The Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah passed away today at the age of 89.
Following his passing, his grand daughter Raja Sarina Iskandar penned a heartfelt message on Instagram.
Referring him as Tok" (grandfather), Raja Sarina spoke of the sacrifices of her grandfather had to make when becoming Yang Di-Pertuan Agong for the second time, at age 83.
Sultan Abdul Halim was the only sultan to serve as Agong twice, from 1970 to 1975 and 2011 to 2016. His second tenure ended on Dec 12 last year.
Raja Sarina's message is as follows:
Today and forever, Kedah and Malaysia have lost one of their greatest kings.
Your dedication to Kedah and Malaysia has inspired me growing up.
When you were Agong for the second time at the age of 83, I moved in with you at Istana Negara.
It was then that I saw for the first time the behind the scenes of your life.
I saw you skip your meals to practise your speeches or to be in the office. Which 80-something man would do that?
Most of us dream of retiring at 50 if we can. But you never could even if you wanted to.
And there were times, more often than people knew when you were ill but still continued with your Agong and sultan duties.
In between functions you would be in the hospital ward. When you would leave the ward, I would watch you on TV looking normal as you greet the prime minister, government ministers and the rakyat.
But as soon as the event was over, you would return to the hospital ward with tubes connected to your body.
Even on your sickest day, you would be on time. You would never make anyone wait.
This is the side of a king no one knows. You don't simply sit on a throne and enjoy your riches despite what many ignorantly think.
There are sacrifices because you can't have a normal life. There is no privacy and no normal schedule. Your status is an "amanah" (trust) from Allah.
People are unforgiving when leaders make mistakes and my Tok always made sure he did the very best.
When I told him this blog or that person insulted him, he was never angry. He was calm and would simply say: "I did my best."
You did the very best and more your whole life Tok. The reason I know how to be a good princess is because you taught me how.
I love you so much Tok; You're forever my sultan. Al-Fatihah.
