Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, 84, made history when he became the first person to hold the kingship twice under Malaysia's unique rotating monarchy.
The country has had an elected monarchy since independence from Britain in 1957. In a unique arrangement, the throne rotates every five years among the rulers of the nine Malaysian states still headed by royalty. He previously served as Malaysia's king between 1970 and 1975.
He succeeded Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, 49, who was one of Malaysia's youngest kings.
The Oxford-educated king is a lover of jazz, football, polo and golf.
The king, known as Yang di-Pertuan Agong or "He Who Is Made Lord", formally took office in a televised ceremony in the yellow carpet throne room of the new hilltop palace in the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Prime Minister Najib Razak proclaimed Sultan Abdul Halim the 14th king before an audience of other Malaysian sultans, government ministers and foreign dignitaries.
The king, dressed in black and yellow royal regalia, made of wool and embroidered with gold threads, was presented with a Koran and then with the royal long dagger -- a symbol of power and authority -- which the king drew and kissed.
He then took an oath of office to rule Malaysia in a fair manner, uphold the Islamic faith and ensure a just government.
Sultan Abdul Halim, who was born on 28 November 1927, received his early education at Sekolah Melayu Titi Gajah before pursuing his studies at Maktab Sultan Abdul Hamid, Alor Setar, Kedah.
He then furthered his studies at Wadham College, Oxford, London in early 1952, majoring in Social Science and Public Administration. He was appointed the Raja Muda of Kedah on 6 August 1949.
On 9 March 1957, he was appointed as the Regent of Kedah when his father, Sultan Badlishah went overseas between March 12 and July 3, 1957.
Following the demise of Sultan Badlishah, Tuanku Abdul Halim, then 35, ascended to the throne of Kedah on 14 July 1958 and was installed as the Sultan of Kedah on 20 February 1959.
In December after being installed as the new king, Sultan Abdul Halim called for unity amid rising racial tension in the multi-ethnic country as the country heads for possible snap elections.
The sultan, who stunned many in 2007 by walking two kilometres (1.2 miles) to a football stadium after his official car got stuck in traffic, had urged Malaysians never to repeat deadly 1969 race riots that still haunt the country.
The violence occurred just months before he took the throne as Malaysia's fifth king for a five-year term starting in 1970.
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