Sultan Ibrahim’s Raleigh Chopper bicycle is the attraction of the Raja Kita exhibition
KUALA LUMPUR: The Raleigh Chopper bicycle was bought by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim when he was a child using His Majesty’s own money as one of the special attractions of the Our King Exhibition which takes place at the National Museum starting today.
Director General of the Malaysian Museums Department Datuk Kamarul Baharin A. Kasim said the bicycle was one of His Majesty’s personal collections and was specially brought from Johor specifically for the exhibition.
He said the Malaysian Museum Department was very excited because Sultan Ibrahim had given permission for His Majesty’s various personal items that have their own stories and nostalgia to be shown to the people including international visitors.
“The bicycle is one of the main items bought by Tuanku (Sultan Ibrahim), it certainly has sentimental value to Tuanku, because it was bought by Sultan Ibrahim himself when he was a child as a result of selling bottles and scrap metal,” he told Bernama here.
The Raja Kita exhibition in Galleries 1 and 2 at the National Museum was inaugurated by the Minister of Communications Fahmi Fadzil who is also the Minister and Chairman of the Special Events Committee in conjunction with the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Enthronement Ceremony yesterday.
Open to the public until Sept 29, the Raja Kita Exhibition is part of the events organized in conjunction with the Enthronement Ceremony of Sultan Ibrahim as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong last Saturday.
The story of the Raleigh Chopper was shared by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook post on 11 Sept 2015 and His Majesty described the bike as “love at first sight”.
His Majesty shared that his late father Sultan Iskandar Ismail did not spoil his son with money, therefore Sultan Ibrahim decided to try to find money to buy the dream bike.
“I myself did not dare to ask for money from the deceased. I really wanted the bike that cost RM120, but I did not dare to ask from the deceased. So, I thought of how to find my own money to buy the Chopper bike,” said His Majesty.
After three months of trying to collect bottles and scrap metal in the palace grounds and earn money from selling the items, His Majesty was finally able to buy the bicycle of his dreams.
“For three months, I collected bottles and scrap metal in the palace grounds. I sold the bottles and scrap metal to people with sacks. One bottle was five cents, one piece of scrap metal was three cents.
“It feels very satisfying, (the bike) is kept in my bedroom and I polish (polish) one day. One day, the deceased (Sultan Iskandar) asked where I got the money to buy the chopper, and I told him. The deceased knew I was good at finding own money.
“What is important is the result of hard work, initiative and perseverance, even if you have to pick up bottles and scrap metal, it is still an effort towards success,” His Majesty said in the partnership.
In addition to the bike, a tiger-striped Harley Davidson motorcycle often used by Sultan Ibrahim in the Kembara Mahkota Johor (KMJ) tour series and the 2013 Malaysia Motor Week program was also on display.
Also an attraction at the exhibition, a British-made Morgan three-wheeled car specially designed in conjunction with KMJ 2017 according to Sultan Ibrahim’s specifications when touring several districts in Johor.
The unique banana-green, doorless and roofless vehicle is placed in the middle of the exhibition gallery which also houses several other personal collections of Sultan Ibrahim and the King Queen Agong Raja Zarith Sofiah.
Through the exhibition as well, visitors have the opportunity to see the Johor Royal Crown and the Queen’s Crown that were used during Sultan Ibrahim’s Coronation Ceremony as Sultan of Johor in 2015 and the first time they were brought out of the state.
— BERNAMA
