Norfaezah showing photos of Sultan Ibrahim during his visit to the restaurant
WHAT was supposed to be just another day turned out to be one of the most memorable days in Norfaezah Borhan’s life as she received an unexpected visit from a special guest, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
Recalling the moment from five years ago, Norfaezah, 37, said she was out buying some stuff for her restaurant when she received a call from one of her employees about His Majesty’s visit.
“I was shocked when my worker told me His Majesty was at my restaurant. As soon as I ended the call, I rushed back to my restaurant to personally welcome His Majesty.
“It was such a special moment. I was very nervous, but at the same time, I was also extremely excited as it had been a dream of mine to someday meet His Majesty in person.
Abdul Rahim holding up a framed photo of his late father Salahuddin Shamsul and sister Tahzibun Nisa with Sultan Ibrahim during his Majesty’s surprise visit to the shop located in Jalan Dhoby on Jan 1, 2016. — THOMAS YONG ?THE STAR
“As a child, I used to wait anxiously to have a glimpse of His Majesty during his annual Kembara Mahkota tour.
“I never thought that I would someday be able to not only talk to His Majesty in person but also serve him food,” she said.
She said that His Majesty was on his way to Mersing when he dropped by her restaurant at the Midway R&R Dusun Panti, which is located along the road between Kota Tinggi and Mersing.
“His Majesty’s first visit here was in November 2020, when the Covid-19 movement control order was relaxed to allow dine-in. Since then, this place has become a regular stop for His Majesty every time he visits the palace in Mersing. The last time His Majesty dropped by was about a year ago,” she said.
The mother of three said His Majesty’s favourite dish from the restaurant was traditional ‘lontong’, which she later named ‘Lontong Mahkota’.
“His Majesty prefers simple local dishes such as ‘Asam Pedas Ikan Baung’ and ‘sayur lemak’. He will also always ask for extra ‘sambal kacang’ to go with his food,” she said.
She added that His Majesty was a very friendly and down-to-earth person.
Sultan Ibrahim trying his hands at making murukku while Geeva’s late father Navamoney (left) cheers for his Majesty.
“Each time His Majesty comes here, he will ask me and my workers how we are. His Majesty is a very caring person.
“I am sure that as the King of Malaysia, His Majesty will take very good care of the people,” she said.
For baker Salahuddin Shamsul, it was a very proud moment when he met His Majesty for the first time in 2016. Salahuddin’s son Abdul Rahim said his late father was both delighted and nervous when the unexpected royal guest showed up at the bakery in Jalan Dhoby, Johor Baru.
“Prior to the Ruler’s visit on Jan 1, 2016, His Majesty’s officers had often bought baked goods from my father, such as his popular lamb curry puffs.
“We were told that the Sultan and the royal family often enjoyed them for breakfast or tea. This made my family, especially my father, proud as his products made it into the palace,” he said.
Abdul Rahim said that during the royal visit, Sultan Ibrahim stayed for about five to 10 minutes before visiting other businesses along the road, which was dotted with shops and hip cafes housed in old buildings that had remained intact over the decades.
“I was not around at the time so I missed my chance of meeting His Majesty. Only my younger sister Tahzibun Nisa was with our father then... It is one of her most cherished memories as our father passed away last year.
“Sultan Ibrahim was kind enough to pose with them for photos, which we hung in our shop among photos of other well-known people who visited our shop,” he added.
Abdul Rahim, 36, said the business was passed down to him officially in 2012, making him the fourth-generation owner after his great-grandfather opened the shop in 1937.
He said he had been helping out at the 87-year-old bakery since he was seven years old, learning the ropes of running a bakery from his father.
“However, it was not my plan to become a baker. I graduated from university with a degree in software engineering.
“In 2012, while I was undergoing my internship, my father’s health deteriorated so I decided to come back and help him even though he did not push me to.
“I never regretted it because it is an honour to keep my family’s legacy alive. I have a young son and I hope that one day, the business can be passed down to him for the fifth generation,” he said.
Abdul Rahim said he is currently assisted by his sisters and they have stayed true to their family’s recipe to maintain the quality and taste.
“We still use a wood-fired oven until today to bake our items such as bread and pastries. The wood is burnt at night for at least eight hours and when the oven starts to cool, that is when our baking process starts.
“My father only made some adjustments to the baking time as my great-grandfather and grandfather both fired up their ovens in the morning.
“My father changed it the other way round to have freshly-made bread and pastries ready for our customers starting 9am daily,” he said, adding that their items are usually sold out by 4pm.
Similarly, N. Geeva, 43, was thankful to His Majesty for making his late father, C. Navamoney, a happy man by visiting their murukku stall in Kluang some 14 years ago.
Geeva said His Majesty was at their stall for almost 30 minutes during his visit to Kluang in conjunction with Kembara Mahkota Johor in 2010.
“We, along with other businesses from Kluang’s Little India, set up stalls near our shops for His Majesty during Kembara Mahkota Johor.
“When His Majesty stopped by our stall, he unexpectedly told my late father that he wanted to try his hands at making the murukku.
“That made my father very happy and excited. It was such an honour to have the Sultan of Johor making the murukku at our stall. We were impressed at how well His Majesty was able to shape the murukku.
“His Majesty also took some time to chat with us and others at the stall during the visit. I find His Majesty to be a very friendly and warm-hearted person,” he said, adding that he, his mother, and his sister were also there.
Geeva, who is the third-generation owner of the murukku shop, said he was very thankful to His Majesty for giving such a special moment to his family, especially his father, who passed away due to Covid-19 in 2021.
“That visit was very special for my late father. He proudly put up a framed photo of the Sultan’s visit in our shop.
“Every time he met someone new, he told the person all about His Majesty’s visit with great enthusiasm and even showed all the photos.
“I will be forever grateful to His Majesty for granting my late father such a special moment during his lifetime.
“I am sure that if my father is still alive today, he would have been very proud to know that His Majesty has become the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said.
