Two-hour wait to see Agong well worth it for Sibu’s Teo family
Teo Yong Kiat and his children waited at the roadside for nearly two hours near the Yu Lung Tian En Si Temple here on Monday to catch a glimpse of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
The experience for Teo and his daughter Jia Yi, who is in Form 5, and son Jia Liang, who is in Primary 5, turned out to be well worth every second.
“We brought along a placard to welcome Their Majesties to Sibu. But to our surprise, the King stopped his vehicle and waved at my two children to approach his vehicle.
“There, he autographed on my daughter’s notebook and my son’s toy. This is indeed a pleasant surprise and simply unforgettable experience for us,” he told reporters.
“His Majesty also happily consented to our request for a photograph session,” added the photographer.
The temple at KM26 of Jalan Sibu-Bintulu was among the stops for Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah on Monday.
As the Agong slowed down his vehicle to wave to the people lined up on both sides of the road, the huge crowd could be heard chanting: “Daulat Tuanku!”
Sabahan Linah Buang, who is married to a local, was among those present.
“My husband is in the army and we live at Mile 14. We’re excited about Their Majesties visiting Sibu,” said Linah, who brought along her two children for the occasion.
Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah visited the Sibu Central Market – the country’s biggest market with 1,183 traders – yesterday before continuing their journey to Sri Aman.
Their Majesties’ two-day visit to Sibu was part of the ‘Kembara Kenali Borneo’ tour running from Sept 3 to 13, which began in Tawau, Sabah and would end in Telok Melano, Sarawak, covering a distance of 2,154km along the Pan Borneo Highway.