Malaysia's 13th king formally ascended the throne Thursday, promising to reign wisely and to safeguard Islam's sanctity in a ceremony steeped in traditional Malay rites and imperial pageantry. Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, was installed as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong _ the Malay title for the king _ at the National Palace.Each of Malaysia's nine hereditary state rulers take turns as the country's constitutional monarch for five-year terms. The Associated Press quoted Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as saying that Mizan's installation was an assurance of continuity for the country's ethnic Malay Muslim majority, who regard the king as the supreme upholder of Malay tradition.
