Oh! What a Sunday. A phone call starts its all. A friend call saying that why not we go and see Pak Lah. Yes, Pak Lah our Prime Minister. As we all know the BN which he led did not do well in the March 8,2008 election, so as his friends right from the early seventies [ We were then officers in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports], we felt that it would be a good idea to seen him as friends should, especially so at this time. Surely he would be happy to see some familiar faces. So early on Sunday morning I left my home, pick the friend and drove to Putra Jaya. Three other friends went on there own and all five of us [Tan Sri Sabki, Datuk Suffian, MohdKB, Halim and Me] rendezvous at 7.30AM in front of the PM Housing complex.
We thoughts that if we come early on this Sunday morning without an appointment we would somehow get to see him. Eventually after waiting for hours we got the green light and drive into the complex. We got to his home and was ushering in to a small study. So we sat and wait. Hot drinks and cakes/fruits were served. The snacks and the coffee was a great relief since we actually did not really have a proper breakfast this morning. Remember I left home this morning at 6.30AM in the morning. While we were enjoying the coffee, Pak Lah walk in with a smile and mentioned our names one after another and said he was please to see us. He smile saying that if we had told him earlier he would have got 'nasi lemak' for us. Anyway it was a meeting of friends in a cordial mood. Without much ado we congratulate him of his win in the election and him for been appointed as the Prime Minister for another term.
We chat on various issues on the happening especially of the result of the election. He touches on the young voters and the role of the new media like blogging. On this subject I told him that I have been blogging for four years already. He was taken up and surprise about me been a blogger. On this I took the opportunity to explain to him what the New Media means and why Blogging and YouTube are the media to watch and good for the Malaysian society. Eventually the TV would be the old media and replaced by the new media. Told him that like the television every household in this country would eventually have computer and access to the Internet and it would surely be an alternative media in the Malaysian home. It is already happening and it shows very well in the last election where the political parties that use the new media did have their messages across to the voters. He agreed that the government must embrace this new media.
I told him in the past there was no good words about blogging come from the government and he say that this would change. I told him that in neighbor Indonesia event the President accepts the role of blogger and that Indonesia now has a Blogger Day. I then explain to him that the new media is a very important media and that message gets across faster then the old media [the TV, Radio and the MSM Newspaper]. An example was when the result of the election was known to all Net users much earlier then to those that follow the MSM especially the TV and Radio. On this he say he too was disappointed on that night, while he got all the election result on his cell phone fast, the result of the election on the TV came late, just crawling.
I also told him that I had appeared on TV and featured on the MSM newspaper talking about the important of blogging but most of the time the government agency did not took it seriously and a numbers of time we were demonized including by a former Minister. He just smiles. I continue telling him that I had posted a numbers of articles in my blog on Why Malaysian must blog. See Bloggerhood. And that the blog culture would surely changes our lives. True enough in some small ways it do reflects in the effect of blogging on the result of the last election.
We were hoping to just meet him for five minutes but it went on for almost an hour. What a great day for us to be with Pak Lah at this period of the country history. It was indeed a meeting of friendship. Friends, rest assured that it is an apolitical visit. I strong believe in the the freedom of expression, which includes blogging [citizen journalism]. Have a nice day..
We thoughts that if we come early on this Sunday morning without an appointment we would somehow get to see him. Eventually after waiting for hours we got the green light and drive into the complex. We got to his home and was ushering in to a small study. So we sat and wait. Hot drinks and cakes/fruits were served. The snacks and the coffee was a great relief since we actually did not really have a proper breakfast this morning. Remember I left home this morning at 6.30AM in the morning. While we were enjoying the coffee, Pak Lah walk in with a smile and mentioned our names one after another and said he was please to see us. He smile saying that if we had told him earlier he would have got 'nasi lemak' for us. Anyway it was a meeting of friends in a cordial mood. Without much ado we congratulate him of his win in the election and him for been appointed as the Prime Minister for another term.
We chat on various issues on the happening especially of the result of the election. He touches on the young voters and the role of the new media like blogging. On this subject I told him that I have been blogging for four years already. He was taken up and surprise about me been a blogger. On this I took the opportunity to explain to him what the New Media means and why Blogging and YouTube are the media to watch and good for the Malaysian society. Eventually the TV would be the old media and replaced by the new media. Told him that like the television every household in this country would eventually have computer and access to the Internet and it would surely be an alternative media in the Malaysian home. It is already happening and it shows very well in the last election where the political parties that use the new media did have their messages across to the voters. He agreed that the government must embrace this new media.
