KUANTAN: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah presented donations to 127 tithe recipients and orphans from the district at a ceremony at Taman Pengasih Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah here.

Sultan Abdullah arrived at the welfare home at 5.40pm Friday (April 29) accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah and the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah.

Also present were Tengku Arif Bendahara Tengku Muhammad Iskandar Ri’ayatuddin Shah, Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Afzan Aminah Hafizatullah, Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Ilisha Ameera and Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Ilyana.

Their Majesties, who spent almost 30 minutes meeting the recipients and wishing them “Selamat Hari Raya”, urged everyone to be careful on the roads and reminded the recipients to spend the money received wisely.

Apart from cash donations, the recipients, comprising 50 asnaf (eligible tithe recipients) and the rest from Nur Iman Orphanage, Permata Insyirah Orphanage and Al-Sultan Abdullah Foundation Academy-Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (YASA-MUIP) also received food baskets.

Meanwhile, Lim Sau Jhiek, 42, who converted to Islam almost a year ago, said she was surprised to receive the donation and would use the money to buy Raya clothes for her daughter, aged eight.

“I have not made any preparations because I was laid off a month ago … apart from cash, I also received kitchen essentials which really helped ease my burden before getting another job,” she said.

Another convert, Mohd Ridzwan Wong, 67, said the donation was a very valuable gift to him as he could only earn a meagre income collecting and selling recycled items such as boxes and scrap metal.

Mohd Ridzwan said the money would be used to buy his family’s daily needs as his wife is unemployed and he also has to take care of the needs of his two children, one of whom is a person with disabilities.

For Suhana Sulaiman, 39, the donation will be shared among her family members in Felda Keratong Rompin to prepare for Hari Raya.

Muhammad Jamil Muhammad, 13, intends to put aside the cash for future use while the kitchen essentials he received would be given to his mother when he returns home this Sunday. – Bernama