PROLOQ:
The period precede Decembar 629 AD, the Arabs were at their peak Jahiliyyah - flooded by ignorance and arrogance practices. Jahilliah served as a grand narrative of a morally corrupt social order. Its people (the jahl) lacked the correct religious knowledge (ʿilm) and civilized qualities (ḥilm). As a result, they committed polytheism and idol worship, female infanticidal, had societies rife with tyranny, injustice, despotism, anarchy, and prejudice resulted in vainglorious tribal antagonisms. The pre-Islamic age was essentialized into a group of attributes and societal functions that could be condensed into a barbaric way of life.
(4) What made Muhammad SAW to this day the most influential person and leader? First there was that barbaric Quaish living style. The people were ignorant while the leaders were tyrannic - a best match for good growth of oppression. Ironically, Allah bring down well tested Muhammad to change every thing despite being orphan, poor, illiterate yet - humble, honest, high integrity, wise and highly self conscious - a deep thinker turned strategist.
1. INTRODUCTION - the promised and destined fate:
In the 1970s, the local universities normally started their session around 1 July. For the freshies, the first two weeks were dedicated for the orientation and registration of courses. Upon completion of my Matriculation course at SMSAH Jitra, Kedah around Nov 1979, I took a trip back to meet my pneumonitis ailing dad then. Around May, 1979 I got a notification that I had passed my course and was selected to join the UKM Science Faculty at Jalan Pantai Baru Campus in KL. Within the school six months break period Dec 1978 - May 1979, I spent my time at Jalan Lanang Sibu working in a sawmill with a salary of RM5.50 a day from 0700-1700 hours. I used to do overtime from 1800 - 2030 hours daily and that gave me extra RM2.50 to make up RM8.00 daily earning from Monday to Saturday. If got chance, I also was willing to work on Sunday assisting the technician while he was doing some machinery maintenance. A half Sunday working time gave me and additional income of RM6.00. All in per week my total income normally was around RM54.00. I was then staying at my auntie's home, my dad sister, a walking distance away. She took care of my daily basic expenses. So within that six months, I managed to accumulate about RM1,000.00 net.
(2) In view of my financial need then, I only could fly to KL around mid July 1979. Luckily prior bound for KL, I managed to secure the Sarawak Foundation Scholarship with my ticket paid by them. So much so I have RM1,000.00 for my living expenses before the Foundation .jfif)
would honored my scholarship which was about three months later. I was late for two weeks for my registration. I missed the Orientation period. Upon registration, I have not much choice, for the Faculty then was still small and most of the popular departments such as Math & Computer Science, Chemistry, Physic, and Geology were fully taken. I then have no choice but to join the Biology Department. It was fine for me, for I was targeting to qualify into the Medical Faculty. This was possible due to the fact that in the First Year, all of us were bundled at Pantai Baru Campus. For the first Semester, along all those biological and chemistry subjects, I also took those subjects that were compulsory for the Medical students. My intent was, if I could do very well then I can appeal to be admitted into the Medical Faculty in the Second Year. The UKM Medical faculty then was located at Jalan Temerloh, KL next to the existing IJN and KL General Hospital.
(3) Before leaving for KL, I informed my dad that I managed to secure a place at UKM and I'll pursue to be a MD. At that time, I have the very intent to cure him from his pneumonia problem. Earlier my mom, I would believe in 1965 she was hit by minor stroke at the delivery of her fourth kid, my younger brother. She was half paralyzed then. Medical facilities then was still very inadequate. Simunjan clinic couldn't take care of her. She need to be treated in Kuching which she always missed in view of those days transportation hardship. She was then dependent on the Dukun treatment which personally even at my kid days I never have confident. My mom had to go through all sorts of taboo - pantang larang - from foods to daily life. Then in 1968 she passed away five days after delivering her fifth kid ie my youngest sister. My mom and my dad health issues made me determined to be a MD.
(4) My dad indeed objected to my dream. He reminded me of my promised to my mom, that once I'm a grownup person I would be a DO, the District Officer, to care for our needy society and improve the very bad situation at that time. Circumstance aside, my dad died as I completed my first semester, with some good results. His death really affecting me badly. Luckily it was a month semester break. I kept myself to my small room for sometimes at our Komsis at Seksyen 17, Petaling Jaya then. I was in deep sorrow. When registering for the second semester, I just decided to take Botany as my major and totally skipped all those first year medical prerequisite subjects. With not much thought, I just decided to major in Botany. Why? In those days, apart from the Geology department, Botany was among the course which had lots of field visits. Lots of field visit was my biggest excitement. Could a Botanist be a DO? I never have a thought about it then.
2. PURPOSE OF THIS WRITING:
The Al Might Allah is in controlled of everything in this universe and beyond as clearly stated in the Al-Baqarah: 20 "The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight." . Accordingly, in Surat al-Mursalaat: 23 Allah had told us in very specific terms that only He can determine things, provided we have the will to stick to the right path. Personally I won't know whether I was on the right perfect path - but, it seem when I was a kid, I have the feel that I must help the poor. In those days, my thought must be greatly influenced by the harsh lives surrounding of my whole society. That indeed was my very promised to my mom which my dad kept remining me. My role model then was the Simunjan District Officer, DO Amin Satem. He stayed in big bungalow and was married to a white lady. I passed the bungalow daily on my way to and back from school.
(3) This writing is about my personal struggles from being a Botanist to be a reasonably effective socio-economic development thinker, planner and actionary person. The process was long and not easy. Mostly I need to do lots of self learning, researching, observation and definitely discussion. I'm not ashamed to admit, many times I felt embarrassed when my points or ideas were pushed aside in many discussions or meetings. But those never made me silent, I continued to improve even it may takes donkey of years to be accepted. I want to share all these processes and experiences for others to have a look.
3. ROTU MY FINANCIAL SAVIOR & FAST-DECISSIVE CHARACTER DEVT:
I can't exactly remember how much was the Sarawak Foundation Scholarship then? May be all in around RM2,500.00/year in 1979-84. Today value based on Ringgit Forex is around RM4,500.00/year. That was for two semesters inclusive of to pay the tuition fee. Despite the rate was higher comparatively to the then Federal Government Scholarship, but smaller as compare to Sabah Foundation, BNM and Petronas which was around RM3,500.00 - RM5,500.00. After paying the tuition fees, having about a balance of RM1,000.00 to spend for every semester ie about six months, with nobody to support me, definitely such was not sufficient. Luckily then, hostel and transportation were free with ikan kembong and plain rice could cost me for only RM1.50 per meal. Definitely the drink was the free cool one from the nearby water cooler. My breakfast was always coffee with roti lempong or bread with butter and cheese. Alhamdullilah, one loaf of bread then was around 50 - 75 cents and it could last for a week. I was very skinny then, despite my height was around 5' 7" I weighted only around 50-52 kgs which was 20 kgs below my ideal weight.
