It was officially established by Article 38 of the Constitution of Malaysia, and is the only such institution in the world, according to the Malaysian National Library.

The purpose of the Durbar, as described by Resident-General Frank Swettenham, was to "bring home to the Malays, in the most striking manner possible, the reality of federation".

[1] After World War II, a similar body called the Council of Rulers was constituted under the short-lived Malayan Union.

Only the rulers of the Malay states of Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Perlis, Terengganu, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Johor, and Perak are permitted to participate in the election of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and stand as candidates.

However, its role is de facto largely symbolic, as even the election of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong generally follows a fixed order based on the seniority of the Malay rulers at the time of independence in 1957.

In return for the granting of citizenship to the non-Bumiputra, the Bumiputra were guaranteed special rights (or as some claim, Malay supremacy — ketuanan Melayu).

[4] Others, such as The Times of London in the United Kingdom, lambasted the constitutional amendments, stating they would "preserve as immutable the feudal system dominating Malay society" by "giving this archaic body of petty constitutional monarchs incredible blocking power", suggesting that this move was hypocritical in light of Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein's declaration of "the full realization that important matters must no longer be swept under the carpet..."[6] Nevertheless, despite fierce opposition, the Alliance coalition government passed the constitutional amendments in Parliament without the opposition votes because of its two-thirds Parliamentary majority.

Meetings will also be convened no later than four weeks before the end of the five-year reign of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or whenever there is a vacancy in either their seat or that of their deputy.

The Royal Scholarship Fund (Malay: Kumpulan Wang Biasiswa Raja-Raja) was established on 31 August 1949 by the 8th Meeting of the Conference of Rulers.

The Board of this Fund in accordance with section 5 (1) of Act 284 consists of a Chairman and four members appointed by the Conference of Rules between the Menteri Besar and the Chief Minister for a period of two years and is eligible for a reappointment.

[8] The 145th Conference of the Rulers (2nd Day) on 6 November 1988, agreed to create a Royal Education Award (Malay: Anugerah Pelajaran DiRaja), also called Pingat Jaya Cemerlang.

The purpose of the award is to give the highest recognition to a graduate whose quality and academic achievement are the best and meet the following criteria: The Pingat Jaya Cemerlang was first introduced in 1989 for seven Public Institutions of Higher Learning (IPTA) of two graduates for every IPTA comprising a Bumiputera and a non-Bumiputera recipient of the award is eligible to receive: The cash payment rate has been raised to RM 2,500 per person from 1995 and RM 5,000 per person from 2009.

[11] In 2006, the Public Service Department (PSD) implemented a programme called the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship (Malay: Biasiswa Yang di-Pertuan Agong) or the King Scholarship, following the decision of the Prime Minister on 3 November 2004, which was approved by the Conference of Rulers meeting on 16 March 2005.

[citation needed] This scholarship was introduced to recognize the exceptional skills of candidates wishing to pursue their postgraduate studies (Master's and PhD), particularly in the field of science and technology, either locally or abroad.

[citation needed] The inaugural award presentation ceremony of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship to five candidates for the Master's and Doctoral programmes respectively was held on 29 September 2006.