Li was just 12 when the Duke of Edinburgh made his first visit to Sabah in 1959. The state was then known as North Borneo and was a crown colony in the British empire.
She was among the hundreds of schoolchildren who lined up at the beachside park in Tanjung Aru, later named Prince Philip Park in 1972, after his third visit.
“There were so many people there and being so young and short in height at the time, I only managed to catch a glimpse of him but luckily he was very tall,” she told FMT.
“But we all knew who he was and everyone was very excited. I am now 75 but the memory is so clear, like it happened yesterday.”
Despite the brief moment, the crowd was wowed by Philip’s charm, Li said, adding that he was kind and gentlemanly.
She said it was widely known that the royal family would frequently go on trips worldwide, particularly to Commonwealth countries, but Sabahans, particularly the older generation, will always have a sense of affinity with British royalty.
According to Li, the visits by Philip, Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family to the once British protectorate held much significance among the people of North Borneo.
“He and the royal family meant a lot to us at that time and for them to come here was a big deal. They were our leading figures, as heads of the British empire,” she said.
Besides the Prince Philip Park, at least two other sites were named after those in the royal family – Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan.
That is why Philip’s passing last Friday was deeply felt by many in Sabah, Li said.
“I feel sad but I also think he had 99 years of a good life. He is somebody you respect and revere.”
SM Muthu also managed to see the queen and her husband on another trip by the family to Sabah in 1972. This time, Sabah was part of Malaysia.
Muthu said he honestly could not be bothered about dignitaries who come calling to the state, much less stand by the roadside, but the royal family was a different kettle of fish.
He was 22 at the time and studying at a college here but he had no reservations about lining up to welcome the royal entourage. He said Princess Anne, the royal couple’s only daughter, also came along.
“The affinity and the love for royalty was still there. The modern generation doesn’t care about this now.
“But if you talk to older people, you feel the warmth towards the British royal family – they just felt that the family cared for them. For instance, they still came to see if everything was all right here despite our independence,” he said.
Muthu also contended that not many Sabahans had complained about any mistreatment under British rule. But that was far from the case presently.
“Now people talk about the Malaysia Agreement 1963, feeling Sabah is treated as a colony and some calling for autonomy … it’s all upside down now,” he said.