HAVING spent the past 45 years serving Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Datuk Abd Rahman Endut is no doubt well acquainted with the king’s character.
Rahman, 65, who started working for Al-Sultan Abdullah as his aide and now serves as his protocol and special officer, had witnessed the ruler grow from a young boy to become the Tengku Mahkota Pahang, sultan and now the king.
Rahman said Al-Sultan Abdullah was calm and not fussy, adding that the king was always concerned about the people and prepared to face any challenges to meet his subjects.
He said when a promise had been made (to visit a certain area), Al-Sultan Abdullah would do his best to fulfil it so that the people anticipating his presence would not be upset.
“If there are no important matters, the king will try to keep his promise.
“When he was the Tengku Mahkota Pahang, we travelled by helicopter to visit Cameron Highlands. The helicopter could not land due to the low clouds and the pilot could not identify a suitable landing spot.
“Al-Sultan Abdullah said we could not turn back as we had promised to visit. He said although there may be some risks, there would be no change of plans,” he said, adding that they landed safely some time later.
He said the incident showed that the king loved his subjects and wanted to meet them, despite seemingly putting himself at risk.
From 1974 to 1981, Rahman accompanied Al-Sultan Abdullah and his brother, Tengku Muda Pahang Tengku Abd Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah, to the United Kingdom, where they furthered their studies.
Upon returning home in 1982, Rahman continued to serve Al-Sultan Abdullah and chalked up numerous experiences with him, including travelling to every corner of Pahang, especially during disasters.
He said Al-Sultan Abdullah was dedicated to serving the people, and that his aides understood his “management style”, including impromptu tasks, especially those related to the people’s welfare.
“The term ‘weekends’ is not for Al-Sultan Abdullah as he sometimes wants to go down to the ground to check on the progress of repairs on people’s housing projects. He will decide the time and does away with strict protocol.
“When he reads news affecting the people, he will ask us (aides) to inspect and resolve it... the civil servants in Pahang are familiar with his methods.”
Rahman said the king was well-loved by the palace staff as he was concerned about their welfare and their families.
“He is a caring person who looks after our needs, including medical and education. He paid for my five children’s education. Some of the palace policemen were provided assistance to further their studies to become police officers.
“All the staff were given accommodation, besides drivers and gardeners. He will also send his staff to perform the haj and umrah. It is a blessing to work for him.”
He said despite being the king, nothing had changed as Al-Sultan Abdullah had adopted a similar style in Kuala Lumpur. This, he said, was seen in a recent case when the king stopped to help an accident victim in Putrajaya.
Rahman said Al-Sultan Abdullah was a patient man and was not easily ruffled.
He said this was clearly seen when the king was the Football Association of Malaysia president between 2014 and 2017, during which he was criticised due to the poor performance of the national team.
“Sometimes, fans would become too emotional and he was aware of it as he read the news. However, he never displayed any anger and instead chose to patiently carry out his job with the association.”
He said Al-Sultan Abdullah was also eager to expand his knowledge and would refer to the correct person if he needed to clarify any information.
“For example, when he needed to clarify matters related to religion, he would refer to the mufti. When he feels that a certain event is beneficial, he would stay on well after the launch. There was once when he stayed back to join participants after officiating an education workshop.
“He has a deep passion for reading. He likes to read biographies of world leaders and prominent individuals, books related to religion, the military and law.”