PART 1----REHEARSAL AT ISTANA ABU BAKAR ON FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER 2014 IN THE ROYAL TOWN OF PEKAN IN PAHANG FOR RECIPIENTS OF DATOSHIPS THE NEXT MORNING ON SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER 2014. THE ROYAL INVESTITURE WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 84th BIRTHDAY OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS SULTAN AHMAD SHAH SULTAN ABU BAKAR THE SULTAN OF PAHANG

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
All new, soon to be appointed Datos, Dato Sri and recipients of state awards had to be at Istana Abu Bakar by 8 am in the royal town of Pekan, 45 minutes drive from state capital Kuantan.

Being so kiasu I was there by 7 am and enjoyed the early morning sun lighting up the palace named after the father of the reigning Sultan of Pahang.

Protocol was strict as the letter from Dato Toantowee bin Haji Mohd Loftie  the Pahang State Secretary stated clearly all awardees would not be allowed to enter Balairung Seri (Throne Hall) if they fail to adhere to the rules. In which case it would be impossible to receive the Datoship or the smaller awards!

Under no conditions were we allowed to wear yellow which is the prerogative of the Sultan, Sultanah and the Royal Family of Pahang. An all white suit was also forbidden as that constitures mourning.

During the rehearsal, Malays were told to wear the Malay national costume with sampin, songkok  black shoes and black stockings. During the investiture the keris must be worn tucked inside the sampin wrapped round the waist. Instead of songkok, Malay men must wear the traditional headgear or tanjak. And even this tengkolok must be styled in the Pahang manner as every state has a different tanjak and at a glance, one can tell where the wearer is from!

Non-Malays had to wear black lounge suit, white long sleeved shirt, tie, songkok, black socks and black shoes.

Women had to wear a 2-piece loose fitting, long dress with long shawl. Trousers or pant suits are forbidden.

I was given the once-over and told to trim my hair! I protested it took me 2 years and a compromise was reached---I had to gel them tomorrow during the actual investiture and tucked them neatly into my collar!

Even Dato Tiffanee Lim, vice-prez of Limkokwing University, was told she could not enter as she was wearing a 1-piece caftan instead of a 2-piece outfit of long loose blouse and long skirt! Lucky she came with Dato Aida Jusof who was correctly garbed so they swopped dresses!

The Chief Protocol officer also advised men to wear simple black shoes and not the 'kasut buaya' or 'crocodile shoes' which are elongated with sharp, pointy toes. 

This was because all awardees had to walk up one step on the royal dias where the Sultan or Crown Prince would bestow the sash and meda. This step was not wide and recipients had been known to nearly topple backwards!

Women were asked to wear low, comfortable heels but not slip-ons or slippers however stylish. This is to prevent ladies from stepping down and backwards and leaving one slipper on the step!

Such antics would doubtless provide much amusememnt and ill-concealed peals of laughter from the audience and the perpetrators would hardly see the funny side of it!

THE ENTRANCE OF ISTANA ABU BAKAR

THE ELEPHANT TUSKS CONFRONTING EACH OTHER IS A OAHANG SYMBOL

ROYAL PAHANG POLO CLUB

ISTANA ABU BAKAR

ENCIK KEE HUA CHEE DUE TO RECEIVE HIS D.I.M.P THE NEXT DAY ON 25  OCTIBER 2014 AND BECOME A DATO!

COLIN LIM

ENCIK KEE HUA CHEE

BUT WILL BE DATO IN 24 HOURS

BELOW ARE IMAGES OF ISTANA ABU BAKAR IN PEKAN, PAHANG

LUSH

GRAND

MAJESTIC

ENCIK KEE HUA CHEE IN FRONT OF BALAIRUNG SERI WHERE THE REHEARSAL WAS HELD AND ALSO THE INVESTITURE THE NEXT MORNING

ENCIK KEE HUA CHEE'S NAME WAS ON THE LIST!

SO WAS CIK TIFFANEE MARIE LIM!

