UNITED KINGDOM EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (UKEC) - 9th April, 2011
Assalaamu'alaikum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh, and Good Afternoon.
This speech is a narration of a short summarised story of my journey as a student and youth leader which led me into politics, and therefore into elections.
I thank the President and members of the UKEC organising committee for inspiring me to write this message.
Any inaccuracy in names and dates, or omission of relevant facts and events, are due to the failure of my memory.
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Assalaamu'alaikum Warahmatulaahi Wabarakaatuh, and
Good afternoon to everyone present.
The President of UKEC,
Chairman of the session,
Honoured Guests,
Fellow members of the audience.
HYDE PARK SPEAKERS' CORNER
1. Whenever I am invited to speak to students, in the presence of respectable guests, at a respectable venue as this, I cannot but remember those days when Malaysian students could only listen to me speaking, while standing on a stool at Hyde Park Speaker's Corner.
TRIBUTE TO EARLIER SPEAKERS
2. Earlier today you have been exposed extensively to speakers who are experts in economics and law.
3. The head of ISIS and a prominent ex-judge.
4. I was a banker, and the Area Manager of The Chartered Bank Ipoh, Charles McGregor, to whom I was a caddy while he was playing golf in the mid 1963, told me that a banker is a person who studies economics but not enough to be an economist, who studies law but not enough to be a lawyer and who studies accountancy but not enough to be an accountant.
5. Hearing this I was not interested in his offer to be a banker, but, when he says that a banker deals with money I then became interested.
6. I hear that you are very interested in politics and I am supposed to talk on the 13th General Election.
7. I will therefore start by telling you my story, in my own unorthodox way, on what makes me eventually become an elected Member of Parliament and State Assemblyman for 30 years from 1974 to 2004.
MCKK - BADAN REVOLUSI UGAMA
8. I had my secondary school education at Malay College Kuala Kangsar.
9. There was a teacher who once taught at that school, before my time, whose name is Mr. Wilson. He wrote my books, under his pen-name Anthony Burgess. One of his books in 'Time for A Tiger'.
10. I have my reason for mentioning this book. You will know if you read about the author but not too many of his books.
11. In 1962, after the 1961 results of the Senior Cambridge Examination was announced, I asked my grand-uncle in Penang on how, as Secretary to the religious body of the college, Badan Ugama, to make the collegians to be thankful to Allah when they obtain good results during their examinations.
12. I was encouraged by my grand-uncle to read a book by HAMKA entitled 'Revolusi Ugama' or 'Religious Revolution'. I then changed the name of the MCKK religious body to be called Badan Revolusi Ugama (BRU).
13. You might not be interested in this Badan Revolusi Ugama.
14. But when you know that Dr. Azahari Husin, the chemist, who headed the Bali bombing was, during his MCKK days, an active member of BRU, and Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim was the successor to Ungku Hashim, who succeeded me as Secretary of BRU, then you might be interested in listening to me further.
NO SCHOLARSHIP
15. After the Sixth Form Examination I was already attached to The Chartered Bank, Seremban.
16. I could not on get a government scholarship for a study that would allow me to be free eventually from working for the government. It was my mistake for being choosy.
17. I had later refused an offer to study mathematics at the University of Malaya. I could not imagine myself being a mathematics teacher like Mr. Cheah Tat Huat.
18. It was a blessing in disguise.
19. I was therefore not indebted to the very useful Section 153 of the Malaysian Constitution, which I support, which provide for Malay Privileges and the protection, under Sub-Section 7, of the rights for non-Malays.
20. I have been told that the topic for my speech today is the '13th General Election'. It is a speculative topic of which I will be involved only as a voter, as most of you are.
21. As a person who has been actively involved, both as a candidate and one of the organisers in many General Elections, and by-elections, for a period of 30 years from 1974 to 2004, I can only hope for the best for my party, but cannot predict the outcome of the next election.
22. As you are the future players, both as voters, organisers and candidates in future elections, as future leaders of Malaysia, I take this opportunity to bore you, with a brief story of my journey, as a student, in the UK and Europe, which led me into many elections.
23. In that way you may benefit by knowing and recognising where I have gone wrong and have been inadequate.
24. You will see the inadequacies of my preparedness.
25. It all began in 1968.