.jfif)
(4) In deed the ROTU program provided us with numerous advantages then - first, it resolved the need for me to be occupied at the weekend and semester breaks and got paid, second in view that UKM then was having big issue in accommodating its students to reside within the campus, the ROTU apart from the freshies, we were given high priority to stay in. Definitely such privilege came with a price, ie we must performed the Royal Military Parade Show especially during the Yearly University Convocation event. That caused us lots of training and really tiring but with "token pay". Thirdly, especially for me, I don't have to return to Sarawak which was very costly in every semester break. From 1979 to 1984 I never be back in Sarawak. Friends usually asking me why, I never replied but deep in me, it was really painful not having someone dearest that we love to care. Last but not least, later I'll discussed how the discipline developed at the ROTU program had helped me with the skills and resilience needed for me to dedicate my service to the State.
4. STUDENTS' POLITIC CHANGED MY INTROVERT VALUES:
By nature I was and am a hyperactive person. I can't keep still for more than 30 minutes. I believe I have high metabolism rate. For this, I love eating compare to all other enjoyment, but I don't gain weight easily. Since kid days, I would say I was above average in term of IQ. I could learn and appreciate things very fast. My set back and or unique character was, I was a bit "withdrawing". My childhood upbring push me "to the side" in term of self projection. In today psychological term "I am having the detached character". I believe, those are my acquired characters, a phenotypic value that Allah implanted into my gene, for His purposes, In Shaa Allah. Detached characters meaning, I easily detached myself from pushy-demanding-self projection characters and or shy away from all sorts of rejection push. I can sense all these from my observation of the surrounding body language and or gesture. In short, my gene in me, wouldn't tolerate to any things that would block me to my destine vision or dream.
(2) My gene made me focus to my dream. My dream was always guided to my promised to my Mom and Dad - to be and help the needy. I can't claim to be Zuhud, but I just want be moderate in my lifestyle and thus I hate all those protocol and ceremonial events that required me to put on trendy and customed ceremonial attire, lifestyle and or be placed in limited maneauvoring. In deed this was and is the very reason I avoided all VIP treatment and or titles that would placed me in a very "controlled etiquette". I want to remain a free man - manusia merdeka berdaulat.
(3) UKM Pantai Baru campus was just next door to the University Malaya. Students' politic was very lively in these two Universities. Worst then Anwar's Ibrahim Gaya (?) College was just next door down the hill. In the late 1970s and very early 1980s , Anwar was "the under
privilege political hero". He with the support of his comrades in MU, he made really big noises. With his ABIM movement, he made lots of noises in the campuses. By nature of his movement and my interest, I should had been his obsessionist. Guided by Allah, I was never. And since on the second semester of my first year I had defaulted my intent to pursue my MD, despite I was also involved in the ROTU, I found myself still having ample free time. I was not quite into sports or loitering as most did for we were very close to KL and Petaling Jaya or Shah Alam. Sometimes I just love to enjoy a 50 cents per serving steam cockles at Benteng Kuala Lumpur. Accordingly, my involvement in the ROTU exposed me with multi-disciplinary students so much so my sphere of socialization was very broad. My leadership traits was spotted by certain "UKM seniors students' politician" then. I was hold by Shamsuri Syono, a three years my senior and he encouraged me to join the "Campus political movement" and lured me to join his group called Tindakan Siswa Bersatu TSB - United Students' Action Party which aligned very strongly with the UKM management and UMNO which then was led by Mahathir.
(4) In August 1980 I contested for the Students Welfare Committee post for the Jalan Pantai Hostel and won. In 1981 I was elected as the UKM Sarawak Students Union President and moved to UKM Bangi Main Campus. In Sept., 1982 I contested for the Perwakilan Umum Pelajar - but due to "the wild and fierce students political situation then" the election was .jfif)
cancelled. But when the election was reorganized about two months later, I didn't do well for we were not allowed to work as a party. We need to go solo, and that was not to my advantage. Nonetheless my campus social sphere was expanding larger and fast and I began to participate in all sort of students' associations available. In 1983 I volunteered to stay back to coach and reorganize our TSB. I purposely withdrawn my Thesis and that "technically made me could stay back for another year" before I could graduated. Within that one year, I was really a free man to do fulltime students political movement among the local universities especially to help those siding with the Government and University Establishment to capture their relevant Main Students Union bodies. I then have the chances to work very closely with the Biro Tata Negara - the Prime Minister Office outfit to accelerate "students political affiliation with the Government" as the strategy to deny the local oppositions especially PAS and DAP from being too active in campus. Here I learnt the political game and trick on how to get the students to be with the establishment. I met lots of UMNO politicians and did organized lots of discourses between UMNO, PAS and DAP in campuses.
(5) The advantage to being active in the campus politic was that I have all the chances for a greater socialization process and accordingly be mixed up with lots of the much matured and intellectual personalities. To name a few, Tan Seng Giaw from DAP, Kassim Ahmad of PSRM, Sanusi Junid of UMNO, Subky Latiff of PAS and those writers with nickame as KAMALA, Shahnon Ahmad etc were my favorite figures then. We used to invite them to have debate in the Campus. Indeed these experiences helped to build certain level of courage and confident in me in dealing with highly intellectual personalities.
(6 Students' politic turned me from an introvert kampong poor boy, to open minded and focus quality person. These indeed shaped the way I pushed for my ideas and conceptual thinking in exercising my public duties and responsibilities later on.
5. SELF ENTERPRISE HOLDBACK FACTOR:
I graduated around April 1984. I have no urgency then to get employed to earn a living. I have 
only my grandmom to take care, despite such, she was well taken care by my younger brother. Upon graduation I stayed back lingering around in KL squatting among friends either at Kg Baru or UKM Medical Hostel at Jln Temerloh for about 2 - 3 months. I was exploring the potential to live in KL then. So much so, once again I tried to differ in pursuing my promise to my mom. I believe Allah purposely failed me then.
