Now that Merdeka is approaching, many Malaysians have gone above and beyond to show their love and appreciation towards the country, and also our leaders.
In conjunction with this year’s National Day, a calligraphy artist from Selangor, Mohd Shah Tumin has created a mural of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
![this selangor artist created a mural of the agong using calligraphy for national day](https://media2.fishtank.my/media/syokenglish/assets/2020/july/2408_khatag.png)
Photo via Malay Mail
The 36-year-old artist used calligraphy by way of the Agong’s name to create the unique portrait that is now hanging on the wall of his house.
He told the Malay Mail that it took him about two weeks to complete the painting, which measures 1.2 metres by 1.5 metres, saying “I worked on it for about an hour daily from sketching the outline to colouring it using acrylic mixed with outdoor paint.”
The artist, who prefers to be known as Shah Tumin said he chose Sultan Abdullah due to the relevance of the Ruler being Malaysia’s current monarch, “I want to create some excitement in conjunction with Merdeka,” he added.
He also said that he has no plans to remove the painting once Merdeka is over.
Shah Tumin uploaded a video of the drawing process on his YouTube channel, which has since garnered a lot of attention from netizens impressed with his amazing skills.
Before this, Shah Tumin had drawn other portraits of prominent figures such as Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah using chilli and soy sauce.
Calligraphy alone needs a lot of skill and practice, but to turn it into a whole portrait is a whole other level!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat