Fahmi commends media for coverage of send-off ceremony

KUALA LUMPUR: The media coverage of all events for the ceremonial send-off of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong was comprehensive and very good, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said the coverage by mainstream and alternative media, as well as the use of social media platforms, helped showcase the uniqueness of the ceremonies and the Constitutional Monarchy system practised in the country.

He said the role of the media is important to widely disseminate important and historic events to the world.

“I am very satisfied and impressed by the efforts of our media partners to cover the ceremonial sending off of the (16th) Yang di-Pertuan Agong ... we celebrate the Constitutional Monarchy system.

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“I believe we (the media) succeeded in playing our respective roles in the mainstream and alternative media, and we even saw various content on social media (regarding the sending off ceremony) ... well done and thank you media,” he said at Parliament Square yesterday.

He said this when met after the sending-off ceremony to mark the end of the reign of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

Earlier, Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah went to Parliament Square for the official send-off ceremony.

The Royal couple was greeted on arrival by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as well as Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof with their respective spouses.

Also present were Members of Parliament and the Senate, as well as representatives of the foreign diplomatic corps, Bernama reported.

Meanwhile, France Ambassador to Malaysia Axel Cruau described the sending-off ceremony held for Sultan Abdullah as “a grand ceremony with a lot of grandeur and emotion”.

“It was so great to see such a ceremony for the King (Sultan Abdullah), a great king who did a lot for Malaysia and also the French–Malaysian relationship.

“It was so nice of His Majesty to also greet us and exchange a few words, and we hope to see Al-Sultan Abdullah again in France as a Sultan. And now we are waiting for the next king to come and we are eager to meet and work with His Majesty for the benefit of the country,” he said.

The sending-off ceremony of Their Majesties was held at several locations, starting from Istana Negara, Parliament Square and Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah boarded a plane back to Pahang.