KOTA BHARU (Jan 7): The Kelantan government today called on all quarters not to speculate on the reasons for Sultan Muhammad V stepping down as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said it was Sultan Muhammad Vs’ right to step down as King and that everyone should respect His Majesty’s decision.

"There is no need for us to question His Majesty’s decision,” he told reporters after officiating a function for the handing over appointment letters to newly-appointed local authority councillors at Kompleks Kota Darul Naim here today.

Asked whether the state government had received official notification on Sultan Muhammad V’s resignation as the King, Mohd Amar said he did not have any information on the matter as official matters were dealt with by Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob.

Meanwhile, commenting on an extract of the state constitution on the appointment of the Raja Perempuan Kelantan that has gone viral on social media, Mohd Amar said there were rules governing the matter.

The extract denoted that the Raja Perempuan Kelantan must be a Malay and Muslim.

"In the matter of marriage of the Sultan, there are rules governing the appointment of the Raja Perempuan Kelantan, but if His Highness wants to marry anyone it is not a problem. The appointment of the Raja Perempuan is a privilege of the sultan... it is his right but must follow the exiting rules," he said.

There has been speculation that the Sultan of Kelantan had married a Russian woman, who had converted to Islam.

Sultan Muhammad V stepped down as King yesterday, midway through his five-year term,

His Majesty was installed as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong XV on April 24, 2017 after his proclamation as the new King on Dec 13, 2016.

He had succeeded the Sultan of Kedah the late Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah whose term as the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong ended on Dec 12, 2016.