Exchanges Between Din Merican and Bakri Musa
Dear Bakri:
Raja Petra of Malaysia Today was spot-on when he wrote many months ago
that Prime Minister Abdullah had found someone special to fill the void
in his heart after the death of his beloved wife Datin Seri Endon
nearly two years ago. Raja Petra correctly identified the lady as
Jeanne Danker; he erred only in stating that Abdullah had already
married her.
It is now official, confirmed no less by the Prime Minister
himself at a press conference earlier this week, and covered
prominently by the media. The ceremony will be this Saturday, June 9
at Seri Perdana. It will be a simple private ceremony.
Abdullah was exuberantly upbeat in making the announcement,
beaming cheek-to-cheek and hardly able to contain his almost boyish
excitement. For a brief moment, he forgot that he had been married
before! That is understandable, and we all can forgive him for that.
He should not however, let the memory of his late wife to come between
him and his new bride. He must live the present, and work toward a
better and greater future.
For the first time I saw in him the promise of a reinvigorated
leader, undoubtedly renewed and inspired by his new love. It is
amazing, Bakri, what a woman can do to a man when love is in the air.
I also noticed that Abdullah had a fresh look. Again, the renewed
inspiration!
I am thrilled that he has found his new lifelong companion.
Jeanne will be a great asset to him, his family, and our country. I
have heard nothing but positive feedback on her character and
personality. She has excellent people skills, and is comfortable with
people from all walks of life. Her personality complements his. She
is well organized and has modest taste, a marked contrast to Abdullah.
She will be an elegant and competent hostess at Seri Perdana.
With her modern outlook and background as a career woman, Jeanne
will be very comfortable accompanying the Prime Minister on his
overseas visits. She will hold her own among the wives of other heads
of states and royalty.
My hope is that some of Jeanne's organizational and time
management skills will rub off on her new husband. God knows, Abdullah
needs them! An injection of self-discipline will also do him good.
She has to, otherwise he will continue to be bogged down with useless
official trivia, with no time left for her. Alternatively. he may
devote so much attention to his new wife to the detriment of his
official duties.
I hope she would be successful in imparting to him this central
message: Deeds speak louder than words. This is the message you, Raja
Petra and others have not been successful in imparting on Abdullah.
She needs to bring a much-needed dose of realism to his life. We have
had enough of that put-on "feel good" sentiment. We demand results
now, nearly four years into his leadership.
Like many, I am torn between in wanting to believe that he can
lead, now that he is a "new" man. The reality however, points toward
nothing but hot air and NATO (No action, talk only).
Like others, I hope that with Jeanne by his side, Abdullah would
now settle down and pay attention to the many problems facing our
nation, like making it less corrupt and fixing the economy. In short,
I hope she will inspire him not only to be a "new man" but also a "new"
leader.
We Malaysians are a forgiving lot; we are willing to give him yet
another chance to prove his leadership. I do not know why, as there is
nothing in his track record to support our contention. Nonetheless I
always have faith that we humans are capable of learning, adapting,
changing our mindset, and renewing ourselves. I am going against my
better judgment here, but it is my hope that with Jeanne beside him, he
would have inner peace and be a leader worthy of our great nation.
Sallam,
Din Merican
Dear Din:
There is nothing more heartwarming than to see two people in love
declaring their commitment to each other, and sharing that joyous news
with us all. Love is always beautiful and precious, no matter how many
times around.
The only sour note to an otherwise sweet occasion was when the Prime
Minister's office ordered the mainstream editors to tow the line on
what and what not to report. They of course willingly obliged; the
force of habit.
We cannot lay the blame solely on the control freaks of the Fourth
Floor; they have too many enablers in the editorial floors of our
newspapers, radio and television stations. If this is how the boys on
the Fourth Floor handle the good news, imagine what they would do when
the news is bad!
The last occasion when citizens were engrossed with details of their
leader's love life was the time when President Clinton was busy with
that infamous intern in the closet of the Oval Office.
Deaths and marriages of our loved ones are life-transforming
events. It is not unreasonable of you to expect change in Abdullah
from his new marriage. This new groom may turn out to be a new man,
and in turn an invigorated leader. There is always hope. At least the
wedding will be a restrained affair, unlike the gaudy extravaganza of
that forty-something Datuk who married the celebrity singer his
daughter's age. Perhaps Raja Nazrin's example is beginning to have an
impact on our people.
Yes, the man has been distracted by his late wife's long battle
with cancer. That her death was expected did not make it any less
sorrowful. The last few years must have taken their toll on Abdullah.
I cannot pretend to comprehend the burden that he and his family had
to endure. It must have been considerable.
I have factored in those elements in my assessment of Abdullah. I
look at his record during his earlier tenure as Education, Defense, and
Foreign Minister, among other positions. These were when Endon was
still very healthy; meaning, he had no personal distractions.
At his age, it is unlikely that Abdullah would have any hitherto
hidden talent remaining untapped. The chance of a "late bloom" is remote.
Abdullah reminds me of the simpleton character Chauncy the
gardener, played by the late Peter Sellers in the movie, Being There.
His unobtrusive silence and simple witted utterances were mistaken as
profundities. Chauncy went on to advise even the President!
God knows, many sharp minds in Malaysia were taken in by Abdullah!
Just ask Mahathir! The difference between Chauncy the gardener and
Abdullah the Prime Minister is that Chauncy had no advisors. What he
uttered were his own words; he was his own true self. Fool on those
who wanted to read or give something more to the simple gardening
wisdom he uttered.
Abdullah's advisors insulate him. Even if he were to be
transformed by his new love, his advisors would remain the same, and so
would their advice to him.
While the country has no choice but to tolerate his "No action,
talk only" stance, Jeanne would definitely not be satisfied with
Abdullah's NATO, husband-wise!
My fear is that with Abdullah totally consumed with his newfound
love, his advisors would now become even more emboldened. Abdullah
would not be there, at least mentally, to restrain them.
Further, if before we could be forgiving of Abdullah for his being
always sleepy at important meetings (blaming it on his personal
problems), now with a new young wife, he would have an even better
excuse to be sleepy during normal working hours!
I wish the happy couple many long blissful years, and I hope, Din,
that your and other Malaysians' expectations will also come true.
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