KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's King, Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin, said on Monday (Sept 28) that he has undergone treatment for food poisoning at the National Heart Institute and has been advised to remain there for follow-up treatment.
Malaysia's national palace said in a statement that the King will return to Istana Negara soon after undergoing the various treatments.
"His Royal Highness is in a stable condition and there is no cause for concern," the statement said.
The King was admitted to hospital last Monday, a day before his scheduled audience with opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim to discuss Datuk Seri Anwar's claim that he had majority support to form a new government.
Monday's statement from the palace did not say anything about Mr Anwar's claim that he has "formidable" support from the country's lawmakers and that the government of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has "collapsed".
Under the Constitution, the constitutional monarch can appoint a prime minister whom he sees as likely to command a majority in Parliament.
He can also dissolve Parliament and call for elections on the current prime minister's advice.
The political drama involving Datuk Seri Anwar came just seven months after another power struggle that led to Tan Sri Muhyiddin getting the premiership.
Mr Muhyiddin, who has a razor-thin majority in Parliament, has dismissed Mr Anwar's claims of a majority and challenged him to prove it through constitutional processes.
The statement from Istana Negara focused on the King's health, with Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin elaborating that Sultan Abdullah had food poisoning on the evening of Sept 21, but that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan done the next day showed that he had suffered injuries while playing sports, prompting an intervention treatment.
"As it is well known, His Majesty is very active in various sports including polo, football, squash, hockey and golf. Intervention treatment done on His Majesty's knees and ankles went successfully on Sept 24.
"The sultan is deeply touched by the people's concern for his welfare and expresses appreciation and thanks to all the people who have prayed for his well-being," he said.
The statement ended with the sultan expressing his concern over the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
Malaysia on Monday recorded 115 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 11,034,. No new fatalities were reported, keeping the death toll at 134.
