KUALA LUMPUR: The unexpected Aidilfitri date announcement in 2022 saw Malaysians nationwide rushing to tackle their final preparations with only hours before the day arrived.
Soon after the announcement by the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal, people scrambled to gather the ingredients, especially fresh produce, to make their festive dishes such as chicken or beef rendang, satay and lontong.
The situation was the same in the kitchen of Istana Negara, as palace chef Pazlina Saleh, 49, recalls.
Tunku Azizah is known for her penchant for cooking, with various videos of Her Majesty demonstrating her culinary skills having gone viral on various social media platforms.
"Even Her Majesty was (taken by surprise). Some people think that since we work at Istana Negara, we know the date for the Aidilfitri celebration beforehand and can make early preparations, but that is not true.
"Like everyone else, we too have to wait for the announcement, and that year, we were all stunned because we did not expect the celebration to be earlier than predicted.
"All of a sudden, the situation became chaotic, especially for the chefs, because we were not prepared and there was nothing much in the kitchen to cook for the Aidilfitrri celebration,” she said.
Pazlina said Tunku Azizah was the one who calmed the situation.
"And because there was so much to prepare, the chefs had to cook one dish each for about 300 guests,” she said.
Istana Negara pastry chef Shahril Hidayatullah Mat Nawi, 35, described the atmosphere in the kitchen like a family celebration, with each "relation" busy preparing special Aidilfitri dishes.
He said Tunku Azizah rolled up her sleeves and was busy alternating between both the palace kitchen and her private kitchen.
Her Majesty cooked her special Aidilfitri dishes such as chicken and beef rendang, beef dendeng, Johor laksa, chicken harissa (a Mediterranean dish), kuah kacang, soto ayam, ketupat palas and various types of cakes, he added.
According to Shahril Hidayatullah, Her Majesty did not show any signs that she was tired or sleep-deprived, and was up early the next day to accompany Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to the Federal Territory Mosque to perform the Aidilfitri prayers.
"Her Majesty only had time to rest for two hours after working in the kitchen and then had to get ready to go to the mosque, and after that, back to Istana Negara to receive the guests.
"Actually, Her Majesty could have just ordered us to cook, but because of her love for cooking, and her desire for others to also taste her cooking, she was willing to be in the kitchen for hours," he added.
He said Tunku Azizah was not only hands-on in the kitchen”, but also in decorating Istana Negara for the occasion.
"Her Majesty made sure everything was in the best condition, including the flower arrangements at the main hall and the dining hall, to welcome the guests,” he said.
Chief of the palace assistants (Ketua Kundang) at Istana Negara Saadiah Mohammad Mahardin, 57, said four florists were responsible for providing fresh flowers such as orchids, ivy leaves and baby's breath, which are Tunku Azizah's favourites.
"The situation that night was chaotic. Everyone was surprised after finding out that Aidilfitri was the next day, but with simple and clear instructions from Her Majesty... we were able to accomplish the job of decorating the palace.
"We decorated according to Her Majesty’s taste and for the flower arrangements and other decorations, we used more white and pastel colours because white is Her Majesty’s favourite colour. For the flowers, the must-have is the orchids because Her Majesty likes orchids," she said.
Saadiah, who has been in service for 34 years, said Her Majesty, in addition to deciding on the gifts to be given to guests, also worked with the staff to complete the preparations.
"(For) any event, Her Majesty will definitely be on the ground to monitor our work. She is like a mother, always guiding and advising, (and this spurs us to) give the same commitment as Her Majesty to our jobs,” she added.
"Now that Her Majesty is leaving us, we all are very sad. We will miss her.
"We thank Her Majesty who never hesitated to share her knowledge, and for the guidance and lessons we received during her five-year stay at Istana Negara," she said.
The Raja Permaisuri Agong will return to Pahang with Al-Sultan Abdullah, whose five-year reign ends on Tuesday (Jan 30). – Bernama
