"I am being realistic. I do not dare to promise (that a united Malaysia) will happen, but that is my wish. I will be very sad if over the next five years, our country is in chaos,” he said this in a recent interview with the English daily ahead of his coronation as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on his 60th birthday on Tuesday.

Asked on his thoughts about the divide among the Malays, the King said he could only offer his advice.

“We are in the same boat and we cannot afford to have citizens who are not united.

“We always talk about unity. I touched on it in my address in Parliament. We have to prove this (unity). Please do not overreact and try to cause animosity, I would be quite worried if this continues,” he said.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong also addressed questions regarding royals who have come under attack on social media lately.

Saying that he could only speak on behalf of Istana Pahang, he pointed out that its royal members, just like any other institution or palace, were constantly being watched by the people.

“As long as you do something for the rakyat and give something to them, that is the least we can do with­­out politicising (it). When we are deemed to be trying to politicise something, that is when we will be criticised heavily.

“But let me say it here — when we are trying to get close to the rakyat, it is for humanitarian reasons and of our own goodwill, and not to get praise or votes. That has never crossed my mind,” he said.

Sultan Abdullah also said he was constantly reminded of the need for the monarchy to be relevant politically and in the democratic atmosphere.

“If you feel that you are here as a museum piece, then you will end up in a museum. If you are here to serve and to be with the people, I am sure the people will know how to value you."

“It is a way of life. You will feel the pressure in any position of lea­dership. The question is how do you manage such pressure? For me, I will try to understand the issue."

He also said that in solving any issue, he would engage with the people through discussions.

“Other countries also face their own problems, but our advantage is that we live in a multi-racial and multi-religious country with complex and very sensitive issues.

“So, we must understand the sensitivity of certain issues and if possible, we should avoid them and not twist them to the point of causing disunity among the people,” he said.