(2) Upon returning back around August 1984, I was thinking of being an enterprising farmer and trader. I want to be a kampong boy role model among my communities. I was inspired by a novel titled Perdana - a story about a young Kampong man whom struggled by renting his Kampong folks land to go into livestock development. He succeeded with the helps of his kampong folks and they later venture into all sort of trading. The book was presented to me for my excellent achievement in my SRP. I was Kelantan Second Best students then. Among the Sarawak Foundation students 1973 batch, I scored the best student. Indeed while in SMSAH Jitra, all of us five Kelantanese top students were in the same class. The book inspired me. For me, I have my grand mom's seven acres of coconut-coffee-cocoa farm to start with. First, all out I did the rehabilitation of the farm emulating the practices by the local Chinese farmers in my Kampong. I extended my efforts to include all my uncles and aunties farms as well as all my other relatives. Since the cocoa price then was good, and the maintenance, harvesting and processing of coffee were though, so I got rid of all the coffee and focus on double cropping farming - coconut and cocoa. The return was great and my effort became the model for my .jfif)
Kampong folks to emulate and thus I have sufficient valuable commodity production for me to start a trading business - I quickly established a Cooperative and began trading dry cocoa beans and copra. On gotong royong basis, together with my kampong folks, we put up a 20 x 60 ft trading building. We then bought a small motor launch with a capacity of about 5 tonnes and we sent our commodities straight to dealers in Kuching. We setup a Convenient Store then and most of our dealings were more toward "semi butter trading". The people got their groceries supplies, while we could hold some of the payment of their commodities sale as guarantee for defer payments of their later groceries expenses. Each customer was provided with the Buku 555 sort of their Bank Account. With such strategy, we could resolved our shortage of working capital fund issues and built "loyal" customers. The business was good and we got great support not only among my Kampong folks but those neighboring as well. In returned we gave these people a very fair, transparent pricing plus good grading and weighting for their goods and services. I introduced the concept of true Islamic market trading among these long being exploited folks.
(3) How did I came to all these "creative indeed cunning ideas"? First, my Kampong was small in population, then was only about 45 households yet big in size. Most were my relatives by blood and or marriage. Each kampong folks having 5-20 acres of highly productive alluvial land. The population are mixed hard working Javanese, Bugis, Malays, Iban and Chinese (we used to have some Indians as well). Even we had one left over MIA Korean - a WWII defector solder. There were two Chinese Sundry and Trading shops in my Kampong. Both had been there by the day my grandfather and his buddies established the Kampong. They had acted as leeches in the business dealing with the local. One of them was really a vampire. Upon graduating, I have the strong urge to deal with these leeches. I strongly believe, Allah blessed me with all those "creative and cunning thought" through my well exposed in UKM and being a ROTU commissioned officer.
(5) I was among the very few science-based students to be recruited as the SAO. At the interview, indeed there were lots of other "senior" candidates with Art Sciences and Administration qualification. I was called in the last. Probably how I was chosen, for at the interview, I made them to remember me for my naiveness but honest gestures. The interview was totally in English. After all those questioning about my general knowledges, activities and.jfif)
interest, then came the few last questions. First, I was asked how to address our governor? My very naive answer was: "Istana" which made everybody to glare and cynically smiled at me. Then followed by another catchy question: "You are a botanist, how could you apply your knowledge to manage the people. SAO post is about managing the people.". I don't exactly know how I came to the instantaneous answer: "In Botany, I learnt a subject called ecology. In ecology we study how plants and their environments interact for their survival. Therefore I'll used this ecological concept to understand and then manage the people." This time they seem to bit their lips and glared at me very differently. Last, a Sarawak Foundation representative asked: "Say if you can't get this job, what will you do?". Again, I can't figure out how did I simply replied to his question: "Just issue me a letter to say I'm not hired. Then I'll be relieved from the five year bond with the Government and sure I don't have to pay back my Sarawak Foundation 25 per cents Scholarship amount." He shook his head and simply said: "You can't do that." Looking back, the two impromtu answers that I made I belief was the great wisdom from Allah. Without His helped, I won't make it to anywhere.
(6) The secretary to the Interview Committee was the Simunjan former District Officer. I met him few times after my graduation in the course dealing with some development funding for a number of minor rural development in my Kampong. That Hj Zakaria Peter Nyumei then was the Director of the CMD Establishment Unit and years later he became our coffee break buddies at Wisma Bapa Malaysia. His office then was at 6th floor while mine was at 13th floor.
6. BEING AN SAO AT THE SPU:
My first week in the SPU was very dull. Killing indeed. From a hyperactive kampong farm boy, now sitting in a cubical 10 x 12 feet cold office was really a big blow to me. All the seniors
.jfif)
were then on travelling including the director and his deputy. Nonetheless on the first Monday of the second week, I went to see the Deputy Director - Dr Hatta Solhee. First he question me about my degree. A botanist. Not relevant at all to the socio-economic planning function of the SPU. But then SPU was in acute shortage of executive level. So much so, he has nothing much to say, he had to accept my posting, and may be later he could exchanged me with other agency which was relevant to my qualification, but none except DoA and Forestry which was a technical agency when my post was an SAO. Secondly, he enquired about my English command - well so so, since from Form 1 to graduate, all my learning was in Bahasa Melayu. Almost all of the SPU executives then either were oversea graduated and or from University Malaya which their learning medium were strong in English.
6.1 My First Three Months:
Hatta was a very accommodative boss. He wanted me to learn by reading. Thus he assigned me to organize the SPU library. There were tonnes of documents and books in the Library which were never being properly organized. It was my luck may be, Hatta hit my very useful talent that the SPU really needed, for during my six years in the secondary school I was a well trained librarian especially in documentation categorizing. Accordingly, I love reading and researching. While organizing the documents, I read through most of them and accordingly I trained one of our clerk to specialize in printing, binding and organizing all of the documents then. We both get the job done within three months.
(2) I invited Hatta to have a look at our well organized library and explained to him that thereon, our clerk could organized the library independently. I had trained him enough. Then I asked him, what next for me? I was stunt by his simple answer: "You are working in the SPU , a State central agency suppose to be the thinker and advisor to the State. Therefore, it is your duty to think and propose what are good for the State. Keep learning." I was really puzzled. I don't know where to start. But then he assigned me to help in the Agriculture Sector Development Planning - which cover foods, commodities, forestry, fisheries, livestock and rural development. A huge sector indeed, and yet at that point there were only three of us to take care of the Sector. My immediate boss then was my two years senior from UKM but since he immediately join the service after his graduation, so much so he was then four years my senior in service. My other colleague was my contemporary except he reported to duty in July 1986 but with prior working experience with the Sarawak Land Development Board, SLDB. By age he was two years my senior.
6.2 What Exactly My Responsibilities:
(2) PAS ideally be supported by three AS. In view of acute staffs shortage, and ever since I was the only AS to provide all the assistance to my PAS. Within the 1986-1999 period, I served four PAS. In a sense, despite it was very hectic, but I gained lots of advantages that I treasure to this day - myself and my PAS we were almost equal in our knowledge wrt to our Sector. Accordingly by circumstances I was being pushed to be highly competent fast.
