AT YESTERDAY'S STATE AWARD PRESENTATION CEREMONY

After telling her that this may be our last visit to the State's Award Presentation ceremony in Pekan Palace she finally agreed to accompany me.

Of course, like any other ladies around, she needed a brand new Baju Kurung and matching head scarf and shoes for the royal occasion. She got it all, courtesy to my extra generosity..ha ha

So that morning off we went to Palace Pekan. We arrived just in time to find our seats. We were seated in the first and second chairs of row 6 left.

Before we were allowed in of course we had to undergo a screening for fever. We were healthy, no fever and off we were whisked off into the palace hall (balairung seri).

My wife was cmplaining of the extra strong airconditoner's fan. It gave her the chill. I was fine, the temperature was just nice.

His Majesty The Regent would be presenting the awards. There were all together 57 receiving DIMP. Dr Soeraya's nama was not there. May be she will receive it in the next function (I heard that may be it will be in April).

Malek Nor, our famous body builder and sumo wrestler received his DIMP from the Regent. Ella, the rock queen, was awarded SMP.

The quiet hall was buzzing with sighs of unsatisfaction when a recipient made a huge blunder just after he received his Dato'ship.

He turned his back on the Regent and walked straight to the line-up with his back facing The Regent - a big no no as far as the Royals is concerned.

It is considered very rude. I wonder what ever happened during rehearsals the day before.

A man next to my wife sarcastically said that the act was surely a sign of rudeness, not respecting the Royal as he should be.

Others who received DIMP were my friend the Director of Fishery, Manager Fraser Hill Development Corporation, Forestry Deputy Director General. An aging retired police officer surprised everybody when he also received his DIMP.

After luncheon, we all went to meet and shake hands with the Regent and the Princess. My wife was very excited talking and hugging Dato' Tan's wife. They were very close even though they rarely met.

Just before we left the Palace, Hasnan told us that Hadi's father had just passed away. He was eighty. We paid a visit to Hadi's house to pay our last respect to his father.

We were a bit late. The burial had just been completed before we arrived.

Time travelled so fast that come to think of it, it has been over a year since I received my DIMP. I wonder if I will still be invited to the Palace after my retirement.