Thousands pay last respects to Sultan of Johor’s late mother (Updated)

JOHOR BARU: Thousands of people, including dignitaries, paid their last respects to the late Enche' Besar Hajah Khalsom Abdullah, the mother of the Sultan of Johor, at Istana Besar here today. The mood was solemn both inside and outside the palace, despite the good weather.
Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian, all the excos, and the state BN leaders attended the funeral. Among the foreign dignitaries present were Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with his wife, Ho Ching, and Singapore Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam.
Earlier, Pahang's Tengku Mahkota Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah, and his wife, Tengku Puan Pahang Tunku, Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, arrived at Istana Besar around 9am.
The funeral was replete with Johor Royal tradition. The casket of Enche' Besar Hajah Khalsom Abdullah was placed on a special pedestal, which was designed by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1886. It was escorted by a unit of 40 Johor Military Force personnel.
The cortege was lead by Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. It left Istana Besar at 10.15am and travelled 2.8km to the Bukit Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum.
Hajah Khalsom passed away at King Edward VII Hospital in London at 7.55pm (London time) on June 1, she was 82.
Before she married the late Sultan Iskandar Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail in 1956, she carried the name of Josephine Ruby Trevorrow. She was born on Dec 2, 1935 in Cornwall, England.
They had four children, including Sultan Ibrahim. Her three daughters are Tunku Kamariah Aminah, Tunku Besar Zabedah and Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, who is the wife of Pahang's Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.