 Image by FRV-B2B via Flickr |
| Double headed snakes and dead woods in BN grassroot leadership |
Good leaders that have humility are worth respecting...
As Ning and I were lining up to board our flight to Penang on Wednesday afternoon, I spotted a familiar face standing in front of us in the queue. So I whispered to Ning. Me: Look in front of us. It's Guan Eng.
Ning: Who?
Me: YAB Mr. Lim Guan Eng, the Chief Minister of Penang.
Ning: No lah.
Me: Yes lah! I know how he looks lah. It's the CM lah.
Ning: Takkan CM jalan sorang sorang. If he's the CM, where's the bodyguards and the officers and the rombongan and kaum kerabat?
Me: Tak percaya? Watch and learn.
So I walked up to Yang Amat Berhormat, introduced myself and asked to take a picture. He smiled and obliged.
YAB CM: Hey, I know you! You're Ning Baizura!
Ning: YAB Lim, good afternoon.
YAB CM: Come, come, we take a picture. Vernon, here's my card. Email me the pictures OK.
Me: Definitely, sir.
Ambik kau. CM pun peminat katanya!
Ning and I really felt honoured. But we felt more surprised that the Chief Minister of a state was travelling all by himself like any normal rakyat jelata. But the biggest surprise in store for us was yet to come.
As usual, we sat in First Class. I expected the CM to be seated somewhere in front of us but then I realised he wasn't in First Class. Where did he disappear to???
I popped my head round the curtain that veils First Class and Economy Class and guess who I saw sitting in the front row seat of Economy quietly reading the newspapers?
YAB Mr. Lim, you have my deepest respect. You have made history by being the first Chief Minister in this country to sit in Economy Class whilst in office as Chief Minister. You really mean what you say when you talk about cost-cutting. Sir, you have shown me leadership by example.
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| Setting the way ...... Salam 1Malaysia |
comments from an Malaysian Christian Voter:
Please moreIn answer to your question 'Is this what we should aim for?" the answer is yes absolutely. When I was a student in the Tri-state region of North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota, their political leaders always travelled low key. Imagine a governor of a state driving his own car (usually unfancied sedans) when he travels from state capitol to the Prairie farms? Sometimes all by himself even. I remembered we had a governor as speaker in one of our lectures and he drove into the college parking lot unannounced, without the pomp and snobbery associated with so many leaders in other countries. Though the population of the Tri state region is only about 6 million people their regional GNP is way above our national GNP. It is time for those in lofty positions to come down to earth!!Moreover leaders should chose to open up themselves to the people. I myself even attended a frat party at Gov. Bob Sinner's house (fellow Sabahans A.. B .. or P. S. might have been there too), shook hands with ND Congressman Byron Dorgan, and met a certain Henry Hyde (Illinois Congressman) who officiated the opening of a trading house started by our fellow Sabahan A.Y, Hennry Hyde was the chairman of the House subcommittee during the impeachment hearings regarding President Bill Clinton. My relatives in Chicago recalled those days when Obama was a senator in their home state. By the way Mr Obama also has relatives in Sandakan and Indonesia! My point is this - a leader needs to be approachable by the masses or rakyat, otherwise he is just some distant 'talking head' seen occasionally on TV.
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