(3) I could only figure out on how to execute my duties properly after about 6-9 months being in the SPU. The very weaknesses wrt being in the service then was, we were left to learn on our own. The seniors were all hard up with all sorts of their hectic responsibilities. The most we were only given the hints on how to handle or resolve matters. I remembered, when first time being asked to take down minutes of meeting, which I never know how, I was only being asked: "Why don't you look at the old files". The treatment then was very insulting - not only he gave me a sharp stared, but he looked at me from under his eyes' glasses. There .jfif)
were thousands and one things in the files, naively, one's will wander, which one? There was no specific training be given on how to execute our works, except after one year in service we have to under go a month full time Induction Course. Upon passing all the related Examination in the Course, then we be confirmed in the Service. The course were not only for the SAO but inclusive all the other technical agencies. There we learned about all the given policies, General Order, State and Federal Constitution, some depth of Civil and Tort Law, certain local Native Custom Laws, and some Financial Procedures.
(5) On how to be an effective AS or officer, all were about oneself and one's determination. Upon confirmation of Service, there will be no way for that officer be shaken unless on disciplinary issues. Performance wise, even the worst, the most one would be placed in cold storage or ignored till he officially retired. For such a nature, that the very reason why we have lots of inertia civil servants while some very high performing normally were burnt out. Hire and fire is and was not Public Service holding. In the LCDA later I instituted that only the performers stay and be rewarded. By the way, among others as a AS in the SPU, I was:
(a) To provide all the support services to my PAS especially wrt all those statistic of the Sector, Development Allocation, Expenses and Projects Physical Performance Monitoring & Evaluation. I need to develop huge Sectoral Database, and just imagine, without the help of
the Computer, there would be piles of manual paper-based documentation be generated. Despite I was a Botanist, I love Math and even took Fortran Computer Programming as my elective subjects. Data organizing was not a big issue for me. Since previously I had organized the SPU library, there and then I knew where to look for these data. Accordingly, as Botanist, the discipline required us to memorized lots of plants' scientific name such as the black orchid - Coelogyne Pandurata, an orchid species which I found high up at Bukit Takun, Templer Park, Selangor. That is only one, what about monthly we need to collect and identified names of at least 20 wild plants? Botany trained me to be meticulous systematic and accordingly, I was acquitted with strong memories so much so, lots of statistic were stored in my CPU - brain.
(b) In any Sectoral meeting, I normally would served as the Secretary and or Secretariate. My best experience in this task was, one day I have to fetch one very senior MoA official ie Hj Radin Sukarno, the Head for the Policy Division of the MoA at the airport and then sent him for dinner or straight to the hotel. He was to chair a meeting wrt IADP Kalaka-Saribas Feasibility Study. There were tonnes of Reports to be delivered to him. I was also to brief him wrt the previous Minutes of Meeting and updating follow up actions. Sukarno was a very senior and well experienced official. He asked me, how long had I been in service? I told him, less than a year. Later he queried me wrt the Reports and the actions taken from the previous meetings. I was panic. I was not prepared. I couldn't answered him. He knew I was nervous. Yet he cooled me down and provided me clues on how to handle those. Wrt the Reports, first look at the Study Methodologies and Scopes. If those were agreed, then look at the findings of the Study. Then to quickly grasp the whole Report, study the Executive Summary. If one could understand the Executive Summary, then the rest of the Reports were just supportive documents. His advise helped me a lot then for I have to read all those Reports being passed to us by all sorts of Consultants and agencies.
(c) With lots of data and Reports in hand, definitely as part of the Monitoring and Evaluation, M&E task that I was next to master, I need to do all the analysis to arrive at certain policies, strategies, programs and projects formulation and recommendation. With all these, series of Studies need to be initiated, managed and or analised, I would say, those processes than becoming my gurus. Over my 14 years service in the SPU, in 2002, I summed up about.jfif)
54 Feasibility Studies I had initiated and managed. The major among them were the Sarawak Agriculture Perspective Plan, SAPP together with the CIDA Consulting Group; Sarawak Oil Palm Development Masterplan with the Sime Darby Consulting Grp; Sarawak Poverty Study with the UKM Consulting grp; Rural Growth Centers Feasibility Study; Lower Saribas IADP Extension Study; Lower Rajang Regional Development Plan Study; Sebangan-Bajong DID Scheme Prefeasibility Study, etc. All these Studies formed the major development undertaking by the Sector both funded by the Federal and State Government.
(d) Last but not least, in view of the huge size of the Sector we were handling, by not long I had to represent my PAS and the Department to attend meetings, discussions and field trips. These tasks gave me the sense of to be very responsible for anybody whom represent the SPU, he was treated as the State very authority as far as development planning and management was concern. It was not a joke or an easy task. One's really need to be well prepared, meticulous, knowledgeable, and decisive.
(e) The SPU was very lacking in staffing. Indeed most of the State agencies were working with very tight number of staffs. For this reason, in 1990 -1996 then 1998-1999 I was assigned to take care of our Administrative Section. This was indeed a "free" extra heavy burden for me. Despite so, I never regretted being honored to take such task for later, especially when I was tasked to be the Resident, Director of the SPU and GM LCDA, such experiences really helped me so much.
6.3 First Assignment - Telaga Air & Bakun Model Village:
The years 1986-1990 was coincidentally with the Fifth Malaysia Plan 5MP period. 1986 was considered the first year 5MP implementation stages and normally by Nov., all agencies were 
to submit their 1987 budget requirement. At the Federal level, in view of Mahathir criticism on how dirty and disorder were two places - Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis, the Ministry of Regional and Rural Development KPWLB had formulated a strategy named Halacara Baru Pembangunan Luar Bandar. The strategy entails the development of Kg Contoh, Kg Tersusun and even Pusat Pertumbuhan Desa. The essence of the strategy and program was to hasten the hygienic and social well-being of the neighborhood. Where industrialization could be organized, such should be the Income Generating sector that should be focused on. I believe, Mahathir approach was to gear urbanization and industrialization process nation-wide. Looking back, I believe the KPW&LB and the Kedah and Perlis State Governments then didn't perceived well what was Mahathir next move ie to develop Langkawi into the national tourism key destination area. To this day, I can see both Kuala Kedah and Perlis were not developed accordingly to such vision.
.jfif)
(3) Based on the socio-economic data which identified the target population profiles and their needs, the Telaga Air Layout Plan was prepared and the target population were given 
free lots for them to start building their new much development friendly neighborhood. When serving LCDA in 2002-2011, we were assigned to finish off the Project implementation. We got those done and today Telaga Air is a bustling small eating place by the river mouth of Sg Sibu Laut. Indeed I could see, Telaga Air-Pasir Panjang Mangrove Belt could be transformed into the Borneo Hua Long Bay of Vietnam with nice evening site seeing in a Junk Hotel crushing. Telaga Air warrant and is matured for bigger public-private smart intervention to turn the place into both great domestic and foreign tourism destination.
(4) My memory of this Telaga Air will always stick into my mind, first this was my very first development planning undertaking work, second the place was where I met Saddam Husein in person. He was not the President of Iraq but the Village Head there then. Thirdly, to reach Telaga Air in 1986 was really painful, we need to take a boat from Semariang Batu at Petra Jaya and we then will need to be very knowledgeable about all those tributaries - loba, failing which we will lead us to nowhere. In low tide we need to take the open sea. In high tide, we could play around maneuvering among the tributaries. We need local good boat operator to guide us. Failing which and indeed happening to us twice where we got stuck and we need to wait for the next high tide to come in. Being stuck in a deep mangrove area was a great pain when we have to deal with the sand flies.
(5) Telaga Air, Kuching; (?), Serian; Gedong, Simunjan; Beladin, Saribas; Nanga Spak, Betong; Semop, Daro; and Awat-Awat, Sundar, Lawas were among those places studied to be developed under the RGC concept. In 2003, through LCDA, I was tasked to implement the Telaga Air, Beladin and Awat-Awat RGC.
(6) Later in 1995, prior leaving for my post graduate study, I was assigned to do the Bakun Resettlement Benchmark Survey. At this juncture I had been acquitted with lots of such exercise, so much so the whole task was internally done with very less support from other agencies. Our focus then was to gauge the perception of the Kayan and Lahanan in 15 Long Houses at the Upper Balui wrt the Government intention to resettle them to Sg Asap in view of the need to develop the Bakun Dam. We made interviews and discussions with the folks at Uma Lesong, Uma Balui Ukap, Uma Daro', Uma Juman, Uma Liko, Uma Belor, Uma Nyaving and Uma Bawang. We briefed them on the nature of their future settlement area - the road network to Bintulu, social amenities to be provided, and their socio-economic well-being. The key points that we emphasized then were the drastic reduction to their cost of living and better accessibility to healthcare and education for the kids. Personally I had no problem to talk about the two different world of being deprived of development as against being within the development for I had personally experienced and saw a lot of those. Our very approach then was to handle the ladies within their household world while the husband or men more in term of to bring foods to the tables. Nonetheless we didn't visited the Lahanan group further upriver due to heavy rain and the river was a bit dangerous for us to travel further up. In general the people were anxious about the whole idea and most would love to give a try.
(6) Being up there with these communities was very touchy. The very obvious was we don't quite see the young. Mostly the population either the very young kids, above middle aged mothers and the elders. The young able bodies were reported to be in Miri and Bintulu and or timber camps. Looking at their plight, I felt in deep sadden. Personally I made a point to look at their kitchen. Even the wealthiest among them, what they have were very basic. Worst among the poor. Transportation cost was so exorbitant, very difficult and could be very dangerous. In 1995 to have a pack of instant noodle with egg cost me RM5.00 then. The price for a piece of fried egg was RM3.00. Healthcare and Education were the worst available services. During
heavy rainfall, the river will sore high with dangerous fast river flow. During the draught season, again they will be facing transportation problem due to drying river. At these two extreme situations, the kids normally just be absence from school and the sicks will have to rely on traditional healthcare. The livelihood up there seem to be "very independent and isolated from all the civilization".
(7) As a botanist and keen ecologist, my most touchy feeling was - the whole ecosystem up there were so splendid and serene. The dam will make all those to disappear and would take probably few decades for some of those natural priceless beauties to regenerate if ever. Nonetheless for any development, there is always a cost to it and certain quarters may have to sacrifice. The tradeoff surely, the displaced must be taken care to the best human values and needs they deserved.
6.4 Project Proposal Conceptual Challenges:
The SPU is not concerning about Projects implementation. If need be, we will initially triggered the coordination committee and after a while we will passed the matters to the relevant ministries to proceed. SPU role then will be just in attendance. We never implement projects. Our function were in areas of development policies direction, priorities and formulation of key "mega" projects.
(2) Every SPU officer was expected to be able to contribute in those mentioned functions. The SPU Director then was Dr. Nik Ibrahim Nik Mahmoud, a Federal PTD officer whom was seconded to Head the Department of Development DoD with SPU and SDO as the subordinates. By virtue of such arrangement, he was also the Director of the SPU with Dr Hatta Solhee as one of his deputies. In 1986, the Nation and the whole world was in economic crisis. The 1985/86 economic crisis was triggered by the high interest rates in the US, which is better known as the “Volcker Shock”. Paul Volcker was the newly appointed US Federal Reserve chairman and, in 1980, to rein in rising prices, he instituted record-high interest rates, which led to a collapse in world commodity trade. Malaysia, being an exporter nation, suffered as primary commodity prices fell and demand for manufactured goods declined. Malaysia’s overall export price index fell 30% as tin and palm oil prices plunged.
.jfif)
(4) From my Botanical and or agronomic knowledges, the Natural Sciences perspective, what Anwar is now doing, he kills the existing crops, replaced with new high productive varieties with inputs all are imported. To the end he is throwing Malaysia into a Zero Sum Game - the Boria of Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu juga that he is accustomed to. Malaysian economic issues may drag on even 5-10 years after his "IMF oriented subscription model". Malaysian economy is not an issue, the issue is Anwar obsessive to the IMF style.
(4) In Malaya, especially in the 1984-1990 period, there was a great shift in educated and skilled labor demand. Most of the sciences-based graduates can't find job and the national unemployment rate was relatively high. Upon resuming the PM position in 1981, Mahathir made big push for the Malays and other Bumiputera to take up sciences and technical skills with the intention to meet up his industrialization dream. Due to the crisis, Malaysia big dream of fast tract industrialization was thwarted. So much so, lots of those whom graduated with sciences-based qualification then had to seek employment outside of their expertise. Lots of my colleagues then joined the Custom, Teaching, and all sort of enforcement agencies. I was lucky able to enter the Administration side of the service.
(5) Being a young active person, with broad Malaya socialization and coming from the rural area, the Director whom was concern about the unemployment problem among the graduates, he requested me to come up with a Paper on how to help resolved such issue using the Agriculture Sector. As a Botanist as well as my English was at "cukup makan", I have great problem to arrive at a good economic and finance Paper. Hatta suggested me to meet up with Dr. Abdillah Aton in LCDA to get some good ideas about the Paper. Nonetheless since I know nut about economic matters, which the Paper must dwelt on, he suggested me to firstly learning by reading economic books. I then spent lots of my weekend at the State Library starting with the Form Six Elementary Economic Text books then slowly into those higher version. As for the format and content of the Paper, I was advised to study all the development proposals in the files. Well again, Allah helped me, I quickly could grasped all the logic and Mathematical representation of the economic issues and rationales plus the format of the Paper which indeed was almost exactly as my Fourth Year Botanical Thesis.
(7) With regard to the RGC paper, internally the Paper took about three years to pass through. Then it took another two years to be accepted among all other related ministries and agencies. Despite SPU is a central planning agency, the protocol then was for us to have consensus among all related parties on any new development direction that the State need to undertake, so much so, a concrete proper Papers need to be prepared, tabled, discussed and considered. It was only in the 6MP 1991-1995 that this RGC approached was officially accepted and becoming key Program in our rural development approach.
