“When Prime Ministers Meant Something”
A personal tribute by journalist Ashwin Kumar to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi — Malaysia’s last true statesman.
From the pride of sharing a school with Pak Lah to witnessing his quiet strength in a noisy political world, Ashwin reflects on what real leadership once looked like: dignified, humble and deeply human.
“Even when I was the one supposed to ask the questions, he made time to ask about me.”
Tune in for a reminder of the kind of Prime Minister we used to respect — and the kind of decency we desperately miss.
#AudioCommentary #PakLah #TunAbdullahAhmadBadawi #MalaysianPolitics #SinarDaily
A personal tribute by journalist Ashwin Kumar to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi — Malaysia’s last true statesman.
From the pride of sharing a school with Pak Lah to witnessing his quiet strength in a noisy political world, Ashwin reflects on what real leadership once looked like: dignified, humble and deeply human.
“Even when I was the one supposed to ask the questions, he made time to ask about me.”
Tune in for a reminder of the kind of Prime Minister we used to respect — and the kind of decency we desperately miss.
#AudioCommentary #PakLah #TunAbdullahAhmadBadawi #MalaysianPolitics #SinarDaily
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00:00Those were the days when the title prime minister carried weight, not just printed weight on paper, but real spoken respect, the kind of respect that even a normal person like my mom, a tutor from Kedah, would carry in her voice.
00:15I remember her stories vividly. She used to proudly tell me that Thun Dr. Mahathir Orang Kedah Juga and how he and Thun Dr. Siti Hasma visited her school when she was a little girl. She didn't always agree with his policies, but never spoke ill of him or his role.
00:34To her, being prime minister was more than politics. It was duty, sacrifice, and service. Even without knowing all the details, she respected the weight of the job. Then came my turn, my generation. I never thought that pride would continue, but it did.
00:54I went to high school Bukit Mertajam, HSBM, and back then we used to walk around proudly saying, we're from Pakla's school. That's right. Thun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia's fifth prime minister, went to the same school.
01:12There was a sense of pride we carried with that. Even though we were just teenagers, not fully politically aware, we knew enough to feel that something big was happening when he took over, after Dr. Mahathir stepped down in 2003.
01:28There was fear, of course, a big one. Who could possibly fill such big shoes? But Pakla did, and he did it with grace.
01:37The 2004 general election was one of Malaysia's biggest wins. People celebrated together, even those who didn't support him. He was that kind of leader, calm, charismatic, and genuinely decent.
01:53And I'll never forget this. In 2015, I had the honor of interviewing him as a journalist. I was nervous. Who wouldn't be?
02:02But I told him proudly, Ton, I'm from HSBM, too. He gave me his signature Pakla smile. Then, like the gentleman he was, he spent the next two minutes interviewing me instead, asking how I was, where I worked, and how journalism was going.
02:20I was meant to ask the questions, but he was warm, gracious, and genuinely interested.
02:26By the time you read this, I'm sure many experienced journalists and editors would have already detailed his legacy, Islam Hadhari, his leadership style, his political calmness, the way he carried himself.
02:41But here's what I can offer, from a journalist who lived through the ups and downs of Malaysia's modern history.
02:47I was there when a prime minister was sent to jail. I was there when another one came back. Twice.
02:54I was there when we lost one plane to mystery and another to tragedy. I was there when faith in the system wavered.
03:02And still, I remember the time when the position of prime minister wasn't a meme or a point of mockery.
03:08I remember a time when the prime minister was someone people actually wanted to listen to.
03:14Pakla's introduction of Islam Hadhari wasn't just a slogan.
03:19Even as a non-Muslim, I found myself curious, wanting to understand what this vision meant.
03:26It was accessible. It made sense. It was sincere.
03:30That's how much weight his words carried.
03:32And that's what we're missing today. Politics is necessary. We all know that.
03:38But it shouldn't be a game where anyone treats the prime minister's seat like a revolving door or a joke.
03:45There was a time when that seat stood for integrity, wisdom, patience, and humility.
03:51Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was the last of that kind.
03:56A true statesman, not just a politician.
03:58He never had to raise his voice. His calmness was his strength.
04:04Agree or not, no one could deny he was, above all, a good man.
04:09One of my former editors once said,
04:12You can never find a good man like Tun Abdullah anymore.
04:15I believe that. And I think deep down, many Malaysians do too.
04:20So here's to Pakla, Malaysia's father of human capital development,
04:25the prime minister who reminded us what leadership should look like,
04:29and the man who made even a small-town schoolboy like me feel proud to say,
04:34I'm from his school.
04:36The last of the gentlemen,
04:38A tribute to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by Ashwin Kumar
04:43was originally published on www.sinardaily.my.
04:49Visit www.sinardaily.my for more bold and unfiltered opinions.