Dinner with the PM...

I attended a dinner with the PM, 3 Ministers, and 3 Chief Ministers in Jeddah tonight. The dinner organized by the Malaysian Business Council was well attended by Malaysian professionals and businessmen. The PM and his delegation are in Saudi at the invitation of the King, the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques.

In his speech, among other things he said:

1. The Saudi Government hold Malaysia and Malaysians in high regards, and especially rate the Jemaah Haji from Malaysia as the best! ***Kata saya: Memang kita tahu orang2 Malaysia di sini di hormati. Kita terkenal dengan budi bahasa dan nilai murni, dan tahap profesionalisma yang tinggi. Sedikit sebanyak, kesan dari TDM punya era dan aura, menaikkan nama Malaysia di sini***

2. Malaysia is the 13th biggest foreign investment in Saudi!

Malaysia have managed to narrow down the trade deficit, although it is still in favour of Saudi. When the Jizan economic city is fully developed, Malaysia will rank as the fourth largest investment.

***Kata saya: Bagus tu, dan semoga banyaklah peluang pekerjaan untuk rakyat Malaysia di Saudi ini. Juga, eloklah jika kita tidak abaikan domestic investment, supaya lebih ramai rakyat kita mendapat manafaat!***

3. Malaysia focuses on tourism, health tourism, education - in attracting Saudi money! ***kata saya: yes, saya setuju dengan sasaran itu. Kita harus juga go up scale, supaya kita boleh attract tourist yang dari kalangan berduit - bukan yang kedekut nak belanja duit. In health, we have to compete with Thailand and Singapore! Masih banyak yang harus di perbuat untuk berjaya***

4. The PM stresses his committment to further enhance relationship between the two government so that more opportunities will be opened up for Malaysians and Malaysian companies. ***Kata saya: Salute. Haruslah kita Malaysians juga memainkan peranan kita sebagai profesional di luar negara - menaikkan nama negara~!***

On the side, I was seated next to the Chief Minister of Malacca, Dato Seri Ali Rastam. He was his normal self, cordial and informal. The work and travel demands were taking their toll - he looked tired, but didn't stop him from having a good chat and showing interest in ideas thrown across the table. I suggested for the government to re-activate "Undi Pos". He nodded, but was silent.

maybe, nodding as a sign he heard me. I opened up a business venture idea for the state of Malacca - which to my delight, he took seriously. I was introduced to his General Manager of Invest.dot.Malacca.

Overall, it was a good evening. I think the PM has genuine interest to re-build Malaysia and definitely has the vision and the support of good advice. He spoke like a leader, he looks like a leader, and I am inclined to call upon Malaysians to give him the support he needs to bring back our fading glories.

Dato' Hishamudin was also present. He was jovial and confident in talking with people who came crowding him for photo shoot. Everyone was too polite to ask any sensitive political questions. TokPa was at the main table. I introduced myself, as "Ambo oghe kelate" and he replied endearingly , "Kawae kelate jugop!" I gave him my business card. I hope he will remember me, the next time I visited him at his Raya open house in Jeli!

PS: Dato' Zurai...Thank you for what you did! Both had my name in their note book, but I only managed to sit with Dato' Ali. Much appreciated. Pictures will follow.

PPS: Thank you and syabas the Malaysian Business Council, especially to Encik Kamel who extended the invitation to me, and SYABAS to Tuan Consul General Malaysia di Jeddah, Tuan Hidayat di atas satu lagi kejayaan merapatkan Malaysians with Malaysia!

I woke up this morning....

Darling,

I went out for dinner last night. I had Lebanese grill and juice delima. It was satisfying. I rushed home, to be with you. And I was thrilled to see you were online. But then, the line went down. It was from my side, I know because Amirul also was disconnected from whatever he was doing.

I woke up to the sound of your sms message coming in this morning. Not so sure I can live up to the expectation. I can try to be, but my balloon may burst, if I blow too much hot air into it. But then again, I know I have a tendency to discount my own ability. So, let us talk after the event....

The paintings you did when you were here are constant reminders of what I am missing. I started on two of them, and you finished them for me beautifully. For more than two decades now, you have been giving the finishing touch to my life.

I was in the shower this morning, when the radio was belting out King of Leon's 'Use somebody'.

"Someone like you and all you know and how you speak,

Countless lovers under cover of the street

You know that I could use somebody

You know that I could use somebody

Someone like you"

I sang along. Off beat, and off tune! I know you would remind me instantly of those deficiencies in my singing. But I also know, while others in the audience would turn and walk away, you have been and will stick around, applauding me. You even give me a feeling that you actually find my off-beat off-tune singing quite entertaining.

When I was toweling myself dry, the radio has moved on to other song but I was repeating the same lines from King of Leon. Then my voice faded, and came to a silent stop. I choked on the words, as I was listening to the silent sound of your laughter. I was expecting to hear your laughter, laughing at my singing, but it was not there.

That was when I called you, and sang!

You were surprised, I know.

I also know, you didn't for one moment believe it was the King of Leon on the phone, for you laughed instantly.

And that was all that matters. You have made my day, your way.

I miss your giggling small laugh.

As you know, I will be attending dinner function with the Prime Minister of Malaysia and other cabinet and chief Ministers this evening. I will do my best to make you proud. I will not complain about the rising sugar price, nor will I try to teach them to do their jobs. I know I would be offended if any of them were to teach me how to run my business, without first being in my shoes. I may just ask for one thing from the PM, that is for us Malaysians abroad to be allowed to vote by post again. As I am pondering on which shirt to wear and which neck-tie will match, I could not help but to hum the lyrics of 'Use somebody', and wish you were here....not to choose those for me, but simply to hug~! *sigh*

I miss you darling~!

urs, A.

There is a limit to ( FB ) friendship...

Last week I posted my dilemma on my Facebook (FB) status. "How do I delete 'unwanted friends' from my FB list?" It is a dilemma brought to surface after I realized that there are so many people on my lists whom I have no clue what so ever of their identities! To make it even worse, I noticed that they are also on my children's lists - and my childrens' have accepted their requests because I appear as their common friend. Huh, and the most acidic of all factors, I realized too that a few of them do not even display their real pictures, and have no pictures of real family members, or real friends. Alarm bell rings!!!

Twice, friends of mine sent me messages asking, "Pp, so and so requested to be on my FB and you are the only common friend. Do you know him/her?" The answer to both, "No, I do not know any of them!"

Wise of my friends to have asked. Not wise of me to have added without first checking their authenticity!

Why am I being so paranoid? There could be no valid reasons what so ever. However there are possibilities, no matter how remote, of someone with bad intention have ended up as 'friends' on FB and got to see my personal photos, those of my family members, know where I live and what I do on almost daily basis, and what time I go to sleep, and what I eat, etc etc. No, I would not mind sharing those private information with friends, and by friends I meant someone whom I know and whose identity I can trace.

I have thought enough, and I still hesitate about deleting! I care not to hurt people's feelings. I worry that I may offend someone with genuine good intentions. I fear that I may miss the fun of reading some of those funny status statements. So, I have not yet deleted anyone...such feeble heart I have!

I googled for help, looking for tips from others. I found this link quite enlightening.

After reading the article in the link above, I have gathered just enough gut, and have increased my rational in doing what I need to do. Friendship, has a limit....if the value of friendship is to be preserved.