I told him in the past there was no good words about blogging come from the government and he say that this would change. I told him that in neighbor Indonesia event the President accepts the role of blogger and that Indonesia now has a Blogger Day. I then explain to him that the new media is a very important media and that message gets across faster then the old media [the TV, Radio and the MSM Newspaper]. An example was when the result of the election was known to all Net users much earlier then to those that follow the MSM especially the TV and Radio. On this he say he too was disappointed on that night, while he got all the election result on his cell phone fast, the result of the election on the TV came late, just crawling.
I also told him that I had appeared on TV and featured on the MSM newspaper talking about the important of blogging but most of the time the government agency did not took it seriously and a numbers of time we were demonized including by a former Minister. He just smiles. I continue telling him that I had posted a numbers of articles in my blog on Why Malaysian must blog. See Bloggerhood. And that the blog culture would surely changes our lives. True enough in some small ways it do reflects in the effect of blogging on the result of the last election.
We were hoping to just meet him for five minutes but it went on for almost an hour. What a great day for us to be with Pak Lah at this period of the country history. It was indeed a meeting of friendship. Friends, rest assured that it is an apolitical visit. I strong believe in the the freedom of expression, which includes blogging [citizen journalism]. Have a nice day..
36 comments:
I am happy that you all met him and he consented considering his busy schedule as the Prime Minister of the country. It is good that the simplicity of the man is prevalent. Good effort by a group of old friends. Keep it up Pak Idrus.
"If Truth has no advocate, Falsehood Takes Root".
Blessed Easter,
David
A great moment for seniors. Although blogging and IT in general are almost always associated with the younger generation, it's the responsible, reasoned use of IT by articulate, mature and experienced bloggers like you that will enhance its role.
david, thanks for the visit and the kind words on this posting. Thanks also for sharing your thoughts on the subject of friendship.
It is because we treasured our friendship that we made the visit during this challenging time.
Agreed fully with you quote. Indeed a word of wisdom.
Have a nice day.
louis, thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts on this posting. Agreed with you, indeed a great moment in our lives. Its all because we treasured our friendship, especially so at this challenging time of our history, that we made the visit.
As for blogging and IT, share with your thoughts that senior like us should play a role in giving a matured ideas and information on this new media. This new media gave us the opportunity to share our our thoughts and express our view in the contact of the freedom of expression in a democratic country.
Have a nice day and take care.
Greetings Pak Idrus,
I enjoy reading your posts. Astonished that you could meet the PM without making prior appointment, you must be really good friends :) I think he should have more friends like you. I sincerely hope you've brought him new perspective and that he considers them. Change is in the air. Embrace it or be left behind. Have a lovely day!
Herman C
hermanc, thanks for the visit and the kind words on me and this posting, as well as sharing your thoughts on the new media. Agreed that those who do not adept to the changes would be left behind.
As for that visit it was from a group of friends and we visited him in the true spirit of friendship, for we do treasured our friendship. He was sort of in a challenging time after the election and we felt it was the proper time to meet a friend in time of need.
Hermanc, we are all in the golden age and should do thing with wisdom, thus our visit to a friend.
Have a nice day.
Its good of you as a friend to educate him. But you shd have done it much earlier.
As a friend you shd have advised him to step down honourably than continue to shame himself.
With 90% of the seats in parliament, he performed badly as Prime Minister. I don't see him doing any better under teh present condition.
Look how he is making a boo boo of himself in the Tganu crisis. Doe she understand the law?
As a friend, save him from making a further ass of himself, ask him to resign. At the F1 race, the crowd boo him when the announcer mention his name.
YOu should stop being defensive. Tell him not to kid himself. He is no lost. Anyone in the cabinet is far more capable of being Prime Minister.
You should tell him that any blogger is far more intelligent than him ...
a voice, thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts.
We all went there to see a friend in a challenging time. It was done in the true spirit of friendship. Like any such meeting we chat of what comes to our mind and I just contribute whatever I could and sharing it here for all.
Have a nice day.
Pak Idrus,
Bloggers like you exemplify what new media should be. However, Rocky, Jeff Ooi and AllBlogs are in it for their own agendas. How can they claim to represent bloggers when they have no constitution and are not elected after more than a year ?
Was allblogs created for Jeff and Rocky's benefit ?
Way to go Pak Idrus. Hopefully your meeting with our PM would strike an interest in him to make a little effort if not some to start reading Malaysian Bloggers. After all the very first surah was Iqrak (Read) and not Listen to,right?
mydeen aboo backer, thanks for the visit and the kind words on me and this posting. It was just a visit to an old friend who is at a rather challenging time and it is because we treasured our friendship that we made this visit. We did not go to tell Pak Lah anything but since the subject crop up, I just say my thought, in a way, trying in a small way to give him some input of what the New Media is all about.
