KUALA LUMPUR (March 19): His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia said he will start his real way of ruling once his two-month honeymoon period is over, saying he bears the trust of the Malay rulers to look after the interests of the people and the country.

"I am not a statue to be worshipped or to be used as decoration in ceremonies, or to be forced to follow every word and desire of the minister.

"In less than two weeks, it will mark two months since I have taken over the reins as Head of State. When this 'honeymoon period' is over..., I will begin my real way of ruling," the king decreed in a Facebook post in conjunction with the ceremony to confer the 2024 Federal Territory awards at Istana Negara on Tuesday.

The king also said the awards conferred were to recognise individuals who have rendered meritorious service, dedicated service, or contributed to the Federal Territory.

"I have personally reviewed each candidate prepared by the Selection Committee and this year I have decided that only 36 recipients truly deserve to be awarded," he said.

Leading the list of honorees was Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh, who was conferred Darjah Kebesaran Seri Mahkota Wilayah (SMW), which carries the title Datuk Seri.

Eight individuals were conferred Darjah Kebesaran Panglima Mahkota Wilayah (PMW), which carries the title Datuk, including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability's secretary general Datuk Dr Ching Thoo Kim; Hospital Kuala Lumpur senior consultant of vascular surgery and head of general surgery department Datuk Dr Hanif Hussein; and the Federal Territories Department deputy director general Datuk Ramlee Yatim.

The king also expressed anger and sadness over the sale of socks that bear the word Allah in a chain of convenience stores, and said the strictest actions should be taken against anyone found guilty in the issue, based on the authorities' investigation.

"Whether it was intentional or not, whether it was imported or produced in local factories, I want the enforcement agencies to investigate and take the strictest actions according to the existing laws so that the same mistake does not happen twice," he said in another Facebook post.

He said it is unreasonable for a company with employees who are Malaysian citizens to be insensitive to such matters.

"We have lived in a multi-ethnic country for so long. Mistakes on religious and racial issues like this cannot be accepted and allowed to happen again," he said, as he reminded all parties to maintain the country's harmony and to not play with sensitive issues involving religion, race, and the royalty.