KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia โ Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, recognized as one of the wealthiest individuals globally and the longest-serving current monarch, recently left a Malaysian hospital after being admitted due to fatigue for five days.
The government of Brunei announced on social media late Saturday that the 78-year-old ruler has transitioned to a hotel in Kuala Lumpur. There, he intends to rest for a few days to recuperate before making his way back to Brunei. The Brunei information department shared photos on Facebook showing the sultan arriving at the hotel with his wife. In the images, he is also seen in a room accompanied by his wife and two of his sons.
Sultan Hassanal was in Kuala Lumpur to attend the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations when he was admitted to the National Heart Institute on Tuesday. According to his office, despite being in โgood health,โ he was advised to rest by Malaysian medical specialists due to feelings of fatigue.
The sultan has been at the helm of Brunei, a tiny yet affluent nation due to its oil reserves, for over 57 years. His leadership saw Bruneiโs full independence from British rule in 1984. Beyond his role as Sultan, he holds multiple key governmental positions, including prime minister, finance minister, defense minister, and minister of foreign affairs.
Known for embracing luxury, Sultan Hassanal boasts an extravagant collection of rare and costly cars and resides in an enormous palace featuring 1,788 rooms, marking it as the largest private residence in the world. In addition, he has gained attention for implementing rigorous Islamic criminal laws, which include severe penalties such as amputation and stoning.