Sabah Head of State gives soulful guitar performance at his official birthday celebration
by The Borneo Post · Borneo Post OnlineKOTA KINABALU (Nov 6): The soulful guitar performance by Sabah Head of State, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin, playing an instrumental rendition of ‘Angin Malam’, captivated the audience at the celebration of his 71st official birthday at Magellan Sutera Harbour Resort here on Tuesday.
Juhar, accompanied by the Irama Seri Kinabalu band, took the crowd on a nostalgic journey to the 1970s with a medley of three classic songs: One Night by Elvis Presley, A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum, and Angin Malam, originally performed by legendary singer Broery Marantika.
Adding to the excitement, Juhar’s daughter, Datin Al Hanna Surya, delivered a powerful performance with songs namely Unchained Melody, Sinaran, Buwan and I Wanna Dance with Somebody, which encouraged the audience to sing along.
Another Sabah-born talent, Azharina Azhar, entertained the guests with two songs: Tak Ingin Sendiri and Seiring dan Sejalan, a duet with Juhar’s Communications Secretary, Datuk Rashid Mohd Tahir.
Veteran singer Datuk Khatijah Ibrahim also graced the stage with a heartfelt rendition of Doa Buat Kekasih, singing in harmony with Rashid.
The evening was made even more festive with traditional dances presented by the National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN) Sabah, APC Dancers, and Ala Panggong DBKK. Their colorful performance, infused with Sabah’s cultural heritage, served as the grand finale of the event.
Among the dignitaries who attended were the Speaker of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, Datuk Seri Panglima Kadzim M. Yahya; Deputy Chief Minister II cum Minister of Local Government and Housing, Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Joachim Gunsalam; Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif; State Secretary Datuk Seri Panglima Safar Untong; Sabah Federal Secretary Datuk Sri Rosli Isa; and Mayor of Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah.