KOTA BARU, Sept 28 — Kelantan civil servants and members of the public will observe a 40-day mourning period following the passing away of the former Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Ismail Petra Almarhum Sultan Yahya Petra today.
State Secretary Datuk Nazran Muhammad said they must have a white cloth covering the top of their songkok or wear a black tie during the mourning period.
“Meanwhile, members of the royal family, officials and staff of the palace are expected to don mourning attires for 100 days starting today.
“All mosques and surau in Kelantan must hold ‘tahlil’ after the Maghrib prayers for seven consecutive nights,” he told a special press conference here today
Nazran said the public including dignitaries who wish to pay their last respects could do so starting 2 to 4 m today.
He said the body of the former Kelantan ruler would be laid to rest at Langgar Royal Mausoleum after the Asar prayer. It would be ferried from Istana Balai Besar on a special carriage drawn by soldiers.
“The official attire for the funeral for Malay men must be white ‘Baju Melayu’, white ‘sampin’ and white on the top of the songkok.
“The non-Muslims can wear lounge suits, non-Malay women should dress decently while the Malay women should wear long dresses with shawls,” he said.
He said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah were also expected to arrive to pay their last respects.
Rulers or their representatives from other states, and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, were also expected to be present.
Sultan Ismail Petra died at the Royal Ward of the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital here at 8.11am today. — Bernama
