Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Arif Temenggong Tengku Fahad Sultan Ahmad Shah and his mother DYMM Sultanah Kalsom of Pahang at Cipriani restaurant in London on 24 December 2011
Kee Hua Chee with Tengku Arif Temenggong Pahang who towers over him
HRH Sultanah Kalsom of Pahang, Dato Nancy Yeoh (a Pahang Dato) and Alexander Quay
Kee Hua Chee in one of his famous self-portrait shirts and Her Royal Highness Sultanah Kalsom of Pahang. I love Her Royal Highness' red croc bag!
IT FELT LIKE YESTERDAY BUT IT WAS ON 24 DECEMBER 2011 ON CHRISTMAS EVE THAT HER ROYAL HIGHNESS SULTANAH HAJJAH KALSOM, TEH SULTANAH OF PAHANG, KINDLY INVITED ME AND DATO NANCY YEOH AND HER 8 YEAR OLD SON ALEXANDER QUAI TO A FABULOUS AND FRIGHTFULLY EXPENSIVE LUNCH IN LONDON.
Cipriani is one of London's finest, classiest and priciest restaurants and worthy of a Sultanah. The service was superb and cuisine flawless and it was all Dato Nancy, Alex and I could do but stagger home after a sumptuous lunch.
Ever the gracious hostess, HRH Sultanah Kalsom asked we selected what we wanted but banned us from ordering Coca Cola. "The sugar content is too high for most of us to handle and our health must come first", she advised.
Her Royal Highness arrived with her only child Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Arif Temenggong Tengku Fahad Sultan Ahmad Shah, the 18 year old youngest son of the Sultan of Pahang. Tall, fair and handsome to a fault, the Tengku Temenggong is already touted as the youngest, most handsome, teenage prince in all Malaysia!
Despite his age, Tengku Fahad is extremely articulate, regal and debonair, with a cool, cutting edge air about him. I predict he will marry into European royalty.
Also present was Tengku Kaiyisah, granddaughter of Sultan of Pahang and daughter of Tengku Aishah. She is involved in Tengku Temenggong Initiatives, the operating arm of Sultan Ahmad Shah Environment Trust under the patronage of the Sultan of Pahang. Dato Aida Jusuf is Operational Director of Sultan Ahmad Shah Environmental Trust and Temenggong Initiative Sdn Bhd.
On the agenda was a brief discussion of the unique and one of a kind party called the 1881 Party. I have never heard of such an unique event as this 1881 party was to celebrate the ages of son and father---Tengku Temenggong is 18 and his father Sultan Pahang is 81!
Beamed Sultanah Kalsom with justifiable pride. "How many families can claim to be able to celebrate such an auspicious and momentous event?"
The 1881 celebration was held in March 2012 in London.
We must thank God for granting His Royal Highness a long, happy and healthy life blessed with 3 princes and 5 princesses. His loving children are Tengku Meriam, Tengku Muhaini, Tengku Aishah, Tengku Abdullah the Crown Prince, Tengku Abdul Rahman (Tengku Muda), Tengku Nong Fatimah, Tengku Shahariah and of course Tengku Fahad who is Tengku Temenggong.
HRH Sultan Ahmad Shah married Sultanah Kalsom on 14 March 1991 who became Cik Puan Kalsom. On 30 September 1992 she was elevated to Sultanah Pahang and became Her Royal Highness. The Sultan of Pahang's first wife, Tengku Ampuan Pahang Tengku Afzan Tengku Panglima Perang Muhammad, a member of Trengganu royalty, passed away on 29 June 1988. Tengku Fahad the Tengku Temenggong is Sultanah Kalsom's only child.
Her Royal Highness Sultanah Kalsom has used her royal privileges, power and prerogative to promote the welfare of the poor. Her name is synonymous with charitable good works.
Her Royal Highness is Patron of Yayasan Seri Kencana Kalsom, OrphanCARE, Soroptimist Club of Kuantan and Kiwanis Club of Kuantan. She is also an Honorary Member of the ultra exclusive The Sorority based in London for inspirational, professional women who are both successful and charity/environmental minded.
In recognition of Sultanah Kalsom's unwavering charitable works, exceptional dedication to the throne and promotion of societal advancement, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology bestowed the Honorary Doctorate of Social Development. The award was presented by the Founder and President of Limkokwing University Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato Sri Lim Kok Wing on 22 December 2010.
Sultanah Kalsom also consented to be Chancellor of Limkokwing University on the same day and signed a plaque to commemorate this auspicious occasion as the first Chancellor of Limkokwing University which has over 30,000 students from 150 countries in its 12 campuses in Cyberjaya, United Kingdom, China, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, Cambodia and Indonesia.
