ALOR STAR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today spent half an hour visiting the grave of the late Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah.
Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor arrived at the Royal Mausoleum about 6.30pm from the United Kingdom, after his working visit to the United States.
With him were Tengku Bendahara of Kedah Tan Sri Tunku Ahmad Thani Sultan Badlishah, Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Shafinaz Sultan Abdul Halim, her sister Raja Puan Muda Perak Tan Sri Tunku Soraya Sultan Abdul Halim, and Tunku Soraya's husband Raja di Hilir of Perak Raja Iskandar Zulkarnain.
Also present were Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah and Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
Najib took part in a tahlil recital for the late Sultan Abdul Halim at the Royal Mausoleum, led by Kedah Mufti Datuk Sheikh Fadhil Awang.
Sultan Abdul Halim, 89, passed away on Monday at Istana Anak Bukit.
He was born on Nov 28, 1927 at Istana Anak Bukit.
He made history as the first Sultan to become the Yang Di-pertuan Agong twice, first in 1965 and later in 2011.
Sultan Abdul Halim married Sultanah Bahiyah Tuanku Abdul Rahman in 1956.
They have three daughters - Tan Sri Tunku Soraya Sultan Abdul Halim, Tunku Sarina Sultan Abdul Halim ,(April 30, 1960 - Aug 31, 1991) and Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz Sultan Abdul Halim.
Sultanah Bahiyah passed away in 2003.
In 1975, Sultan Abdul Halim married a commoner, Sultanah Haminah Hamidun.
The late Sultan Abdul Halim was laid to rest in a steep royal tradition, next to Sultanah Bahiyah's grave.
Following the passing of Sultan Abdul Halim, his younger brother Tunku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, 75, has been proclaimed as the 29th Sultan of Kedah on Tuesday.