KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — The hearse  carrying the remains of Paduka Ayahanda Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah left the Istana Negara compound at 5.05pm today.

It exited through Door 1 of Istana Negara and made its way in heavy rain to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) air base in Subang, escorted by Royal Malaysia police vehicles.

Sultan Ahmad Shah’s remains are to be flown on a special aircraft to Istana Abu Bakar, in Pekan, Pahang, before the funeral at the Royal Mausoleum of Pekan after the Zohor (midday) prayers tomorrow.

Earlier, the hearse had arrived at Istana Negara about 11.20am.

Sultan Ahmad Shah died at the National Heart Institute here at 8.50am today.

Among top government leaders and dignitaries who were present at Istana Negara to pay their last respects were Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and PKR president and Port Dickson MP Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Dr Wan Azizah’s husband.

Among the royals present to pay their  last  respects were the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin; Tunku Temenggong Kedah Datuk Seri Diraja Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz Almarhum Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah.

Also the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah and Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim; Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar and Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail.

Others present at Istana Negara were Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Education Minister Maszlee Malik and Malaysian Armed Forces chief General Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin.

Sultan Ahmad Shah, 88, was the fifth Sultan of Pahang and the father of the current Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

He passed on the Pahang throne to Sultan Abdullah on January 12, 2019.

Sultan Ahmad Shah was elected as Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong on September 21, 1975, and later became the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong,  from April 26, 1979, to April 25, 1984. — Bernama