King's humility wins accolades from the rakyat

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): About a month ago, Jasliza Jamil, 38, was driving as usual to her office in Putrajaya, realising little what an eventful day it was going to be for her.

It was drizzling that particular morning and all of a sudden, Jasliza, an information officer at the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission, reportedly lost control of her red Perodua Alza which then landed on the road divider at Persiaran Barat Lebuh Sentosa. 

Fortunately, she escaped with minor injuries but as she sat in her car dazed by the accident, she noticed someone approaching her car to lend a helping hand.

She thought the person was a policeman but when she noticed he was wearing a songkok with a white band and accompanied by an aide bearing a yellow umbrella, she realised much to her amazement that the good Samaritan was none other than the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

"Indeed, I was shocked," Jasliza was quoted by the media as saying. The King asked her how she was and even offered to take her to the hospital.

She informed the King that she was feeling fine, after which he continued on his journey to Istana Melawati in Putrajaya, where he was scheduled to attend a pre-Cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. 

The same day, Jasliza received a phone call from the palace asking if she needed any further help.

This heart-warming incident was posted on various social media platforms and blogs and, needless to say, it went viral. Netizens sang the praises of His Majesty and commended him for putting the people first before everything else.

Just a few days before this incident, the King touched the hearts of the people when he queued up to buy his lunch at a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Temerloh, Pahang, after Friday prayers.

Jasliza was certainly not the first road accident victim His Majesty had stopped to help.

According to Datuk Abdul Rahman Endut, who is the Sultan of Pahang's protocol and special officer, it was habitual for Sultan Abdullah to keep tabs on his surroundings whenever he travels from one place to another.

His Majesty has many a time lent a helping hand to accident victims, including once in Lipis, Pahang, on the East Coast Highway.

Abdul Rahman said if Sultan Abdullah came across an accident scene, he would stop the motorcade to find out what had happened.

"If an ambulance is needed, Tuanku would order the ambulance in his motorcade to carry the victim to the hospital, accompanied by one of his outriders.

"Besides that, Tuanku would also instruct me to get a report on the accident and would personally give me some money to be handed over the victim," related Abdul Rahman, who has served Sultan Abdullah for 45 years, including when he was Pahang Crown Prince.

Sultan Abdullah's concern for the accident victims that he has helped was so deep that he would want to take a look at the case reports.

Abdul Rahman said he would get a copy of the relevant police report, as well as a report from the hospital on the condition of the victim, which he would then present to His Majesty.

"The reason Tuanku wants to see these reports is to find out how the victim is faring and if needed, he would want to know what other help he could offer.

"There have also been occasions when Tuanku, through his secretary, requested the hospital concerned to speed up treatment or surgery. If any payment has to be made, Tuanku would pay," said Abdul Rahman.

Abdul Rahman also said that eating out at fast-food restaurants was something His Majesty used to do during his student days when he was studying in the United Kingdom. These days, it is the norm for the King to take his family to eat at KFC or McDonald's in Kuantan and Pekan.

Sultan Abdullah's noble qualities were not alien to the people of the east coast state, he said.

"The people of Pahang are familiar with Tuanku's ways. But now that he is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the people of other states are also getting to know about Tuanku's noble qualities," he added.

Sultan Abdullah's caring nature always comes to the fore whenever he is informed of the hardships faced by the people either through newspaper articles or when he meets the people.

According to Abdul Rahman, Tuanku would send a message to a WhatsApp group comprising the relevant officers, including his private secretary, and Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council officials ordering them to check the authenticity of the cases and provide the necessary assistance. His Majesty would also want a report to be delivered to him on the matter.

"When Tuanku meets the people, he doesn't give much importance to protocol. No matter which state the people come from or what problems they face, he would help them. As far as Tuanku is concerned, when the people convey their problems to him, he would want to settle it for them on the same day," explained Abdul Rahman.

Mirsha Rijin, 37, an Orang Asli civil servant from Gombak, Selangor, said Sultan Abdullah was well-known for his people-friendly, easy-to-approach attitude and his concern for the rakyat.

She hoped that His Majesty would enhance the functions of the rulers to enable them to provide their views and advice on the issues affecting the nation.

"The Sultan of Selangor and Sultan of Perak often give their comments on things that are not correct. This is what we want and this is how the people will know that the system of monarchy is working well in this country," she added.

Teng Han Nyan, 38, an engineer from Shah Alam, Selangor, said Sultan Abdullah was not only approachable but was also active in social media and always mingled with the people.

"The King's qualities can help to change the people's perception towards the royal family," he said.

He also hoped that the King and Queen would continue being close to the people and help to bridge the gap among the various races in this country.

Meanwhile, Arvind Ragavan, a business information professional from Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, said from what he had heard and read, Sultan Abdullah was a chip off the old block, as his late father Sultan Ahmad Shah also had the people's welfare at heart.

"Time and time again, Sultan Abdullah makes news for his humility and for genuinely caring for his people. The royal family seems very grounded and for Malaysians in general, I think that's really important.

"As the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, I hope he'll continue to be a beacon of hope and guide us to rise above our differences," he said. - Bernama