BTW when are we going for a TT. I believe your party is going strong by days. Have a nice day.
ana, thanks for the visit and the kind words on me and this posting.
Thanks too for your brilliant thoughts on the word Iqrak [read]. It is reading that made one wiser then just listening. The election send a loud and clear message. Perhaps it would made then understand the new media especially blogging and start reading.
Sometime it is a period of crisis that people began to take a pause and reflect. For it takes times to adept changes.
BTW Iqrak is Surah 96 but it is the first revelation. The first Surah is Alfatihah. Have a nice day and take care.
PI, I have been enjoying your blogs for the last few months. Thanks for your sharing of your thoughts and ideas.
You have inspired me to set up a blog on my own. There are so many delightful, inspiring events and memories that I want to blog in. I have got the blogname and still learning to pick up the pieces in setting it up. Hopefully, I be able to get a broadband connection by this year.
I think that its nice of your group of friends to visit a friend who is under stress. I believe that your visit can make him feel better to face the days ahead.
I am amazed that you fellas took the risk of not choosing the right time and you took the liberty of not making an appointment beforehand. That shows how close you are to PL.
Mmm.. now I wonder why I look forward to your next blog entry but I never check on your previous entries. ok, will think about it and share with you next time. Until then, nice days to you.
anonymous[1.31PM], thanks for the visit and the kind words on my kind of blogging. I am indeed glad that my blog has inspire you to blog.
By blogging we share our thoughts with the world and as for me sharing my thoughts is my way of giving back to the society as well it kept my mental faculty healthy. At the same time I am enjoying my golden age when time is now mine. I now have all the time in the world to enjoy and blogging is one way of doing that.
I am indeed happy that you are going to blog. Go ahead and blog anything that is in your mind and I am sure you have plenty to tell and share with the world. To me getting a posting is already a satisfaction and more often it made my day. Start with something simple, like posting an image or just tell a story that is close to your heart. Do not wait, just blog its away and I am sure you would eventually get the hang of it.
As for that visit to Paklah, it was just an in pronto venture to see an old friends at a challenging time of our history. It is what friendship is for, both for the good time as well as the bad time. That my friend is the true spirit of friendship. We must all treasure our friendship. We are in our golden age, I am 68 years and Pak Lah is three month younger then me, we had a great time in our youth, so it was only proper that we made the visit. And to get to meet him, we choose a time just after his breakfast time on Sunday. We just want to see him for just five minutes and say hello. That is all and we did it and happy that the meeting lasted for almost an hour.
Well friend, life is like that. Have a nice day and take care.
Pak Idrus,
This is a good start. How about making March 8 Bloggers' Day?
Pak Idrus;
Beli Sinar Harian - free publisiti untuk Pak Idrus - Dari Blog ke Blog. Congrat!
bohmialang, thanks for the visit and sharing your idea on Blogger Day.
Well it is a good idea, March 8 is indeed a significant date in our history. The beginning of the changes to come in the next fifty years.
Have a nice day.
anonymous[4.45PM], thanks for the visit, the kind words and the greeting.
I would surely have a look at Sinar Harian.
Have a nice day.
salam pak idrus..
terima kasih kerana memaklumkan kepada pm ttg kuasa internet di alaf baru ini...
saya bangga melihat veteran umno cawangan saya ada bersama pak idrus...saya panggil pakcik matnor(baju hijau)....rakan arwah saya juga...
moga selepas ini kite dapat lihat kelibat kerajaan dalam arus internet...
sas, thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts on this posting. We went there just as an ordinary friends and has nothing to do with any particular political party.
Personally I hope the government realized that the new media is here to stay and those who do not take it as a positive alternative media would be left behind as the country progress.
Have a nice day.
Pak Idrus,
I am glad to know that you mentioned about blogging to Pak Lah.I think he got the message.
berisman [adib], thanks for the visit and the kind words on this posting.
Well, it was an opportunity so I told him and hope that those in authority understand that the new media is here to stay and its going to change our lives.
Have a nice day.
Gud of you to remind him.
Wonder will he remember what he said teh next day.
Did he ask permission from Khairy and his boys for permission to acknowledge bloggers?
Lets wait fr him to turn aroudn and say otherwise.
Pak Idrus,
Wow are a personal friend of our PM. He and knows you by name too.
How I wish you had the opportunity to tell him that he should send his SIL to do his PhD somewhere far from Malaysia and not come back until the next election.
His SIL is one of the major reasons for his downfall from grace. A lesson learnt the hard way.
husin lempoyang, thanks for the visit.
