Has Malaysian Sultan Muhammad V divorced his Russian wife Oksana Voevodina?
- Local media this week reported the couple filed for divorce in May, soon after the birth of their son
- Discussion of the private lives of Malaysian royals is muted, largely due to the country’s tough sedition laws
Local media this week reported the couple filed for divorce in May, soon after the birth of their son. The New Straits Times on Wednesday reported the legal dissolution of the marriage was finalised at the Singapore Sharia Court earlier this month. The newspaper cited a source verifying the image of the divorce certificate circulating online was genuine.
A triple talaq, as opposed to a single talaq, is considered the severest form of divorce under Islamic jurisprudence because the couple cannot reunite unless the woman weds another man, consummates the marriage, and then divorces him.
Separately, local broadcaster Astro Awani also reported the divorce on Monday.
But on Thursday, an Instagram account under the handle “Rihana Oksana Petra” published a video showing the couple doing a slow dance. It also featured Oksana saying she wanted to “be the last person in [Muhammad’s] life and I want to live with him until the end of my life”.
Muhammad was shown talking about his marriage and saying “patience and understanding” were most important.
Still, the intrigue surrounding Oksana and Muhammad has started tongues wagging. On Twitter and Facebook, users expressed surprise over the divorce.
On Tuesday, the Kelantan palace released an opaque statement pointing out that no one should refer to themselves as a consort of the Kelantan sultan without a declaration from the royal house.
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The statement asserted that the crown prince of the state is Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra, the brother of the current sultan. It was released after a post on Oksana’s Instagram account referred to her son as the crown prince of Kelantan and “insyallah [God willing] the next Sultan of Kelantan”.
The account has amassed more than 360,000 followers since its first post on June 4.
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Oksana’s posts mostly feature pictures of her and Muhammad, alongside captions offering anecdotes about their whirlwind romance. In one of the posts, Oksana wrote she first met Muhammad in “spring 2017” in Europe.
Oksana, who won the title of Miss Moscow in 2015, last posted on July 10, which she revealed was her 27th birthday.
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