I first met Tuanku in 1983 when I was serving in Rome. He was then Lord President and came for a few days visit with a senior officer and I was assigned to accompany him. I practically spent the next three days with him from breakfast to dinner. He asked me to find the best restaurants in Rome for our meals. And I was privy to his exquisite taste when he went shopping for clothes. Once he commented why I was not dressed in a full suit when I turned up for dinner with a jacket and pants of another colour!!
I remember him being very kind and caring; I was nursing a cold and he always reminded me to take my medicines. He even wanted to see how I lived and popped into my apartment for a few minutes.
In 1985 Tuanku came to Rome again, by then as the Sultan of Perak, accompanied by Tuanku Permaisuri and daughter Raja Elena. Again I accompanied him most of the time. I got a big 'bonus' when he was shopping in Rome's top men boutique BRIONI; Tuanku asked me to choose a dozen neck ties for himself and then told me to pick a suit for myself! Imagine a First Secretary wearing a Brioni suit!! I was pleased to bits.
The two occasions I spent with Tuanku must have made an impact. A few months after I was posted home in 1985 I was invited to have lunch with Tuanku at his palace in Federal Hill.
In 1992 when he was the Yang Di Pertuan Agong, he made a State Visit to Austria and I was serving in Poland at that time. I was in Vienna then for another purpose and was happy to meet Tuanku at the Ambassador's Reception. The following year I was back in the Ministry again and one of my tasks was the logistic preparations for the Agong's State Visit to the United Kingdom. For some reason only known to my immediate superior I was not included in the delegation. I clearly remember some time later when I met Tuanku he asked me why was I not in the Official Delegation for his State Visit to the UK!
In 1996 I happened to be in the same MAS fight to Seoul with Tuanku, me for a meeting and Tuanku for the World Hockey Meeting. After the plane took off the Chief Steward informed me that Tuanku invited me to accompany him in the First Class Cabin. I went and sat beside him and we were served our dinner and had a long pleasant conversation until he informed me he was going to take his medications and go to sleep. We met again the next evening in Seoul for dinner with the Ambassador.
In 1999 when I had my first Ambassadorial appointment to Peru, Tuanku graciously invited me to dinner at his palace in KL. He teased me about the Datoship I had been conferred by the Sultan of Johor a few days earlier and also presented me with a watch.
I was also once invited to a black tie function at the Istana Kuala Kangsar but was unable to attend.
A few months after my appointment as DG of the National Art Gallery, Tuanku celebrated his 82nd birthday at the Gallery by special request of the Persatuan Anak2 Perak. The sit-down dinner by invitation only was a grand and exceptional occasion for the National Art Gallery. Tuanku was pleasantly surprised to discover that I was the DG of the Gallery. As usual he was very gracious and had always something warm and nice to say to me.
Almarhum Sultan Azlan Shah ibni Al Marhum Sultan Yusuf Izzudin Shah,
may Allah SWT always bless your soul and place you among the chosen, amin.
It is indeed a privilege to know Tuanku personally and I will always cherish his kindness, warmth and generosity to me...
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