KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world’s wealthiest men and its longest-reigning sitting monarch, was discharged from a Malaysian hospital five days after he was admitted for fatigue.
Brunei’s government said on social media late Saturday that the 78-year-old monarch has moved to a Kuala Lumpur hotel, where he will spend a few days resting before returning home. Brunei’s information department posted pictures on Facebook of the sultan walking into the hotel lobby with his wife, and in a room with family members including his wife and two of his sons.
Sultan Hassanal was attending an annual summit o f the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kuala Lumpur when he was hospitalized Tuesday at the National Heart Institute. His office has said that he was in “good health” but feeling tired and is resting following advice from Malaysian medical experts.
Sultan Hassanal has ruled his tiny oil-rich kingdom for over 57 years, and led it to gain full independence from Britain in 1984. He also holds the posts of prime minister, finance minister, defense minister and minister of foreign affairs.
He is famed for his lavish lifestyle, owning a huge collection of expensive and rare cars, and lives in a 1,788-room palace that is the world’s largest private home. He is also known for introducing strict Islamic criminal laws that call for amputating limbs and stoning convicts to death.
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