Presidents and sultans, village chiefs, office workers, noodle-sellers and monks were among the thousands who mourned King, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, with pomp and ceremony today.

Mourners held hands and bowed their heads as they circled the king's body where it lay in state in the main hall of the Istana Negara, or National Palace, the day after he died of heart failure at the age of 75.

The closed coffin lay under ceremonial guard on a raised platform in the centre of the hall, draped in the royal yellow standard of the king, known in Malay as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (He Who is Made Lord).

In one corner of the hall, the young widowed queen, Siti Aishah, 30, dressed in white, wept as thousands queued outside for hours under cloudy skies to bid farewell to their much-loved monarch.

In another corner, 12 Muslim scholars recited Koranic verses.

Funeral prayers

Earlier, pre-funeral prayers at the National Mosque were led by the Federal Territory Mufti Hashim Yahya and attended by royalty, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and cabinet members.

Most of Malaysia's 23 million people are Muslims, but there are significant minorities of ethnic Chinese and Indians, and all groups were represented among the mourners at the palace.

A Chinese man, Tau Fook Yuen, told AFP: "The King is part of our big family. I met the King at functions before. He was a very friendly person."

An Indian teacher, S Sivakrisnan Sinniah, 38, said the king was an inspiration to the people and "symbolises national unity".

Village head Diang Mohamad Diang Makati, 42, said he had met the king during his visits to the villages. "His death is a big loss to all Malaysians."

When the public viewing ended visiting dignitaries paid their last respects. They included Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei and Singapore President S R Nathan.

The coffin was then pulled on a gun carriage by slow-marching soldiers to Merdeka (Independence) Square in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, where some 10,000 people had gathered.

The king was to be buried later in the day at the royal family's mausoleum in Klang near the capital.

Mahathir declared Thursday a public holiday to begin a week of mourning for the King, who had been hospitalised since undergoing heart surgery in Singapore almost two months ago.

Rulers meeting

Television and radio stations played only prayers and solemn music and all entertainment centres such as pubs and discos in the central state of Selangor, of which Sultan Salahuddin was ruler, were ordered closed.

The king's powers are mainly ceremonial, and the position of monarch is rotated in a unique system between the traditional Malay rulers of nine states every five years.

Mahathir said a new king would be named within four weeks.

"A meeting of rulers will be held and they will then decide who will be the next Agong," Mahathir said.

Until then, the deputy, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, will act as Agong. Sultan Mizan, 39, was named Acting Yang di-Pertuan Agong during Sultan Salahuddin's illness.

Sultan Salahuddin, who was born on Mar 8, 1926, leaves 10 children from four marriages. He was crowned Malaysia's 11th king on Sep 23, 1999.