KUALA LUMPUR: Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah presided over the 261st Meeting of the Conference of the Rulers at Istana Negara here today.

The last meeting was held on Nov 29-30 last year, presided by the Yang Dipertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir.

Before the meeting started at 10.45 am, Sultan Sharafuddin took the Royal Salute at the Grand Guard of Honour (KKU) mounted by three officers and 103 members of the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment at the Main Square of the palace.

Sultan Sharafuddin also planted the Sepang tree in the palace's garden as a symbol of the Selangor Sultan presiding over the 261st edition of the meeting.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah also witnessed the planting of the tree.

The KKU and the tree-planting initiatives were mooted by Sultan Abdullah and had never been done before his appointment as Malaysia's 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The KKU was first mounted at the 254th edition of the meeting, while the tree-planting initiative was introduced at the 255th meeting.

The two-day meeting is being attended by Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar of Johor, Tuanku Muhriz of Negeri Sembilan and Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah of Kedah.

Pahang is being represented by the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah, while Perlis is represented by Raja Muda Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail and Kelantan, by Crown Prince Tengku Dr Muhammad Faiz Petra.

Also in attendance were the Governor of Penang Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak, the Governor of Melaka Tun Mohd Ali Rustam and the Governor of Sabah Tun Juhar Mahiruddin. Sarawak is being represented by State Assembly Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar.

All the rulers are being accompanied by their respective Menteri Besar, and Governors by their Chief Ministers, except for the Sarawak State Assembly Speaker who was accompanied by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

-- BERNAMA