(9) By the way, the RGC and Graduate farming later equipped me with some perspective of 
socio-economic and financial analysis. In Botany, these equate the studies of Morphology, Anatomy, Physiology and Ecology and how to bundle all those into the Medical Biometric. Wallahu A'lam Bisyawab.
(10) Wthin my 14 years serving the SPU, I had initiated and or pursue the realization of few broad-based rural-agro-forestry development projects such as the Samarahan & Kalaka-Saribas IADPs (AIDA), Extension of Asajaya DID Scheme, Sebangan-Bajong-Simunjan DID Scheme, numerous smaller scheme all through the state, statewide oil palm developments especially in the peat and coastal areas, the Lower Rajang and Lower Saribas agricultural developments, fishing landing facilities, etc
6.5 Being Secretariate:
The very nature of our business in the SPU was we have lots of meeting and discussion. Daily we have lots of those be it internal, inter agencies, State, National and even international levels. Such was the very beauty of the SPU. We deal in "every things under the sun" either to execute or feed the Government especially the Chief Minister with all the relevant matters that he wanted us to care. As an AS usually in the meeting, I'll and some of my other colleagues were assigned to serve the Secretariate. The main tasks of the Secretariate:
We must get all the meeting preparations be in order. The Government then was very protocol minded. Sitting arrangement must be organized by protocol order. As young officer, I then suppose not to talk too much. The very best was to listen and keep taking notes and then preparing the Minutes of Meeting. It didn't stop there. As the Secretary and or Secretariate, we need to follow up. If needed be we need to do serious Monitoring and Evaluation. Therefore we need to organise lots of field visits and even problem solving discussions. In those days, in lieu of staff shortage, I was lucky for I have very much freedom to go out to do all those field M&E and site meetings. Those indeed speedup my management and leadership maturity which were very useful in my later careers.
6.6 Initiating Major Development Undertaking:
Sarawak was really under developed in the 1980s and even 1990s. Accordingly the state large size with very disperse rural population and diverse geographical nature, with limited fund available both at the State and national level, we need to set our very priority right. Systematic strategic planning knowledge and process need to be applied. Formally I don't have all these skills, but with Allah help, my ROTU and University political experiences and those hidden knowledges in the Botanical fields once I could tract and comprehend all those, then I would say I then having greater advantages over many others.
(2) Personally I could see socio-economic issues from the social, economic and technical points of view. Among those disciplines, I could figure out which among them should be given high consideration in development planning and management. Couple by a habitual of self-learning drive, I read tonnes of books and eagerly listening to lots of talks and discussion on strategic planning and management, then I was additive to researching, thinking and putting things on papers. I acquitted my strategic thinking and planning by hard reseach and self-education.
(4) Thereon, we provide sufficient funding for us to engage lots of Feasibility Studies and Projects design and later be placed as the State major development initiatives for the 5MP consideration and approval. With all these, SPU was well recognized and respected at the State and National level as forefront mover of the State economic prosperity.
6.7 Providing Sectoral M&E Tasks:
SPU is the secretariate to the State 5-years Malaysia Plan (5MP) formulation and implementation. Quarterly we need to tract the Physical and Financial Progress of the 5yr MP. Reports had to be provided to the State Cabinet and EPU of PMO. So much so, all our database must be updated comprehensively. It was my duties then to collect all these information from all the related Sectoral agencies - compiled, collated and analysed them accordingly.
(2) Field visits need to be organised to see the true performance of the projects impolementation. Travelling in Sarawak in those days, not many like to do it, but to me "such was my vacations". Having thorough ground knowledge was very important in my M&E tasks. During my 1986-1996 and 1998-1999 then 2002 service in the SPU, I would say I had covered the whole breath of Sarawak, Malaya and Sabah in my travelling. With all these knowledges and experiences, definitely those really helped me to have good grasp of socio-economic priority matters for the Sarawak and Malaysia as a whole.
6.8 Balancing Sectoral Focus:
In the 1980s, Sarawak was a natural resources-based economies - being O&G and timber as the main sources of income. Industrialization then was also of O&G and timber orientation. Pepper despite had been Sarawak global dominance, but it never progress beyond the traditional methodology and production-based. Accordingly, Oil Palm was just makin some introduction. Sarawak I would say is 20 - 30 years behind Malaya in term of its oil palm development advancement. In those days, we only managed to secure and spent about RM3.00 billion annually as compared to RM16.00 billion to RM20.00 billion nowaday.
(3) In the mid 1980s, it was not easy to get "reasonably enough fund' for the rural and agricultural developments. Mahathir focus then was privatization and industrialization. We need to be very smart to justify and formulate our programs to align to his very focus areas. Our best choice then was to blend the State and Federal projects to the effect both would be having the rural-agro and industrial flavor. Being an officer in the SPU and EPU for the matter, one need to really able to understand the policies and priorities of the State and Nation and thus realise such directions accordingly. Such capacity definitely help in getting the funds needed. I was lucky, with my ability to speak the Kelantan, Kedah and even Negeri Sembilan Malay dialects and understand the sentiments of the related officers in the EPU, thus I managed to rationalize our Federal funding requirement appropriately.
6.9 Representing the State and Nation at International Level:
The SPU is the Sarawak State Government coordination body wrt the State participation in the BIMP AEAGA and Sosek Malindo caucus. There were many Sectoral Sub-Grp being established in support of the Main BIMP EAGA and Sosek Malindo Caucus. I used to represent Sarawak and even Malaysia in lots of meeting in Pontianak, Kalimantan and Davoa, the Philippines.
(2) These meetings provided me with lots of experiences in dealing with cross borders and international level particularly in the Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Forestry matters. I was young then, very energetic and enthusiasm. I love going out exploring how others doing their things. I never have the fear of travelling even alone into Davoa and Pontianak rural areas.
7. BOLD FAST MOVING UP:
I wet for my post grad study in Denver, Colorado, Denver in August 1996 and returned in around Sept., 1998. Two days after reporting back to duty, after the weekly Wednesday 
Cabinet Meeting, I heard my boss then ie Wilson Baya Dandot, Tan Sri heavy and fast footstep passing by my office. I was good in imitating his walking style to make all my other colleagues silent when I heard them giggling too much in their rooms. I was also quiet skillful in knowing his mood by the sound of his foot steps. The book title: "How to manage your boss" gave me lots of insight into how to work with the bosses. Normally when the sounding was rushing and heavy, he will start calling one by one of his executives to see him. There normally be lots of urgent stuffs to be taken care. Such was the nature working right under Taib Mahmud, then. "Once requested, the task considered done yesterday". I had no problem with all these demanding characters for my dad had trained me since I was just able to walk then.
