KUANTAN: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Wednesday (April 20) broke fast at the Kuantan City Council (MBK1) field here together with the people of Pahang who are accustomed to seeing the King during Ramadan.

Al-Sultan Abdullah arrived at the field at 6.30pm accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah together with their children.

Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, state police chief Datuk Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf and Kuantan Mayor Datuk Hamdan Hussin were on hand to receive Their Majesties.

Before breaking of fast, the King and Queen presented ‘bubur lambuk’ (rice porridge) prepared at Istana Abdulaziz here, to visitors to the Ramadan bazaar and those who were breaking their fast at MBK1 field.

Besides that, a portion of the 2,000 bubur lambuk packets was also distributed to residents of Penor Prison here.

Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah then proceeded to the Mahkota Square Ramadan Bazaar, located adjacent to the field, to buy food such as ‘sata’ (grilled fish paste), ‘pulut panggang’ (grilled glutinous rice with spicy filling) and ‘kuih’ (cakes).

Trader Zaipa Ismail, 56, said he did not expect Al-Sultan Abdullah to visit his stall to buy pulut panggang, ‘sata’ and ‘kuih lompat tikam’ (rice pudding) which was the first stall at the bazaar that the King visited.

“I saw a crowd…so I yelled out the names of the dishes and kuih that I was selling. I truly did not expect Their Majesties to stop at my stall.

“I was happy to meet His Majesty…but was slightly upset that I did not remember to give His Majesty our ‘nasi dagang’ which is a family recipe,” said Zaipa who had been a trader for more than 10 years.

Ahmad Tarmizi Barkawi, 26, has been trading at the bazaar for four years but it was the first time that the King stopped by his stall to buy fried chicken and tofu.

Standard Six student Syahzril Khan Sani Khan, 12, was thrilled that Al-Sultan Abdullah asked him what his favourite food was when he entered the special tent to take a packet of bubur lambuk.

The student of Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Talam here had accompanied his parents to the bazaar.

He was initially shy to collect the bubur lambuk but did not want to miss the opportunity of meeting the King.

“My father also asked permission to take a picture of myself with His Majesty as we would not get such a chance of capturing it again,” he added. – Bernama