New King To Be Installed On April 11, Malaysian Govt Declares Public Holiday

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Kedah, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, is to be installed as the Malaysian King on April 11, and the date, a Wednesday, will be a national public holiday. Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Sidek Hassan said Friday that two main events would be held on that date -- the installation ceremony in the morning and the royal banquet at night, both at the National Palace. He said the declaration of the public holiday is made under Section 8 of the Holidays Act 1951 for peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan. "Sabah and Sarawak will do the necessary in accordance with their respective state laws," he said in a statement. Tuanku Abdul Halim, 84, was appointed the 14th King on Dec 13 last year to succeed Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu whose five-year term as the 13th King ended a day earlier. This is Tuanku Abdul Halim's second reign as the King under a system of rotation among the nine Malay Rulers. He was also the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, reigning from 1970 to 1975. -- BERNAMA