Sultan of Brunei hospitalized in Kuala Lumpur due to fatigue.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the world's longest-reigning living monarch, is currently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he is attending the 46th ASEAN Summit alongside other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders. During the summit, the Sultan was hospitalized at the National Heart Institute due to fatigue.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed at a news conference that the Sultan is resting at the hospital, stating that he is merely feeling tired. An earlier report by the Malaysian government to AFP indicated that the Sultan was admitted to the hospital during the transition between the ASEAN-GCC and ASEAN-GCC-China summit.
The National Heart Institute is the designated medical facility for VIPs during the ASEAN summit and related meetings. The hospital declined to comment on the Sultan's admission, but another Malaysian government source verified the news to AFP.
Sultan Hassanal, 78, ascended the throne in Brunei in 1967. Under his leadership, the oil-rich nation gained full independence from Britain in 1984 and experienced a significant improvement in living standards. Throughout his reign, the Sultan has been a significant figure in Southeast Asia. However, his rule has also been marked by controversies, particularly the implementation of tough Islamic laws.
As the Sultan recovers from his fatigue, he continues to exert his influence as the long-standing monarch of Brunei, a small Muslim nation on the north of Borneo. The Brunei Prime Minister's Office and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim have emphasized that the Sultan's health is stable and improving.
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- ASEAN-GCC and ASEAN-GCC-China summit proceedings were impacted by the sudden hospitalization of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the long-reigning monarch of Brunei, at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is the designated medical facility for VIPs during ASEAN summits.
- Despite the unexpected medical setback, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's health is reportedly stable and improving, according to statements released by the Brunei Prime Minister's Office and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
- Apart from attending to official matters in Kuala Lumpur, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's health-related concerns also sparked interest in the medical-conditions sector, given his status as a key political figure in Southeast Asia who has experienced concerns related to general-news events such as fatigue during his long-standing reign.
