KUCHING: It was a significant day for India Street Pedestrian Mall and this city in general when for the first time in its history it was visited by the Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong yesterday.
In preparation for the visit of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ra’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah the mall was beautifully decorated with a festive theme displaying lots of national and state flags, and replicas of “ketupat” and “bunga ranyai”.
The place was pregnant with excitement long before the royal couple arrived about 4.30pm, and the street tenants were clearly expectant and curious.
Their majesties spent more than an hour at the mall walking the covered pavement and looking at various types of merchandise ranging from food items to handicraft, clothes, kitchen utensils, and hardware to books.
They also made brief stops at a shop selling baking ingredients, a coffee shop where they had refreshments, a fabric shop and a retail shop.
The King and Queen were also given gifts in the form of the famous Sarawak layered cakes, fabric from Datuk Wee Hong Seng (who is the president of India Street pedestrian mall committee), and mugs painted with motifs.
Their majesties were accompanied by State Legislative Assembly speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nasar and wife Datin Fatimah Iskandar; Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and his wife Datin Zuraina Abu Jabar; State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani, and Federal Secretary Datuk Mansor Man.
As for their proposed visit to Kuching Waterfront it was postponed due to heavy rain.
The royal couple is in the city on a two-day working visit which ends today.