(2) That day, he seem quite, nervous. I pooped at his PA and asked her what happened? She just shown me a "Not sure head shaking gesture". Well after coming back from the good USA socialization approach, In Shaa Allah I would write on this later; compare to the long past "feudalistic culture", I would just backoff, but this time, I saw it was around 12:00 o'clock, I knocked on his door and suggest: "Got time, let have lunch". He snuffled and grunted, "We are in big trouble, Big Boss want quick Report". "Well let have lunch and coffee and talk then". He agreed and we rush to the Wisma Bapa Malaysia Cafe. I invited few other colleagues to come as well. There he told us, Taib was not happy with the performance of Kota Samarahan development. Despite heavy weight he had thrown to the area, it seem the town "hidup segan mati tak mahu" - turtle economic growth. Taib needed the Cabinet to be briefed within next two months.
(3) In everybody mind then was for us to engage a Consultancy firm to do a Development Review Study. Well all of us then said, the two months period would only be sufficient to get through with the Government procedures to just get the Consultant be chosen and engaged. The Study itself sure will take at least 3-6 months. A two months period was a no go. Minimum we need six months.
(4) SubhanaAllah, while doing my course work in the US, I have this one Paper, done with my other five students colleagues, assessing the "Slump and Socially-ill" place of 13th and Downing St block. Due to affordability factor, in my few first months in Denver, I used to rent a Studio at Ogden St., to the south of the Project area. Real "scary and feel of uneasy" for me - sort of "red area" then. The Study focus on looking at all the factors and interaction of those that might contributed to the nature of the place. This involved a desktop and field observations. We have about 6 weeks to submit our Paper. Well our group was having a
great advantages due to my personal working experienced and my acquaintance with the GIS. We deployed the quantitative, qualitative and spatial analysis in undertaking the work. Working with the White, Black, Chicano, Jew and Brazilian whom having very diverse background was a very exiting for me. First their English definitely was superb for such they can argued the subject from a very diverse angles. Secondly, not easy to gain their respect for Malaysia was not known to them, until I shown them the Petronas Twin Tower, and definitely my personal grasp on this socio-economic and spatial analysis skill - meaning, I have to show them that I'm a hard working and smart guys. I shown them I was not the third world person that their mind had hooked about.
(5) There were 25 of us in a class. Thus we have five Papers covering five different "slump" areas. At the end of the Summer Semester, the School organized a mini-plenary session together with the Planning Unit of the Colorado Governor Office. Basically our Studies were to provide independent academic views on the weaknesses of the Denver City Management and how those should then be improved. Our exercises, I believe were applicable to the Development Review undertaking that Taib needed. I passed the Paper to Wilson then. He
was indeed surprised to see a note on top of the Paper - Big A++ marked with "grant the School to use the Paper for our next course", and I requested him to let me organized an In-house Team to do the review. He then consulted both the Deputy State Secretary which was
was indeed surprised to see a note on top of the Paper - Big A++ marked with "grant the School to use the Paper for our next course", and I requested him to let me organized an In-house Team to do the review. He then consulted both the Deputy State Secretary which was
Dr Hatta Solhee and the State Secretary. They agreed, and there and then I organized the team mostly from all those technical agencies from the Samarahan Division inclusive of the Samarahan R&DO. We did the whole things within six weeks. We organized the collection of all the relevant data and facts. Our SPU GIS team was to compute all those data into the system. With my long experienced in GIS and Remote Sensing application in development planning then we deployed the best spatial approach to prepare for the briefing note. We deferred from the normal statistical and qualitative presentation to fully graphical and spatial-based display.
(6) The SPU Director then briefed Taib and the Samarahan DUNs, MP and officials. Key to our findings which were very catchy to Taib then were - Firstly very poor urban fabric mixed and connectivity, second the very poor Centrifugal Forces of the development agglomeration. Indeed, the Greater Kuching development created the negative Centripetal effect to Kota Samarahan especially the Tabuan and Mile 7th or Kota Sentosa. The briefing was supposed to take about 45 minutes, yet when key findings and solutions were presented within the first 5-7 minutes, Taib stood up and congratulated the Director and the briefing stopped there. Taib words then were: "Congratulation and very thank you. Now I got some ideas on how to improve on those".
(7) From the Map provided above, it was glaring, the fast expansion of Tabuan-BDC, Merdang and Kota Sentosa with the establishment of UNIMAS and UiTM by the Kota Samarahan-Sentosa Road Junction, definitely BDC-Tabuan, Merdang and Kota Sentosa becoming the Centripetal Forces to distract the Kota Samarahan Pentagon CBD Development despite the Government had placed all the necessary public institutions there. The agglomeration of these public institutions at the Pentagon can't help to boost the growth of the intended CBD. Most of the staffs then were commuters to and from Kuching. Accordingly the connection between Kota Samarahan and its interior was not efficient.
(8) The Review that I had done, presented my depth understanding of socio-economic development planning. Since the Review Project was within Taib's main concern area, whereby he was pushing for the relocation of those Industries at Pending to Samarahan, the lukewarm growth of Kota Samarahan could failed him badly. I believe my success in producing the Paper in less than two months as required, earned me some recognition by the SS and DSS. My actual luck, Denys Lang the MACD Permanent Secretary passed away probably around August 1999. Someone need to replaced him. I was told by Hatta Solhee, Datu Dr sometime around 2024 while having tea with him, that I was originally earmarked to takeover from the late Denys Lang. But the I was considered too junior and had never served any other position, therefore, Abdillah Aton, Dr whom then was the Resident of Bintulu was recalled back to be the Permanent Secretary of MACD. I took over Abdillah Aton, Dr from 1 Oct., 1999 exactly on the 13th years of my service.
8. RETURNING TO MY PUBLIC AMBITION & TO MY FRUSTRATION:
I was sent to served as the Resident of Bintulu around Sept., 1999. By around early 2001 I got a Memo requesting me to be back to head the SPU. I was half heartedly - to stay or to go. I began to like the job to be close to the people. Indeed I wanted to see Taib and requested him to post me to either as District Officer in Simunjan my own hometown or as resident of Samarahan Division whom overseeing three districts ie Samarahan, Simunjan and Serian. I wanted to do real much better development for the Samarahan division and Simunjan in particular. But, I was advised to take up the post to lead the SPU. My immediate return was held up by the request of the four ADUN in Bintulu. They need me for the 27 Sept, 2001 State Election. I only reported back to the SPU on 2 January 2002.
(2) By the way, prior leaving for my post grade study in 1996, I had promised that I'll work to be the Director of the SPU. Well despite my new love finding at the R&DO, now I have the opportunity to be the Director of the SPU, a position that really could bring me into most advantage to serve the needy.
