SEPANG: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has departed for Abu Dhabi to pay his last respects to United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan who died on Friday (May 13).

       The special aircraft carrying His Majesty departed from the Bunga Raya Complex at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here at about 4.20pm Sunday (May 15).

       Sultan Abdullah was accompanied by Comptroller of the Royal Household for Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, Foreign Ministry Chief of Protocol Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah and Chief Protocol Officer of the Malaysian Government Datuk Rozainor Ramli.

       Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar and Prime Minister’s Department senior deputy secretary-general Datuk Sollehuddin Alyubi Zakaria were present to bid farewell to His Majesty.

       Prior to his departure, Sultan Abdullah went through the guard-of-honour mounted by the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment consisting of two officers and 26 personnel.

       The ceremony for paying last respects to Sheikh Khalifa is being held for three days from yesterday until May 16.

       Malaysia and UAE have close and friendly bilateral relations at various levels, including between the leaders of the two countries and their fellow citizens.

       On Saturday (May 14), Sultan Abdullah gave his consent for the personal flag of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to be flown at half-mast at Istana Negara for five consecutive days to signify His Majesty’s mourning over the passing of Sheikh Khalifa. - Bernama