Sultanah Kalsom is the co-founder of Sultan Ahmad Shah Environmental Trust with her son Tengku Fahad. A foundation founded by mother and son under the royal patronage of husband and son! How unique is that? As unique and unusual as the 1881 party!
Explained Tengku Temenggong, "It was 3 years ago when some friends from England visited me in Pahang. Of course I wanted to show them the rainforests of Pahang which has the world's oldest, continuous jungles. As we trekked and kayaked on the rivers and tributaries, we were awestruck by the majesty and natural beauty of Nature. We assumed all these would remain intact forever but nothing is guaranteed. I wanted to ensure not only are these vast tracts of jungles would be here for our children's children but for all the children to come.
"Slowly the idea of an environment trust came to mind. I discussed this with my mother who leaped at the idea. My father thought it was a brilliant idea as Pahang is the biggest state in peninsular Malaysia which is heavily forested and we should take the lead in helping preserve and conserve the environment."
Slowly the vision of a trust named in honour of the 5th Sultan of modern Pahang began to gel. And with it the operating arm called Temenggong Initiative Sdn Bhd that would be responsible for the day to day running.
Ideas flowed fast as we ate lunch.
The most important was the date due to the puasa month of Ramadhan so it had to be before 20 July or after 20 August.
Dato Nancy Yeoh suggested the launch of Sultan Ahmad Shah Environmental Trust (SASET) should be in London and rattled off some of the most illustrious names of the land including HRH Prince Charles who is a serious environmentalists and responsible for saving and harnessing arable land. Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge could also make an appearance since this is for a good cause.
Dato Nancy Yeoh said St Pancreas Renaissance London Hotel would be ideal as she and I had been there and the vast, high ceilinged halls had immense potential for dramatic staging of shows.
I said maybe Dorchester hotel which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei and we could hope for special rates and Sultanah Kalsom could invite the Brunei Sultan for the event.
Tengku Fahad preferred his home state of Pahang as the logistics would be easier though he agreed Kuala Lumpur would be more suitable. Finding accommodation for 700 guests in Pekan and even Kuantan would be a formidable task! Expecting guests residing in KL to drive or fly to Kuantan is another issue!
Persuading guests, even though money is the least of the problem, to fly further afield to London is even more hazardous. While it is fine and dandy to have a British or cosmopolitan guest list, the royals felt it was better to have Malaysian guests in KL who feel strongly about local conservation.
Mother and son were keen to show the world Malaysians were sincere about saving their natural environment on their own and on their own accord.
Said Sultanah Kalsom, "We cannot expect foreigners to be too passionate about saving Malaysian environment and we should the first to do something. If we launch SASET in Malaysia, we can take it from there and work with international organisations in the near future."
Very true. Charity begins at home and the turnout of some 700 mainly Malaysian guests on 17 July 2012 at Mandarin Oriental Ballroom would warm the heart of any conservationist.
And so the Sultan Ahmad Shah Environmental Trust was inaugurated with great pomp and splendour in true Malaysian style in the Malaysian capital.
The evening was graced by His Royal Highness Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Sultan Abu Bakar, the 5th Sultan of Pahang and 7th King of Malaysia and Her Royal Highness Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom. The entire royal House of Pahang were in attendance, led by HH the Crown Prince of Pahang Tengku Abdullah and Crown Princess Tengku Puan Pahang Tunku Azizah and all the princes and princesses including their children, representing the next generation of royals!
Sales of tickets, auctioned items and private donations raised around RM 2 million and a surprise RM 1 million from the Malaysian government was announced an hour before the evening ended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to rapturous cheers.
18 year old Tengku Arif Temenggong Tengku Fahad Sultan Ahmad Shah, the patron of Temenggong Initiative Sdn Bhd
Tall, handsome and intelligent, Tengku Fahad studies at Eton, the world's best public school
Kee Hua Chee and Tengku Arif Temenggong Pahang
Tengku Temenggong is the apple of his mother's eye though I bet many other admiring eyes are on him too
HRH Sultanah Kalsom, Dato Nancy Yeoh and Alexander Quay
Kee Hua Chee with HRH Sultanah Kalsom of Pahang
Kee Hua Chee and HRH Sultanah Kalsom who invited us for lunch at Cipriani, one of the best Italian restaurants in London on Christmas Eve 2011.
END OF PART 1
This is a great move for our environment most especially coming from very powerful and influential people.
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