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'Razak Was Like a Father to Me' PERDANA LIBRARY PERDANA LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION NEWSPAPER CLIPPING Newspaper News Straits Times Date 14/1/2012 PAGE 10 NEW STRAITS TIMES SATURDAY. JANUARY 14. 2012 'Razak was like a father to me' MAN OF VISION: The country's second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, is still remembered as a visionary leader 36 years after his death on Jan 14, 1976, writes Eunice Au ORMER special assistant to Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, FTunku Tan Sri Shahriman Tunku Sulaiman, first met Razak in Temerloh, Pahang, where he was serving as an assistant district of- ficer in 1958. Razak instructed Shahriman and the district officer to come up with a scheme to distribute land to the people quickly. "That time, bureaucracy was still slow and land approvals would take three to four years sometimes. "Tun (Razak) wanted to give land to the people in the district fast so we set up land offices in the vil- lages, called for applications and approved them at the same time." "The new scheme was completed within a week in each village, a level of efficiency achieved only with Razak's persistence." That first encounter left Shah- riman enchanted by Razak's style and leadership. The following year when the elections were held, Razak won in the Pekan constituency, which in- cluded a sub-district called Rompin. Coincidentally, Shahriman was transferred to be in charge of A 'lion' welcoming prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein upon his arrival at Bayan Lepas airport on June 10,1974. Then Penang chief minister Rompyi, jvhich brought about the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu (on Razak's left) used to join Razak on his annual holidays on Pulau Pangkor. NST file pic beginning of his close relationship with Razak. His experiences made Razak pick Shahriman says Razak had many people whom he knew was in sym- friends but no enemies and he was pathy with the low-income group very friendly with the opposition. to advise him, Shahriman says. When the then Ipoh municipal- "At the top government level, ity was governed by the opposition Razak trusted Tun Tan Siew Sin — the People's Progressive Party — and Tun Dr Ismail Ab- headed by Datuk Seri S.P. Seeni- dul Rahman and de- vasagam, Razak would often call at pended a lot on them. the former's home to have tea. "Tun Tan's philoso- "Sure, in He would inspect the town and phy was that the gov- , tell Seenivasagam later that he was ernment cannot spend Parliament Razak very impressed and happy with more than it can afford and his political how clean Ipoh was, Shahriman and Razak respected opponents would shares. him for that. attack each other Another instance of Razak's af- "As for Tun Dr Is- fability was his relationship with mail, he was strict on on policies, but I former Penang chief minister Tun corruption." had never seen Dr Lim Chong Eu, who was also Shahriman had orig- Tun (Razak) attack, from the opposition. inally planned to join anyone "Every year, Razak would take a Razak in Paris prior to personally." small boat to Pangkor island to his death but the trip relax and Lim would come and join did not materialise Tunku Tan Sri us, bringing along a special Chi- when Razak was trans- Shahriman Tunku nese drink, rambutans and duri- ferred to London for Sulaiman ans. medical treatment. "Sure, in Parliament, Razak and "I heard the news of his political opponents would at- his death over the phone and I was tack each other on policies, but I stunned for a few minutes. had never seen Tun (Razak) attack "The first thought that came to anyone personally," Shahriman my mind was what would happen says. to my country? Razak, who was well known for "Would there be peace and pros- rectly and indirectly for 18 years. civil service because he was aware were 50 years old, they would have his efforts in eradicating poverty, perity? Would there be a power "He picked me up from a small that promotions depended on se- lost all their enthusiasm, energy used to tell Shahriman proudly of struggle in Umno?" district office in Rompin and made niority but there were many young and ideas. his barefoot schooling days. For Shahriman, the death of me what I am today." people who were exceptionally "We were discussing this idea but "Razak also told me on the week- Razak was not only a loss to the There was one thing that Razak good who deserved another chan- it did not materialise in the end." ends, he rode on his grandfather's nation, but a personal loss as well did not manage to accomplish in nel where they could be promoted buffaloes and took care of them for for Razak was like a father to him. his lifetime, Shahriman says. fast. TOMORROW: Tun Musa Hitam's a two-sen or three-sen reward." "I worked with Razak both di- "He wanted to restructure the "If they had to wait until they impression of Tun Razak .
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