HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam consented to receive a number of pesambah yesterday as the Brunei-Muara District celebrated the monarch’s 68th birthday at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien in the capital.

Various government bodies, private companies and associations as well as individuals were among those who lined up and presented pesambah to His Majesty.

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) representatives presented a pesambah in the form of an RB model of Airbus A320neo, which is scheduled to be the new addition to the RB fleet in 2017; and a special issue of the Muhibah magazine which is dedicated to the monarch’s birthday.

RB’s Head of Corporate Communications Azhani Abu Daniel shared that it was a fitting choice of pesambah for the monarch, given the fact that His Majesty is known to be an avid aviator.

DST Communications Sdn Bhd (DST), for their part, presented His Majesty a birthday cake shaped to match the telecommunication provider’s logo. Weighing in at 10kg, the pesambah continues DST’s tradition of presenting a cake every year for the monarch’s birthday celebrations in Brunei-Muara. After presenting the pesambah to His Majesty, DST gave slices of the cake to members of the public in small easy-to-carry containers that were made specifically for the event.

The Indian Chambers of Commerce also presented His Majesty with a cake. As a representative from the group explained that the cake, a vanilla cheese cake made by Royal Brunei Catering, weighed 68kg to match the age of the monarch.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani Chambers of Commerce’s Faramoz Khan prepared a special pesambah in the form of an aluminium plate upon which the phrase, “Masha’Allah”, is inscribed in Arabic. Faramoz explained that the inscription was done by a 72-year-old man in Lahore, Pakistan, especially for yesterday’s occasion.

The Brunei Association of Banks also presented a pesambah to His Majesty; an ornament upon which were adorned three smaller statuettes. These statuettes included a traditional Malay shield framed by two kris and topped with a clock, a royal cannon and ceremonial gong. The ornament is made of glass and gold plating.

Meanwhile, Mystique Gallery’s Managing Director Taghi Pourbadakhshan presented a 200-year-old hand-made Antique Penner from Iran as a birthday pesambah for the monarch.

The Penghulus and Village Heads Committee, on the other hand, presented two oars to His Majesty to signify the monarch’s love for the sport. Village Head of Kota Batu, Hj Awang Damit Hj Laidin, revealed that they had opted for one modern oar, and another traditional locally-made one – as a symbol of how long the sport has been practised in the country.

In addition, the Brunei Administrative Services also prepared a pesambah for the monarch. Theirs was a golden ornament in the shape of a book, upon which holy verses of Al-Quran were inscribed.

From the Chinese community in Brunei, the Tiong Hwa Association prepared a cake sponsored by Pehin Lau Ah Kok alongside its pesambah – a crystal model of a peach, which in the Chinese society symbolises well wishes for longevity and good health. - Borneo Bulletin (25 August 2014)