JAN 31 was a work day for me so I missed the live telecast of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah being sent off to Kuala Lumpur by the rakyat of Pahang. Being a Pahangite myself, I badly wanted to watch the historic moment. Thanks to a kind soul, I eventually caught the event on Facebook four days ago.

What I saw took me by surprise. Tuanku, after taking a few steps up the staircase to the waiting airplane, turned around and sent flying kisses to the rakyat. And then he shocked me: Just before entering the plane Tuanku turned around and bowed to the rakyat.

I had tears running down my cheeks. I have never seen a monarch anywhere in the world bow to the people. We are very lucky to have such a humble King.

It reminded me of the time when Tuanku was a student in St Thomas, Kuantan, in the 1970s. I started my teaching career there. I taught Tuanku Mathematics in school and was the tuition teacher at the Istana Teluk Sisek. I was Tuanku’s hockey coach too.

After the inter-school hockey tournament, Tuanku was selected for the Kuantan district team. The inter-district tournament was played in Raub. Tuanku’s father, then the Tengku Makhota Pahang, told me that for security reasons Tuanku will not travel by bus with the rest of the team but would have to go by van instead, and I had to accompany him. After the tournament, on our way back to Kuantan, I asked Tuanku if it would be possible to stop over at Bentong to visit my mother. Without hesitation Tuanku said, why not. Upon reaching my house, Tuanku followed me in to meet my mother.

My mother and my siblings were excited – not to mention shocked! – to see a prince come into our simple kampung house. When we were leaving, my mother told me that the house has been blessed because Tuanku has a big heart, and good things will happen. True enough, three of my siblings eventually studied in Britain.

In school, Tuanku was a class monitor. It is standard practice at St Thomas that when one subject teacher leaves the class, the monitor takes charge until the next subject teacher comes in. The monitor writes the name of students who are either noisy or walking about. As I was approaching the class, I noticed Tuanku quickly erasing names written on the blackboard, and when I questioned him, he told me that no one should be punished for just talking. That’s the kind quality Tuanku has maintained until today.

During those school days, we were more like friends than a teacher and student. After tuition, Tuanku would insist I play table tennis before I went home – he is an outstanding sportsman, by the way. And sometimes, he would pick me up and we would watch movies at Cathay Cinema.

I thought that after leaving school and ascending to the throne, Tuanku would be a different person but he has proved me wrong. I feel proud and honoured to have taught such a fine monarch.

I pray the Almighty will bless Tuanku with good health, a long life, and everlasting happiness.

Daulat Tuanku!

ARUNANDY SUBRAMANIAM

Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur