KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s King Ibrahim Iskandar said he will begin his “real way of ruling” once his reign as head of state reaches the two-month mark, which is less than two weeks away. 

“I’m not a statue to be worshipped or to be used as an ornament in ceremonies, nor am I forced to follow everything ministers say or want,” he said in a Facebook post on March 19.

“Once this ‘honeymoon’ period is over, I will begin my real way of ruling.”

Sultan Ibrahim, who is from the southernmost state of Johor, took the throne in late January under a unique constitutional monarchy where nine state royals take turns to serve five-year terms.

The role of the king, while mostly ceremonial, has become increasingly important in determining who holds power in the South-east Asian nation that has seen prime ministers hold the job for an average of less than two years since 2018.

Last month, King Ibrahim warned against threatening political stability under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, asking those seeking to “play politics” to wait until the next general election, which is not due until 2028. BLOOMBERG