KUCHING: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah is an exceptional monarch, said Kota Samarahan Municipal Council chairman Datuk Peter Minos.
Minos that His Majesty is greatly admired and loved by the people of Sabah and Sarawak as noticed throughout His Highness’s Kembara Kenali Borneo tour.
What’s more, His Majesty drove himself continuously for 11 days from Tawau, Sabah, starting on Sept 3 and arriving in Telok Melano, Sarawak, on Sept 13, covering 2,154 kilometres of the Pan Borneo Highway.
“Where else in the world can you find a King like this? So adventurous, determined, and tenacious in pursuing his goals, so eager to meet people, whether young or old, rural or urban, rich or poor, and in such large numbers along the journey. Simply remarkable,” he said in a statement today.
Minos pointed out that what’s truly appreciated is His Majesty’s disregard for protocol when meeting and interacting with the people.
“He was casual and down-to-earth. The people truly respected and loved him for that. This is truly a King of and for the people.
“Every hour and every day from Sept 3 to 13, the people of Sabah and Sarawak were ‘crazy’ about His Majesty’s trip and adventure, asking: What is he doing today? Who will he meet along the way? How will people react to him? Where will he be the next day? No superstar can match the excitement and joy His Majesty generated in those 10 days. Not that I know,” he said.
Minos said that during the last leg of His Majesty’s trip at point zero of the Pan Borneo Highway in Telok Melano in Sematan yesterday (Sept 13) morning, it was all amazing and wonderful.
“In the scorching sun, people waited for him for hours. The thousands went wild when he arrived. It was joy and happiness gone wild. It was beyond description.
“I had never seen anything like it before. The expression of love for His Majesty was simply incredible. So natural, spontaneous, and wonderful,” he said.
Minos hoped that all leaders throughout Malaysia can draw inspiration from His Majesty and remain in close contact with the people and ordinary citizens, listening to their hopes, needs, problems, and difficulties, and striving to solve them.
“For me personally, I was very happy and felt extremely fortunate to receive a warm handshake from His Majesty at Telok Melano Sematan yesterday.
“I was perhaps fortunate because I was the very last person in line before he sat down for lunch. Maybe he was a bit sentimental at his last function on this long trip and adventure.
“We will forever cherish this very good and wonderful YDPA. We wish him well and good health,” he said
