1. First, Al-Fatihah to Tun Daim Zainuddin. Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat keatas ruh nya. Aamiin.
2. TDZ as I called him died this 13 November 2024. My brother texted me. My daughter texted me. A friend also sent me the news.
3. I feel obliged to write this about him. He has befriended me. I was planning to write something about his court charges. That will wait. As of now, let me write about him as a person. From my little acquaintance with him
4. I think it was circa 2009 or 2010. I was an ex-Adun. Not selected to stand again in the 2009 election.
5. I got a call. From a lady named May I think. She was secretary to TDZ; "TDZ wishes to see you"
6. I regarded that as singular honour. I said yes.
7. Later I found out he wanted to see the person behind the Sakmongkolak47 blog .
8. That was the start of a lifelong friendship with TDZ. At that time his office was his building in Jalan Syed Putra or Lornie road .
9. If I am not mistaken, the building was called Yayasan Pok Rafeah. After his mother.
10. Also if I am not mistaken he has a photo of his mother in his room. He also hung a picture of his daughter and newborn cucu.
11. I met him regularly after that. I picked on his brains. Mostly about politics and social matters.
12. I wrote a number of articles of my meetings with him. They were titled "the Oracle of Syed Putra". On account of his prescient insights.
13. After the 1st article I wrote, the secretary called me. She said, "if Tun knows you write verbatim, he would be more circumspect". I knew then TDZ was a careful man.
14. One of the things I remember most was something he said about corruption. He said how to eliminate corruption, if the number 1 in the ministry is hands in glove?
15. Btw, the interviews were in bahasa campur. Malay and English. He, in his Kedah accent.
16. He was a simple man. Smallish in size, always in open sleeve shirts. Never saw him in in blazers or coats.
17. He can be quite witty at times. He lets off guffaws at his own jokes. Once I brought Aziz Nong Chik, Rosmah's ex husband to see him. He wanted the services or advice of a geologist.
18. After explaining who Aziz was - TDZ as a matter of factly said to Aziz, congratulations Rosmah has make it big.
19. He then moved to his building at Wisma Ilham. I saw him a number of times .
20. I was saddened to see him wheel chaired into court early this year. I shall write about that latter .
21. I regard it as a singular honour to be counted as his friend. So together with many others who were closer friends to him, I bid adieu to him. Al Fatihah, semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat keatas ruh nya. Aamiin.
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