ANOTHER LOOK JUST TO RECONFIRM

BALAIRUNG SERI OR THRONE HALL

LOVELY STAR SHAPED POOLS AND FOUNTAINS

IMPRESSIVE

BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED FOLIAGE CORNERS

COLIN LIM

ENCIK KEE HUA CHEE

BALAIRUNG SERI OR THRONE HALL

MAJESTIC

IMPOSING

ENCIK KEE HUA CHEE IN FRONT OF THE THRONES  OF THE SULTAN OF PAHANG, SULTANAH OF PAHANG, CROWN PRINCE AND CROWN PRINCESS OF PAHANG

THE THRONES ON ELEVATED STAND OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE SULTAN AND HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE SULTANAH OF PAHANG

THE SINGGAHSANA OR THRONES OF THE REIGNINING SULTAN AND SULTANAH

NEXT TO THE THRONES ARE THOSE OF THE CROWN PRINCE AND CROWN PRINCESS

KEE HUA CHEE

STILL TITLELESS KEE HUA CHEE

COLIN LIM

KEE HUA CHEE AND AZRENE ABDULLAH

SOON TO BE DATO KEE HUA CHEE AND DATUK SERI AZRENE ABDULLAH

AZRENE ABDULLAH IS DAUGHTER IN LAW OF TUN AHMAD ABDULLAH BADAWI OUR EX PRIME MINISTER

REGISTERING THEIR NAMES

CHECKING THEIR SEATS

CHECKING THE SEATING ARRANGEMENT

ALL SORTED

KEE HUA CHEE AND COLIN LIM

LOOKING ELEGANT

WELL DRESSED

MALAY AND WESTERN ATTIRE

ENJOYING BREAKFAST IN DEWAN MULIA BEFORE THE REHEARSAL

COLIN LIM

OLD FRIENDS FROM LONDON DAYS

DAULAT TUANKU!

GRAND DINING HALL IN PALACE

PREPARATION FOR BIG DAY TOMORROW

MAJESTIC

THE SPECTACULAR ROYAL ENCLOSURE RESERVED FOR THE SULTAN AND SULTANAH AND ROYAL FAMILY AS VIPS

THIS WAS MY NAME CARD AFFIXED TO BACK OF MY CHAIR 

I WAS ENCIK UNTIL 11.11 AM ON 25 OCTOBER 2014!

TAKING THEIR SEATS IN BALAIRUNG SERI OR ROYAL THRONE HALL

COLIN LIM AND KEE HUA CHEE

COLIN LIM AND KEE HUA CHEE

COLIN LIM AND KEE HUA CHEE

EACH WAS ALLOCATED A SEAT FOR 24 AND 25 OCTOBER 2014

HAPPY BUT ONE MUCH HAPPIER THAN THE OTHER

THE ROYAL THRONES FOR THE ROYAL COUPLE AND CROWN PRINCE AND CROWN PRINCESS FOR LUNCH AND DINNER IN DEWAN MULIA

PORTRAITS OF THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES

REGAL

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE SULTAN OF PAHANG

SIMPLY MAJESTIC AND GRAND

FIT FOR A SULTAN

FIT FOR A SULTAN

ROYAL CHOIR REHEARSING

THEY WOULD BE SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THEIR RULER THE NEXT DAY ON 25 OCTOBER 2014

PRACTISING

IMPRESSIVE

THIS IS WHERE ENCIK KEE HUA CHEE WOULD BE DATO KEE HUA CHEE ON 25 OCTOBER 2014!

PORTRAITS OF SULTANS AND THEIR      CONSORTS OVER THE DECADES FROM 19TH TO 21ST CENTURY

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE REIGNING SULTAN OF PAHANG, KEBAWAH DULI YANG MAHA MULIA SULTAN AHMAD SHAH SULTAN ABU BAKAR

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE LATE TENGKU AMPUAN AFZAH WHO PASSED AWAY IN 1988

THRONE HALL

THE MAGNIFICENT THRONE HALL OF ISTANA ABU BAKAR IN PEKAN, PAHANG

ENCIK KEE HUA CHEE WITH HIS TRUSTY BROOKS BAG AVAILABLE AT LORD'S TAILOR AT PAVILION KL

ENCIK KEE HUA CHEE AND HIS BROOKS BAG

LOOKING DEBONAIR

STYLISH

CLASSIC