Excitement builds over Agong’s Lutong visit

MIRI: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al -Sultan Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah are due for their Kembara Kenali Borneo tour from Sept 7 to 13.
The Agong’s convoy will travel 1,198 kilometres, starting from the north to the tip of southern Sarawak, spanning the Merapok Immigration ,Customs and Quarantine (ICQ) entry point in Lawas right down to Telok Melano.
Their Majesties and entourage will be in Brunei for three days from Sept 7 to 9 before arriving in Miri to continue the tour in Sarawak.
One of the royal’s couple stopovers while in Miri will be Masjid An Naim in Lutong on Sept 9. 
A check by the New Sarawak Tribune with the mosque on Saturday indicated that the mosque committee members would be carrying out a gotong-royong programme to clean the mosque grounds on Sunday (Sept 3) ahead of the Agong’s visit.
The mosque stands next to the Good Shepherd Church both of which have been sharing car parks for the use of their congregants over the past 50 years.
In doing so these two places of worship have been demonstrating the special multi-racial bond of people of all faiths in Sarawak.
The monarch’s visit to this mosque is therefore expected to be historic according to local residents some of whom New Sarawak Tribune spoke to:
Zaranah Zawawi, in her 50s
It would be a memorable moment for residents living near the mosque, as they would be able to greet the royal couple face-to-face. It something that very rarely happens.
Fatimah, a housewife in her 50s.
I was excited when I heard about the Agong and Permaisuri Agong’s visit to the mosque on Sept 9 and I hope to shake their hands during the visit. 
Wiyvy Kartina, 38, a private sector staff, from Kampung Pengkalan Lutong
I certainly will not miss the chance to see the monarch on that day….it’s the first of its kind trip by the royal couple. 
Jenah Saib, a housewife, 59, also a resident in Kampung Pengkalan Lutong
Its a once-in- a-lifetime moment to see our monarch coming here, I will not miss the chance to meet the royal couple. 
Rapiq Ibrahim, 34, a resident of Kampung Pengkalan Lutong 
I was surprised when one of my friends told me about the monarch’s visit to Lutong and the mosque. At first I thought he was joking ….I will not miss the chance of meeting the royal couple.