12 January 2015

Chairman Lo on Tun Rahman

Chairman of Padawan Lo Khere Chiang said it  was a household name back then and as a little boy he could vividly remember the name strike him like lightning to a thunder.

The most engraved picture of Abdul Rahman Yakub  would be the Sri Aman peace treaty. It was the talk of the town then and a much envisaged relief to many who had become tired of the long and arduous civil war. The days and nights of curfew still linger on everyone mind till this day even though children were very much unaware of what was happening then. As I grew older, through history books,  I began to understand the dreams and aspirations that our forefathers had for our lands,  the hardships and sacrifices that they made before we could attain the comforts and luxuries of medical and education facilities and the luxuries that we enjoy today.

I remember the days when we would visit his house during Hari Raya and ate all the cakes and drinks we wanted. After all it’s not everyday that we have nice cakes and carbonated drinks  to savour then. Race, religion and  harmony were uncommon in the days of Abdul Rahman Yakub. I study, eat on the same table and go to the movies together with my Muslim and native brothers even though there were privileges being accorded to the poorer Bumiputra back then. Then, we did not even think that religious  fanatics could exist in our society today.

During his last few years I still meet him occasionally on the plane from KL to Kuching and would greet him. Those nostalgic childhood moments would roll back and it was such a joy to see his familiar smile and friendly greetings. His memory was very good and he would recall his days when he thronged India Street which was the only shopping street in the early sixties and late seventies where my Dad and his elder brother had a sundry shop selling shoes bags and shirts.

Abdul Rahman Yakub, as we all fondly remember him, has undoubtedly contributed tremendously to the formation of Sarawak within Malaysia along with the 18 points which remain with us to this very day. He has laid a very strong foundation stone for the future of Sarawak as we have seen today. He has successfully groomed another great leader and  successor during his time who is non other than our previous chief minister, Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud. Taib has through his time and the firm foundation stone laid by Abdul Rahman Yakub, propelled Sarawak through his politics of development.

On his final journey, it is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to his excellency, Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Yakub. My deepest sympathy and condolences to his family on this day of grief. May God bless his soul and may his soul rest in peace.

May God continue to bless this land of Sarawak and her people.



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