KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, King and Queen of Malaysia, graced a Royal Tea Reception at Istana Negara on Wednesday (June 4) in conjunction with His Majesty's official birthday celebration.
The event, hosted at the Main Banquet Hall, was attended by the royal couple's children, Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar, Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tunku Putera Johor Tunku Abu Bakar, as well as Tunku Tun Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah and her husband, Datuk Dennis Muhammad Abdullah.
The event, which started at 3pm, was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, along with around 1,200 guests, including Cabinet ministers, MPs, foreign envoys, and heads of government departments.
Also in attendance were Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and his wife Datin Azrina Puteri Mohamed Mahyuddin, as well as the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and his wife Datin Nik Noralhuda Nik Mohamed.
Distinguished guests included Orang Asli community leaders, outstanding educators, national Olympic and Paralympic athletes, retired police and military personnel, national artists as well as students set to pursue higher education at leading institutions, including Harvard University.
A video presentation of the recent Federal Awards and Honours Ceremony, held on Monday (June 2) at Istana Negara, was screened during the event, accompanied by an orchestral performance by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) orchestra.
Earlier, upon Their Majesties' arrival at the banquet hall, the national anthem Negaraku was played, followed by a prayer recital.
The reception concluded with a symbolic cake-cutting ceremony featuring a replica of the Istana Negara arch, officiated by His Majesty.
Following the event, Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah took time to greet and mingle with guests, posing for photographs and exchanging well wishes. - Bernama
