“This is where I was born,” said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah as soon as he stepped into Istana Mangga Tunggal in Pekan, Pahang, and that was almost 64 years ago.
His Majesty, accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah and his son, Tengku Panglima Raja Kolonel Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim Shah, spent more than half an hour at the palace, which was built by a Malay craftsman, Awang Mat Ali.
Al-Sultan Abdullah, who is also the Sultan of Pahang, expressed in his speech the hope that the palace, where His Majesty and his siblings were born and grew up, could be turned into a gallery and opened to the public.
“I hope we can turn the palace into a gallery and open it to the public. With no one taking care of it, this palace will become deserted and derelict,” said His Majesty during the visit to the palace after handing over donations to the asnaf (eligible tithe recipients) and the poor residing on the Pekan Sultanate Land here yesterday.
The palace, named in conjunction with a mango tree in the palace grounds that bears only one fruit every fruit season, also has a display of various portraits of His Majesty and his family, as well as antiques.
During the visit, Al-Sultan Abdullah took media practitioners to the room where His Majesty was born on July 30, 1959, and recalled memories with his parents, the late Sultan Ahmad Shah and the late Tengku Ampuan Afzan Tengku Muhammad.
Al-Sultan Abdullah is the fourth sibling and oldest son of the late Sultan Ahmad Shah and the late Tengku Ampuan Afzan.
His Majesty also shared memories of his childhood, like playing football with his school friends and when he fell from a tree and broke an arm, as well as recounted the scary experiences of his siblings and staff while they were staying at the palace.
Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah were also seen taking pictures at the palace.
Istana Mangga Tunggal was built in 1934. It was initially the residence of Tengku Panglima Perang, the father of the late Tengku Ampuan Afzan, who was then the first Menteri Besar of Pahang.
The palace, which is now almost 90 years old, was also the residence of the late Sultan Ahmad Shah before moving to Istana Abu Bakar. – BERNAMA
