| Aziz Idris and Abdul Hakiim Yakof |
TRADERS and visitors at the refurbished Pasar Pelbagai Barangan in Gadong received an unscheduled visit by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam last night.
His Majesty, who arrived at about 8.30pm, spent a full hour mingling with vendors and visitors who were awestruck at the monarch’s surprise visit.
The high-roofing of the night market provided ample cover to deter the light rainfall last night.
Upon arrival, His Majesty was greeted by a crowd of people who were thronging the busy market hunting for their favourite local delicacies.
The ruler walked through the spacious alleyways, passing by the vendors who expressed gratitude to His Majesty for reviving the night market in Gadong.
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, during the surprise visit to the refurbished Pasar Pelbagai Barangan in Gadong
Photos above and below show His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, during the surprise visit to the refurbished Pasar Pelbagai Barangan in Gadong. – PHOTOS: AZROL AZMI
This justifies His Majesty’s image as “the people’s monarch” for being on the ground together with his people and listening to any grievances expressed, said Muizzuddin, co-founder of Street Waffles (SWE).
“We could not believe that we had the chance to meet His Majesty in person and have a face-to-face conversation,” he added.
He was one of the 16 young entrepreneurs who were granted with the Micro-Credit Scheme, an initiative by DARE (Darussalam Enterprise).
Muizzuddin also received a unique gift as a memento when His Majesty signed on his menu cover. The menu is now proudly placed at his stall where he described it as a “royal blessing”.
Meanwhile, Estonian tourists, Riina Vello and Agne Tsääro, happened to be at the right place and the right time when they got the rare opportunity to take photos with the monarch.
“It is our first time in Brunei and it is very clean here and the people are very polite and helpful. We visited the Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque in the capital as well as Kampong Ayer today. Our encounter with His Majesty just made our trip to Brunei more worthwhile,” they said.
They added that they will be visiting Ulu Temburong the next day before they continue their tour to Kuching, Sarawak and the rest of Borneo.
The project shows His Majesty’s concern for the vendors at the popular night market and the monarch’s commitment to resolving the problems faced by the hard-working men and women who have been keeping the market appealing to visitors near and far.
The new Pasar Pelbagai Barangan Gadong has taken into account the needs of vendors and visitors with ample parking space, high-roof ceilings, smoke ventilation system, spacious alleyways, prayer hall and other amenities including fire preventions, routine maintenance and hygiene control.
The Pasar Pelbagai Barangan was officially launched on Thursday by Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The refurbishment of the market was done under the Julangan Titah Project, an initiative of the Office of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
The post His Majesty makes surprise visit to new Gadong market appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.