JOHOR BARU: Permaisuri Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah today shared an old Facebook posting about Almarhum Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah’s last days as the Yang DiPertuan Agong.
Raja Zarith Sofiah shared the post, dated Dec 12, 2016, which was based on the social media messages of her sister-in-law, Tunku Soraya, about her father Sultan Abdul Halim’s last week of duties as King.
It also contains observations about the period by Raja Zarith Sofia herself.
"(Tunku Soraya) wrote about how emotional it had been for Sultan Abdul Halim and his family to leave the Istana Negara and to return home to his state of Kedah," said Raja Zarith Sofiah, who said she admired the Ruler and had the utmost respect for him ever since her brother, Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain, married Tunku Soraya.
"I had (several) opportunities to meet him, and to hear his family speak about the seriousness with which he viewed his role as (King).
"As his younger daughter, Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz always said, his was a life of service. He did not expect others to serve him, but he felt and believed that he must serve his rakyat and his state.
"Although he was already in his eighties, and was sometimes ill, he gave his all in fulfilling his duties as our King," said Raja Zarith Sofiah.
She also wrote that Sultan Abdul Halim was loved by the Istana Negara staff and that he hardly complained about anything.
"My niece wrote about one of Tuanku's two butlers from Istana Negara running into the plane and crying, before Tuanku left to fly back to Kedah, and how Tuanku Agong and the family cried too. He treated them all well and they loved him in return.
"And now he is back in his state of Kedah, and the people there have welcomed him back with much joy and love. They waved the Kedah flag as they lined the road from the airport to the Istana," said Raja Zarith Sofiah.
She ended the post with her wish that the Malaysian public would know more about Sultan Abdul Halim, about the man who held the title of the Yang DiPertuan Agong over the last five years.
The Permaisuri also uploaded a poem that she wrote about Sultan Abdul Halim:
A heaviness lies in my heart.
A King has left this mortal world.
From his family, his people, he is apart.
Rest in peace, dear King.
You have given your all.
We shall honour your name.
We shall never let it fall.
The Permaisuri, the Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Tunku Temenggung Johor Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim are representing Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar at the funeral today.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and his wife Datin Seri Rosni Omar, State Secretary Datuk Azmi Rohani and Johor Mufti Datuk Mohd Tahrir Samsudin will also attend the funeral in Alor Star.