SEPT 7 — Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Tunku Ahmad Nerang, the son of the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s first prime minister.
At 79 years old, slightly over six feet in height, and with a booming voice, one could get carried away that one is actually with the former prime minister himself.
My chat with him made me realise many things. I realised that Tunku Nerang and his family feel a sense of pride being of Tunku Abdul Rahman’s lineage.
And this should rightfully be. Tunku Abdul Rahman was a great man who contributed and sacrificed a lot for the country.
I also realised that it was a different time then compared to now. It was a time when things were much simpler and happier.
“My father used to say that he was the poorest prime minister and also the happiest prime minister,” said Tunku Nerang.
Although I never met the man, from the stories I heard of him, it sounded like he was a very carefree person, yet very honest and sincere.
And because of him, it gave me the impression that the country of Malaysia (or the Federation of Malaya) at that time was one that was carefree, honest and sincere too.
The mingling of different races seemed natural and symbiotic, instead of feeling manufactured, based on tolerance and superficiality.
Tunku Abdul Rahman himself was of mixed Malay and Thai parentage, whose first wife was Chinese, and, after her premature death, he married a Caucasian. Now talk about 1 Malaysia!
It seemed like it was a time when a Malaysian (or Malayan) could be just as comfortable and proud speaking English (or any other language), as he or she was speaking Malay.
It really made me wish that I was around during those times, instead of in the Malaysia that I see and live in today.
Instead, the Malaysia that I see and live in today seems to have an underlying resentment existing amongst the different races.
The late Tunku Abdul Rahman had his vices and it wasn’t a secret. Yet, somehow these vices actually made him human instead of a hypocrite.
“My father left office a poorer man (in terms of wealth) than when he first entered it,” said Tunku Nerang.
In the Malaysia that I see today, many of the politicians seem to thrive financially once they enter office. And they do all that it takes to stay there.
According to Tunku Nerang, his late father sold his own land and property to support his political party that had no money in the early years.
Today, what I hear people saying is that the best opportunity to make money and become rich is to join that same party that Tunku Abdul Rahman sacrificed for.
When Tunku Abdul Rahman died in 1990, I was only 12 years old and wasn’t even living in the country so his death didn’t really have an affect on me then.
But now that I’m older (and forced to do research!) I found one photograph of the funeral that has stuck in my mind.
It was a photo of people paying their last respects and right in front of all the people were several religious leaders of different faiths all standing in a line praying together.
There was one question that I asked Tunku Nerang right at the end of my interview with him. His answer clearly rings in my head as I write this article.
I had asked him what he thought his late father would say if he were alive now and seeing Malaysia as it is today. Tunku Nerang let out a loud guffaw.
“Pak would say ‘I have no idea what’s going on now!’”
* Watch out for the documentary “Tunku” on Astro Awani during the coming Malaysia Day celebrations.
* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.