Reports Malaysia's former king will 'divorce' as country elects new Sultan

Malaysia's King, who abdicated the throne just weeks after marrying a former Russian beauty queen, is said to be on the brink of filing for divorce.

It comes as Malaysia elected a new king just weeks after the shock move.

Sultan Muhammad V married Oksana Voevodina, 25, in November, after a whirlwind romance. The former Miss Moscow converted to Islam earlier in the year to marry the monarch.

The couple wed in Moscow at a lavish ceremony following strict Islamic traditions, including being alcohol free with halal food.

But in January the 49-year-old Sultan decided to step down from the Malaysian throne, a move which shocked the nation.

He was just two years into his five-year term as Sultan.

Now, there are reports from Russian media claiming his marriage to Voevodina is on the rocks.

The Mirror is claiming reports from news outlet Tolko Nikomu which writes: "The fairytale about the Russian Cinderella who married a king is likely to be over… preparing the necessary documents is already underway.

"The marriage lasted just a couple of months."

While the publication also cites a Russian news site, Izvestia, claiming the pair has decided to divorce.

But Voevodina's father says rumours of divorce are false.

"It's nonsense. I do not read the internet but I would have been the first to know," Andrey Gorbatenko says.

Earlier this month reports emerged suggesting the model was pregnant, expecting the couple's first child.

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, Sultan Abdullah of Pahang has been elected the country's new king.

The country has a constitutional monarchy, where the top job rotates between nine hereditary state rulers every five years. The role of Sultan is largely ceremonial and does not participate in daily governance.

The Sultan of Pahang - a large state in Peninsular Malaysia - is expected to be sworn into his new role on 31 January.