Al-Sultan Abdullah with his sons (from left) Tengku Amir, Tengku Hassanal, and Tengku Ahmad at KM0 in Telok Melano. – Photo by Roystein Emmor

KUCHING (Sept 13): The small fishing village of Kampung Telok Melano in Sematan, Lundu, had a day for the ages today when Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah visited KM0 of the Pan Borneo Highway.

Thousands thronged the area surrounding the KM0 arch and makeshift stage where His Majesty and state leaders posed for photographs around 12.45pm to mark the last stop of the 11-day Royal ‘Kembara Kenali Borneo’.

After visiting the sales booths set up at the KM0 roundabout, Al-Sultan Abdullah proceeded to the podium set up near a new mosque project site to perform the groundbreaking and sign a plaque to mark his visit to the village.

Among the VIPs in attendance were Acting Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusuf, and State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki.

After the programme at Telok Melano, His Majesty and sons, Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, Tengku Panglima Raja Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim, and Tengku Ahmad Ismail Mu’adzam Shah, returned to Kuching by road before flying back to Kuala Lumpur.

KM0 is part of the Pan Borneo Highway built by the federal government.

The ‘Kembara Kenali Borneo’ tour, which was inspired by His Majesty, began in Tawau, Sabah, on Sept 3 and covered a distance of 2,154km.