WHEN Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah spontaneously left the royal dais to confer the award to Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) director-general Dr Abd Latif Mohmod, His Majesty’s action really touched and overwhelmed the latter.

Latif, when met by reporters after the investiture ceremony of federal awards and honours at the Istana Negara today, said he never expected His Majesty to do so after seeing him moving about with help of a walking stick following injuries sustained 10 years ago while on duty.