Johor sultan’s mother laid to rest
JOHOR BAHRU: The remains of the Sultan of Johor’s mother Enche’ Besar Hajah Khalsom Abdullah were laid to rest at the Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum here at 11.30am yesterday.
The late Hajah Khalsom was interred in the same row as her grandson Tunku Laksamana Johor Almarhum Tunku Abdul Jalil Sultan Ibrahim who died in 2015.
The funeral ceremony was held in a semi- state royal funeral.
Hajah Khalsom, 83, breathed her last at 7.55pm ( London time), at the King Edward VII Hospital, London, on June 1.
She was born on Dec 2, 1935 and blessed with three princesses and a prince, namely Tunku Kamariah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, Tunku Besar Zabedah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim and the Tengku Puan of Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
Grief was written on the faces of members of the Johor royal family, dignitaries and members of the public when the remains of Hajah Khalsom arrived at the royal mausoleum at 10.50am on a ‘ pedati’ or royal carriage accompanied by Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris and Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman.
The ‘ pedati’ was pulled by 40 Royal Johor Military Force personnel for a distance of 2.8 kilometres from Istana Besar through its arch and passing through Jalan Ayer Molek to the royal mausoleum.
Sultan Ibrahim, the Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and the Tunku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ismail also accompanied the ‘ pedati’ with the procession being led by Johor State Secretary Datuk Azmi Rohani as the Datuk Penghulu Biracana.
The ‘ talkin’ ( prayers for the dead) was read out by Johor deputy mufti Datuk Yahya Ahmad while Sultan Ibrahim led the pouring of scented water on the grave, followed by the Permaisuri of Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah and members of the royal family.
Earlier, Sultan Ibrahim gave consent to the royal family as well as members of the public to pay their last respects to his late mother who was placed on a three- tiered ‘ peterana’ at the Singgahsana Room, Istana Besar, from 8am until 10am.
Also paying their last respects at Istana Besar were the Sultan of Kedah Sultan Sallehuddin Almarhum Sultan Badlishah and his consort Sultanah Maliha Almarhum Tengku Ariff, the Regent of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Tunku Azizah, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his son Pengiran Muda Abdul Mateen, Raja DiHilir of Perak Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah and Raja Puan Muda of Perak Tunku Soraya Almarhum Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah.
Among dignitaries and leaders who paid their respects were Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and wife Ho Ching, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian.
The remains of Hajah Khalsom arrived from London at the Royal Hangar of the Senai International Airport at about 11pm on Tuesday night on Sultan Ibrahim’s private jet.
The remains were later escorted to Istana Besar in the Sultan’s personal ambulance and arrived at the palace at about 11.45pm for recitations.
Meanwhile, Yaacob A Karim said he left his home in Batu Pahat at about 5.30am to ensure that he would be able to reach the palace on time and pay his last respects to the late Hajah Khalsom.
“I also share the feeling of sadness. May Allah bless her soul and place her among the righteous,” he told Bernama here.
Faranina Faizal, 47, from Taman Johor Jaya said she had taken leave yesterday to enable her to go the palace and pay her last respects.
Thew Say Guan, 51, from Pontian said he made it to the palace yesterday to show his sense of responsibility as the people of the state as well as sympathy and support for Sultan Ibrahim. — Bernama