The King and Queen of Malaysia, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah have been making their rounds in Borneo, Sarawak for the “Kembara Kenali Borneo” programme. And locals have been delighted with their gracious acts.
One local man in particular managed to achieve all that he wanted during the royals’ visit; such as singing happy birthday and gifting a present to the prince, Tengku Ahmad Ismail. His highlight however was when the King shook his hand. The man was so delighted, he had not washed his hands since!
33-year-old Arief who works as a fragrance supplier was one of many locals who wished to welcome and ensure the royals’ visit was a special one. Apparently, as he shared with news outlet mStar, Arief had discovered that Tengku Ahmad Ismail’s birthday fell on 11th September and as such, wanted to do something special for him.
Together with the other villagers of Kampung Penan Muslim Batu 10, they planned to sing “Happy Birthday” to the prince. But, Arief also wanted to go the extra mile. He carefully made a sign for the prince which read: “Happy Birthday Tengku Ahmad! I have a birthday present for you!!!” Well, his hard work paid off.
The King and Queen spotted the sign during the arrival of their motorcade and were spotted pointing to the car behind them, which Tengku Ahmad was presumably riding. Arief also got to shake Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah’s hand as he passed by in the car. “(It smells) fragrant!” he exclaimed excitedly after. He also managed to pass the bottle of fragrance to the prince, declaring it a “success”.
Drunk on sheer excitement, Arief later shared that he would be avoiding using his hands to better preserve the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah’s handshake. “I don’t want to dirty my hands by eating with (them). Thankfully my wife was willing to feed me last (Sunday) night,” he told Mstar. “Tomorrow, I’ll eat using a spoon.”
Tengku Ahmad Ismail was later seen sharing the gifts he had received from citizens on his socials, including Arief’s fragrance. “Thank you for the birthday gifts! Love you, Sarawak,” he captioned. The unexpected mention left Arief overjoyed. “I was jumping because I was so (excited),” he shared.
Props to Arief and those of Kampung Penan Muslim Batu 10! The royals must certainly be grateful for their efforts in welcoming them. This isn’t the only time, however. Previously, someone gifted KFC to the royal couple. Well, we sincerely hope the rest of the trip goes smoothly and is just as fun for everyone.
Sources: Instagram, Mstar, China Press
