Photo: Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: It was a simple directive from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong: “Go find the houses flying white flags and provide them with the necessary assistance.”
This was the instruction given by His Majesty Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to his senior private secretary Datuk Nazim Mohd Alim during the Covid-19 lockdowns when people were getting desperate and flying white flags outside their homes as a plea for help.
It was another instance that proved Al-Sultan Abdullah indeed has a heart of gold.
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According to Nazim, Al-Sultan Abdullah "could not bear" to see his subjects in distress, especially during the health emergency, which made the King more admirable not just to the recipients of aid but also to the palace staff.
Personally, Nazim said the experience of delivering aid to those affected by the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) and forced to fly white flags outside their homes during the pandemic was one of the most memorable in his five years of working with His Majesty.
“His Majesty told me to go out and count how many houses were flying white flags in the city. I asked the Kuala Lumpur Police Chief to work with me.
"Once we had the numbers, we were told to deliver the necessary aid, which came from His Majesty’s own fund,” he said in a recent interview.
Having served Al-Sultan Abdullah since 2018, Nazim is not only responsible for managing the palace correspondence and the King’s schedules, programmes and meetings, but also acts as an investigator, intermediary and messenger to His Majesty.
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He said his diverse duties allowed him to witness first-hand Al-Sultan Abdullah’s sincerity and determination, especially when the King waded through floods to help the people, making them feel close to him.
“His Majesty is a kind and good-hearted human being. In fact, until today, His Majesty has not taken a single sen of salary as the reigning King. So does the Queen, Her Majesty Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah,” said Nazim, who started his career as a speechwriter at Istana Negara.
Nazim said he personally experienced the royal couple’s compassion when Al-Sultan Abdullah invited him to perform the umrah in 2019 to pray for the recovery of his sick daughter.
“When I was in front of the Kaaba, His Majesty came to me and asked if I had prayed for my daughter, and I answered yes. Then, His Majesty told me that was one of his reasons for bringing me to the Holy Land, to pray for my daughter's health,” he said while expressing gratitude as his daughter has now fully recovered.
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Nazim said Al-Sultan Abdullah has always placed Muslims as his top priority.
Therefore, it was not surprising when for the first time ever, as soon as Al-Sultan Abdullah ascended the federal throne, the main surau at Istana Negara was declared a venue for congregational Friday prayers.
“His Majesty views Istana Negara not as his house, but as a place that belongs to the people, and that's why the surau was opened (for Friday prayers),” he said.
Indeed, the opportunity to serve His Majesty is regarded by Nazim as the sweetest memory of his life, and he believes the people of Malaysia are indeed fortunate to have a King with their interests at heart and cherished by all segments of society.
“I am sure the people will miss him. Whether he is still Yang di-Pertuan Agong or not, he will continue to help the people,” Nazim added. – Bernama
