The Malaysian royal family chose the Sultan of the southern state of Johor today, Friday, to be the next king of the country.

This position is largely ceremonial, but it oversees major appointments such as the Prime Minister and serves as the head of Islam in the Muslim-majority nation and is the supreme commander of its armed forces.

The system of governance in Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy but with a unique arrangement, as the rulers of Malaysia's nine states, who have been Muslim royalty for centuries, take turns on the throne.

Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar was appointed as the seventeenth king of the country after a conference of rulers in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The new king, who is 64 years old, will take the oath of office after the current king's term ends on January 31, and a coronation ceremony will take place after several months.

This system has been in place since independence from Britain in 1957. The outgoing king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, ascended the throne in 2019.

Ibrahim hails from a wealthy Johor family, and he is a trained officer in the army, navy, and air force, and he has a close relationship with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and often comments on Malaysian politics. The king also has the power to grant pardons to convicted individuals. In 2018, Sultan Muhammad V, one of his ancestors, issued a pardon for Anwar Ibrahim, who was serving a prison sentence for homosexuality.

The king in Malaysia also enjoys a significant status, especially among the Muslim majority in the country. Any criticism that is seen as incitement to contempt for the king can lead to imprisonment.

The last time a Sultan of Johor ascended the throne was 39 years ago when Sultan Iskandar's father, Ibrahim's father, was declared the eighth king of Malaysia in 1984.