Kuala Lumpur: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, King and Queen of Malaysia, today graced a Royal Tea Reception at Istana Negara in conjunction with His Majesty's official birthday celebration. The event was hosted at the Main Banquet Hall and saw the attendance of the royal couple's children, including Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar, Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tunku Putera Johor Tunku Abu Bakar, as well as Tunku Tun Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah and her husband, Datuk Dennis Muhammad Abdullah.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the event, which began at 3 pm, was attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. The reception drew approximately 1,200 guests, comprising Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, foreign envoys, and heads of government departments.
Notable attendees included Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and his wife Datin Azrina Puteri Mohamed Mahyuddin, alongside the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and his wife Datin Nik Noralhuda Nik Mohamed. The guest list also featured leaders of the Orang Asli community, distinguished educators, national Olympic and Paralympic athletes, retired police and military personnel, national artists, and students set to pursue higher education at prestigious institutions like Harvard University.
During the reception, a video presentation of the recent Federal Awards and Honours Ceremony, held on Monday at Istana Negara, was screened. This was accompanied by an orchestral performance by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) orchestra. Upon the arrival of Their Majesties at the banquet hall, the national anthem Negaraku was played, followed by a prayer recital.
The reception concluded with a symbolic cake-cutting ceremony featuring a replica of the Istana Negara arch, officiated by His Majesty. Following the event, Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah took time to greet and mingle with guests, posing for photographs and exchanging well wishes.