KUCHING: Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi enjoyed a rare, carefree morning on Tuesday.
They took an unplanned drive through the city, having breakfast at a familiar eatery, and revisiting an old family-run shop that has been part of their lives for decades.
In a light-hearted mood, Wan Junaidi decided to take the wheel himself, without the usual police escort or official convoy, much to the surprise of his security team.
“He was in such a cheerful mood this morning. He was humming and whistling as he got ready. And I just followed along, it was such a nice morning,” Fauziah recalled to Sarawak Tribune.
Before leaving the official residence, Wan Junaidi informed his aide-de-camp (ADC) of his plans to go out.
However, the guards at the gate, caught by surprise when they saw the Head of State himself behind the wheel, froze briefly before quickly saluting.
“The police at the gate just stood still and said, ‘Selamat pagi, Tun!’ They didn’t expect it at all,” Fauziah said with a laugh.
The couple set off slowly, enjoying the traffic and the anonymity that came with being “ordinary drivers for a day”.
“We were just driving behind the traffic jam, slowly. It felt nice to be like everyone else, no outriders, no lead car. Nobody knew us,” Wan Junaidi shared.
Their destination that morning was Fian Catering Cafe, which he patronised to eat roti canai before he became the Head of State.
The visit, however, came as a surprise to most of the staff, except for Suffian Sulaiman, commonly known as Fian, the shop owner, who quickly made the reservation upon hearing from Wan Junaidi’s Special Assistant.
“By the time we arrived, the table was already marked ‘TYT Reservation’, and that’s efficiency.
“Less than ten minutes later, we were seated. Everyone there was shocked to see us, except Fian himself, who already knew because my Special Assistant had made the reservation,” Wan Junaidi said.
For the cafe patrons, it was an unexpected but heartwarming sight, the Head of State and his wife sitting casually, enjoying roti canai and coffee like any other couple.
“It wasn’t really a ‘bypass protocol’ situation. We just drove out easily, the two of us, nothing formal. But yes, informally, we ‘bypassed protocol’,” said Wan Junaidi chuckling.
After breakfast, they made a stop at Kedai Chip Seng, a modest grocery shop along Jalan Tun Zaidi Adruce near the Satok flyover, where the owner, Ah Kheng, was overjoyed to see them again after more than a year.
The visit held special meaning for Wan Junaidi, as the shop has been part of his personal history since 1973, a place where he has bought household groceries for decades.
“Ah Kheng said if we had told her earlier, she would have dressed up nicely. She was so happy to see us. It was a really pleasant visit,” he recalled.
However, on his personal Facebook, Wan Junaidi shared a nostalgic reflection.
“Before returning to the official residence, Toh Puan and I stopped by Chip Seng near the Satok flyover.
“I have been buying groceries from this shop since 1973. Everything used to be recorded in a Buku 555, and even today, they still use the same ledger,” he wrote.
He added that the shop had once been the subject of his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) research assignment in 2001, titled ‘Small Family Business Succession Plan’.
“I used Chip Seng as my case study. The business is now in its third generation, from the father to his daughter and son; Ah Kheng, Ah Kui and his wife, Selina.
“Ah Kui’s daughter, who is about the same age as my youngest child, now helps at the shop. These traditional family businesses are disappearing with the rise of supermarkets and malls,” he reflected on his Facebook post.
For Wan Junaidi, the visit was a personal reminder of the importance of small family enterprises and community heritage.
“Such shops represent more than just commerce: they hold trust, relationships, and continuity,” he said.
As the couple returned home later that morning, Fauziah noticed that Wan Junaidi was still whistling and singing softly, a clear sign of joy and contentment.
“He was so happy. After a long weekend of formal programmes, he just wanted to do something simple: drive, eat, and revisit familiar places,” she said.
Wan Junaidi’s humble and down-to-earth manner makes him a man of the people: approachable, genuine, and effortlessly ordinary.
