KEDAH SULTAN PROCLAIMED ACTING MALAYSIAN KING

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- Deputy King Tuanku Abdul
Halim Mu'adzam Shah, who is the Sultan of Kedah, was proclaimed Tuesday as the
acting Malaysian King.

The proclamation was read out by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak
at a ceremony at the Darul Aman Palace in Jalan Kedah, Bukit Persekutuan, here.

Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah then signed the instrument of proclamation
to discharge the duties of the King for a month.

King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin will be away in Germany for
21 days for advanced physiotherapy at Medical Park, St Hubertus, Bad Wiessee,
after having undergone knee surgery in November last year.

The proclamation ceremony Tuesday was also attended by the Tunku
Panglima Besar of Kedah, Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz, who is the daughter of the
Sultan of Kedah; Kedah Chief Minsiter Azizan Abdul Razak and the
Keeper of the Rulers' Seal, Engku Ibrahim Engku Ngah.

Also present were the wife of the prime minister, Rosmah Mansor,
and several Cabinet ministers.

Earlier, at 11am, Najib and Rosmah welcomed Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah
at the Bunga Raya Complex of the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang after
the ruler had flown in from Kedah.

Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah was the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, from
1970 to 1975. He was installed as the 27th sultan of Kedah in February 1959.

-- BERNAMA