THE decision of the Pahang royal council, which is believed to have discussed the future of the state’s monarch at a meeting today, will be announced tomorrow, said Sallehudin Ishak.

The Pahang state secretary said the announcement would be made in the state’s royal town of Pekan.

“Any decision made today will be announced at Istana Abu Bakar in Pekan tomorrow at 3pm,” he told the media at the end of the council’s meeting.

The Pahang regent Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah chaired the three-hour-long meeting at a hotel in the state capital today.

The meeting was convened following the abdication of the Kelantan sultan as Yang di-Pertuan Agong five days ago.

Though it was not officially announced, the meeting was believed to have discussed the possible abdication of ailing Pahang ruler, Sultan Ahmad Shah, 88.

After the Kelantan sultan, the next in line to be Agong in the rotation of the nine Malay rulers are the Pahang sultan, Johor sultan and Perak sultan, respectively.

However, Tengku Abdullah can only be installed as the next Agong if he is proclaimed Pahang’s sultan.

Among the members of the state’s royal council who attended today’s meeting were Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and former prime minister Najib Razak.

Najib sits on the council as Orang Kaya Indera Shahbandar, which is a nobility title of the Pahang sultanate and among the four highest ranking nobles below the sultan in the palace.

The Malay rulers will meet on January 24 to pick the next Agong and his deputy.

They will meet again on January 31 to administer the oath of office on the newly elected king and his deputy. – January 11, 2019.