FEBRUARY 7 — I applaud the learned Professor Shad Faruqi’s illuminating piece on “Tunku Abdul Rahman’s enduring legacy” carried by a newspaper recently.
Living together in peace, mutual respect and harmony in a united forward-looking Malaysia would be the single biggest tribute to the Tunku, ever the gentle and compassionate colossus of our young country.
The Tunku put together an immensely functional and formidable nation in 1957, and again in 1963. He provided the country with a somewhat Westminster inspired democracy for a dozen years notwithstanding some centrifugal forces and the insurgency of those days.
One of his stronger traits was his ability to judge and forgive the people he knew.
He made particularly impeccable choices for the fledgling nation’s diplomatic representation overseas. Good character, breeding, and circumspection were the qualities he seems to have prioritised in his choice of his first ambassadors.
Outstanding personalities of Malaysia — Dato Tun Dr Ismail bin Abdul Rahman, Datuk Sulaiman bin Abdul Rahman, Tan Sri Dr Lee Tiang Keng, Tan Sri Gunn Lay Teik, Tunku Yaacob Sultan Abdul Hamid, Tan Sri Nik Ahmad Kamil Nik Mahmoud, and Datuk Othman bin Mohamad — were among our earliest diplomats abroad.
In the 1960s when we had serious problems following the formation of Malaysia, the Tunku agreed to Lee Kuan Yew leading a delegation to Africa to explain Malaysia. At that time Malaysia did not have any representation in the region south of the Sahara. Lee Kuan Yew’s delegation included Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens, Tan Sri Stephen Kalong Ningkan, Tengku Tan Sri Ngah Mohamed and Tan Sri Zainal Abidin Sulong. An eminent lawyer, Dato Dr Radhakrishnan Ramani was also enlisted to represent Malaysia at the United Nations in the 1960s.
They were all political appointees who acquitted themselves with excellent conduct and considerable aplomb.
The Tunku would have lamented the present government’s distrust of political appointments for diplomatic assignments. After all political appointees are also subject to the rule of law.
Most of all the the Tunku would have been saddened by the treatment of smokers in our society without alternative arrangements being made for their refuge!
The Tunku favoured his “Gold Flake” cigarettes to his last days.
* Datuk M. Santhananaban is a retired ambassador of the Malaysian Diplomatic Service.
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