.jpg)
(4) First thing first upon returning to the SPU, I must conclude the Socialization Study and presented the findings to Taib. This was done about mid of 2002, whereby I called up Shamsul Bahari, Datuk Professor, the Study Team Leader to do the presentation. Taib was present during the briefing and he noted to the findings of the study which I summarised as "inertia service trickling of the government." The rakyat were very frustrated of the government service out reached in improving their livelihood within today open information flows. Indeed as I see it, despite failure for Anwar to honor all his sweet promises, the present open boundaries of IT-based communication flows had made things worst.
9. LEAVING MY DEAREST SPU:
The Sarawak State Planning Unit, SPU was established on 6 March, 1972. When Rahman Yaakub was asked to return and lead Sarawak on 7 July 1970, I was informed he requested the Federal Government to lend him five senior officials from the Federal Service to help him established few key agencies at the State level. One of them was a guy name Aminurashid. He was tasked to established the SPU. The SPU was chosen for it will deal in both the economic and social sectors deferring from all its counterparts ie the UPEN in other states which dealt strictly on economic matters.
(3) In view of my academic and life background as Botanist and someone coming from the rural agrarian community, I was assigned to provide assistant to my immediate boss then Ubaidillah Abdul Latif whom was my two years senior at UKM, but since he joint the service immediately upon his graduation and me only two years after my graduation, in service term he was four years my senior. My first 10 years in the SPU, had given me broad hand on experiences in dealing with the Rural and Agriculture Sector Development Planning and Management. On 8 August 1996, I left SPU to pursue for my post grad study in the USA. On the last day before leaving for the Study, I dropped by to one of my senior colleague and said to him "See you in 1998 and I'll come back to be the SPU Head", definitely he wished me best of luck and will always keep in his mind of my ambition. The SPU head then was Wilson Baya Dandot, Tan Sri. Upon returning on 8 Sept., 1998, I was assigned to head my favorite Rural and Agriculture Sector inclusive of the GIS Unit. 1 Sept 1999 - December 2001 I was posted to the R&DO Bintulu. Alhamdullilah, my ambition to be the head of the SPU was accomplished on 2 Jan., 2002, and that senior colleague of mine then dropped by to congratulate me and remind me of my earlier determination.
10. MY NEVER ENDING LOVE TO THE SPU - WHY?
Why I love SPU so much? First my promised to my mom that one day I'll be a District Officer, the DO. SPU facilitated me to be the Resident - a step higher than the DO - and I believe, I was the Resident who fear and favor no one. I acted based on professional discipline demanded on me. The SPU engraved and fortified such discipline in me. I owned the SPU to honor my wish and my mom approval and blessing.
(2) Secondly, I joint SPU on 1 Oct., 1986 without know nut of socio-economic issues and or planning skill. I was a Botanist. For three months, the then Deputy Director of SPU assigned me to organise all the documents and reading all those to acquit myself with all the SPU dealings. I was lucky for when I was a student both in Kuala Krai, Kelantan and Jitra, Kedah I was a keen librarian. I was trained to organize and categorising books and documents based on international standard. Within three months those tones of documents that had been produced by the SPU (since 1972) had never been organised, I got those organised. I can't figure out how much documents had I browsed and read through. Upon completion of the task, I went over to meet the Deputy Director, Hatta Solhee, Dr. I told him I'm now bored and don't know what to do next. It seem no one in the SPU was willing to coach me on what to do. Everybody was to their head fully occupied with all sorts of tasks. So I asked him "What should I do? ". Indeed I have the thought of resigning for I see I'm useless and I remembered my grandfather advise "If you ever joining a Public Service - make sure you don't makan gaji buta shaking your ball and enjoying makan gaji percuma and haram".
.jpg)
(4) The SPU made me to be able to honor the aspiration of my mom and dad over me, and may all the good deeds I earned thereon be the blessing for their best position now hereafter. Nonetheless the pride that I hold to this day, probably I was honored to head the SPU - one of the State Prestigious Central Agencies - at the age of 42 years old, a prestige task at a very young age to Sarawak Civil Service standard then.
(5) I believe I could do more than any SPU Director before me, for I had setup the most basic prerequisite tools to help me in my socio-economic planning. The SPU Computerization System, the SPU GIS System that I had developed, the Socialization and Dynamic Macroeconomic Modelling that were done in 1999-2001 would formed the much better socio-economic development planning tools for the SPU. Personally my Urban and Regional Planning skilled that I acquired from my post grad study, I believed would give the SPU biggest strength in working out both the Spatial and Statistical Integrated Development Plan for Sarawak. I even began to conceptualise whereby the SPU would follow the footstep of the Singapore Economic Planning Board on how to execute our most efficient socio-economic development planning system. My ambition to be the director of the SPU was with a view to change our working culture and delivering fast effective socio-economic advisory function to the Government. All were for the good intent to turn Sarawak to be great. Well that were my plan and ambition yet Allah placed me to a very different path and purpose.
(6) In SPU, as I said many times, I just want to honor my promised to my mom that I'll work hard to alleviate the hardship that our people are suffering then. Indeed I believed Allah had made me as such since I began to walked to School in 1967. In 1973 I was destined to leave all my love one and headed to be "schooled and doctrinated as the Slave to the State." Rahman Yaakub, the then Chief Minister of Sarawak, said such thing clearly in his speech 
when he led us to the plane on board to Malaya in Decembar 1972: "Anak-anak, kamu adalah duta Sarawak ke Malaya. Jadilah dan kembalilah dengan yang terbaik." Indeed at that point in time, I don't know what he mean for I remember since Primary 5 and 6, despite I was considered the most bright student in my class, I and even none of the class had passed the Civic Class which dwelt on lots of general knowledges such as - Rukun Negara, numbers of states in Malaysia, independent day, functions of DUN, Parliament, head of state and nation etc - what more to say the term Duta. Interestingly, I remembered the word and since I love reading, I only really grasped on the idea of being duta kecil Sarawak when I was in Form II. There and then I promised myself, I'll beat all my classmates academically, which I did.
(7) I left the SPU on 16 Oct., 2002 and to steer the LCDA to be the "bulldozer to bring greater investment to the Sarawak rural economies". I believe, the ruthless way I served Bintulu and few direct interaction of me with Taib then, plus my courage to present the Socialization Study findings, was a factor that had took me out of my very dear ambition - to be the Director of the SPU then. Despite a remain deep regret in me, which I can forgive but never forget of it, I would said Taib really knew how to disburse his resources for the good of Sarawak. May Allah grant him the best for his good deed. Thank you very much Taib Mahmud, Hamid Bugo, Hatta Solhee, Wilson Baya Dandot and all my coffee drinking buddies at Wisma Bapa Malaysia 1986 - 2002.
Kuching, Sarawak
16 June 2024 - 27 August 2025
No comments:
Post a Comment