Duty and his subjects came first for Tuanku Abdul Halim

PETALING JAYA: The most important things in his life were his responsibilities and his subjects.

That was why the late Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah always did his best to turn up at events that he was invited to, even when he felt unwell.

This was revealed by his granddaughter Raja Sarina Iskandar in her tribute to him.

He often said the words “duty (tanggungjawab)” and “citizens (rakyat)” while he was alive, she said.

“For Tok, whatever he did was for the beloved people.

“He always tried his best to turn up at events to which he was invited as a sign of appreciation and respect, although at times Tok felt weak and unwell, because he did not want to disappoint anyone,” she said.

It came to a point where his family members had to advise him not to strain himself, especially during his second term as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Tuanku Abdul Halim made history when he became King for the second time in 2012. He also reigned as King from 1970 to 1975.

Tuanku Abdul Halim ended his term as the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong last December and was replaced by Kelantan Ruler Sultan Muhammad V.

Even when others tried to convince him to understand his limits as an ageing person, the 89-year-old told his granddaughter: “No. This is Tok’s duty.”

This is Raja Sarina’s second tribute to Tuanku Abdul Halim.

On Monday, she wrote that Kedah and Malaysia “have lost one of their greatest kings”.

The Kedah Ruler passed away at 2.30pm on Monday.

She said he was a King whose generosity extended beyond what was reported in the media.

Just like his father, she said, he believed that being a King brought with it a big responsibility.

“Quietly, he has sponsored the studies of several young people up to university level. Looking at his people succeed gave him great happiness,” she wrote on her Instagram page in Bahasa Malaysia yesterday.

Raja Sarina added that his love for Kedah could be likened to the love of a father.

“To him, Kedah was like a child that needed to be protected and supported until it could be independent and walk by itself.

“What I learnt from Tok is to not let life be controlled by prejudice and insults from foreign elements. If we live with integrity, why do we need to fear?” she wrote.