REMEMBERING MY FATHER

My dear father.....was a fantastic orator and had good sense of humour....with the background of a teacher in Aljunid S'pore and Islah Arabic School in Kota Baru, even after he left teaching he liked to gather the young either in the house or outside listening or talking to them..He is quite open to criticisms and giving his frank views on UMNO and the struggle of the Malays...Due to this he was branded an ultra by chauvinistic Chinese particularly LKY n PAP and the western media..His response was he did not care if he by championing the cause of the Malays was considered an ultra. But the irony is that he was the one tasked by the Tunku to go round the kampongs in Malaya asking the Malays to accept the concept of Alliance consisted of Malays, Chinese and Indians. It was for that reason Tun Sambanthan said that he was the most misunderstood man. 

He served UMNO as Information Chief and twice as Secretary General. He was absolutely and totally loyal to UMNO and would not do anything to harm it. If he disagreed so strongly with the leader he took the option of resigning to save the party or government from disunity. He resigned as Information chief, Secretary General of UMNO...and as Junior Minister of Information.. But his respect and loyalty to Tunku and umno never shirk..i remember Allahyarham Dato Syed Nahar and Allahyarhamah Tan Sri Aishah Ghani and many others who told me that he was fearless in giving his views st supreme council meetings whether under Tunku or Tun Razak. I remember him telling us he refused to join the government or be an Ambassador because he wanted to be free...He had always said its better for him to be outside the government so that he could critisize the goverment without fear or favour. 

He was a believer that it would not be right to disagree or criticsize openly the government if you are part of it....this same tradition was adhered to by Tun Dr Ismail and Tun Musa Hitam....He advocated that the party should control the government and be strong. Otherwise the government itself could be sustained. Today the party is so weak. For him should be the check and balance.....he criticised on seperation of Singapore, on family planning and on education system of the country as well as the passing of the University and Colleges Act...to curtail student activities.. Due to his courageous and fearless acts he was honoured the Pemuda gsthering in Selangor as the lion of umno....the story often it's forgotten not made by one man but the team that worked with and for him loyally and faithfully...the most important infusion of knowledge he gave us was on honesty and integrity..though many of the old leadersand members of umno may not be highly educated they were sincere and honest to the Malay cause....this is just a morning recollection. I am proud to be his son..

FBSHApost@17 Ogos 2015