Sultan Ibrahim of the southern state of Johor is the new king of Malaysia. He was sworn in, today, Wednesday, in a ceremony held at the National Palace in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia practices a unique form of monarchy, where the country's nine sultans alternate to assume the position of king every 5 years. Sultan Ibrahim, who was known for his outspokenness, is expected to play an influential role in the country. The monarchy plays a mostly ceremonial role in Malaysia, but recent years have seen its influence increase as a result of political instability.