laws adopted by parliament, appointing ministers, judges and ambassadors. The deceased monarch performed this work with great diligence.
In his youth (even before becoming the Sultan), Salahuddin Aziz received a good education in the metropolis, worked as a school inspector, and served as a low-ranking officer in the army, which earned him the respect of subjects of different nationalities - Malays, Chinese, Indians. The late King Aziz, who was crowned in September 1999, was the 11th monarch to be elected since 1957. The throne will not be empty for long - in the coming days it will most likely be occupied by Mizan Zainal Abidin, the ruler of the Terengganu Sultanate, who acted as Aziz during his illness.