We went to see a friend during a challenging time and when the subject of the new media pop up, I just took the opportunity to explain the role of blogging and how it effect the society.
Have a nice day.
zawi, thanks for the visit.
We went there to see a friends during a challenging time of our history. It was a cordial chat and when the subject of the new media pop up, I just took the opportunity to explain the role of blogging in the society. A new media that is here to stay.
Have a nice day.
Sslam Pak Idrus,
Was a lurker all this while and never miss reading your blog. You should be happy that PM took note of what you told him. The outcome of your visit and explanation to PM appeared in Harakah: "Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mengakui kesilapan besarnya dalam pilihan raya lalu adalah mengabaikan kempen siber yang dikuasai oleh pembangkang." Good work PI.
LadyZ
anonymous[9.02AM], thanks for the visit to my blog. As you know I blog the way I like it and give as much as I could at this period of my life. I am glad that you do enjoy my blog.
Well we went to see him just as friends should during this challenging time of our history. He was a friend during our youth and still is a friend, so it was just a meeting of old friends.We have no vested interest except to see a friend at the time of need.
So as usual in a chat we talk on many things and when the subject of the new media crop up, I just took the opportunity to say my thoughts to him and hope that in a small way he got the message. I am glad that he thoughts of what we in the group says and personally I am indeed happy with it.
Changes already began and it is not going to be easy, but it has started, just like the election tsunami the other day. I am optimistic that the changes to come would be good for the Malaysian society.
Friend have a nice day and take care.
Louis a friend from Seattle, USA sends me this comments via the email and since his comments is so pertinent to this subject, I am posting it here for everyone to read.
Friends, the American has gone through a long period of the Freedom of Expression and surely has over the years accumulated wealth of knowledge of what the Freedom of Expression really means in nation building. Compare to the American we are really new into this freedom, so I thought that this comment should be look at as an additional knowledge of what we call the right to free expression. Have a nice day.- Pak Idrus.
Below is his comment:-
" It's very easy for the public to forget that busy, high profile leaders also have a human side: a side that has a place for unscheduled, unmanaged, unscripted, spontaneous human contact such as your visit on Sunday. It is also good to see that your PM is not so walled off from real people by his aides that such a visit could take place.
Among the Comments in blogs there are sort of an example of the kind of inarticulate, immature, inexperienced blogger that I had in mind when I wrote of the importance of bloggers like yourself in influencing the direction of blogging.
In the time before blogs, when Community Bulletin Boards were the forum on the internet for people to discuss issues, the kind of invective spewed by blogger, usually written in all caps, was called "flaming". It was looked down upon, rightly, as being irresponsible, and at minimum, a breach of "Netiquette". It's all too common now in blogs, but unfortunately, usually not relegated to where it should be. In fact some bloggers have even acquired a position of opinion leadership for that attitude alone, in spite of the emptiness and incoherence of their blogs.
It would be tragic if such blogging became the driving force in any community.
It is this reflection that causes me to appreciate the contribution to blogging of you and others like you, who blog articulately and coherently, from a mature and intelligent perspective.
Again, I would sent this as a "Comment", but I didn't, in case you would prefer not to have your "Comments" section used for this kind of discussion. If, however you wish to do so, please feel free to use it in whole or in part.
Louis "
Louis thanks for the comments and the kind words on my kind of blogging. Thanks too for the above comments.
Blogging is a new tool for the freedom expression in this country and like any tool it must be used with wisdom. For Malaysian it is the beginning and like any beginning people might get carried away with that freedom. And because of that I have always advice blogger to blog wisely and be responsible of what they blog.
Have a nice day.
You should tell your friend the PM to set up his personal Blog to establish communication with the Rakyat directly instead of hearing just to his cabinet members.This will taken the bloggers and opposition parties by surprise.
sarawak, thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts on this posting. Like I had said we went to see a friend during a challenging time of our history. And I took the opportunity to tell him about the power of the new media, i.e. blog.
Well, like you I felt it would be great if our leaders use this new media to interact with the rakyaat.
Have a nice day.
Wow!! Atleast now I can say I know someone who have met him in person!
sheela, thanks for the visit and your comment.
Well, known him since the early seventies. We were then in our early thirty, in our youth, so at this challenging time of our history we decided to go and see him and say hello.
Life is like that. There are the up and down of life as one journey on in life. It was just an apolitical visit to a friend.
Say hello to you other half. Have a nice day. Bila hendak datang ke rumah!.
Pak Idrus,
Glad to know that all my ex-bosses (you, Dato Suffian Rahim, Mohamad KB and Abd.Halim Abu Bakar are still energetic.. and in good health. May the Almighty Allah SWT bless all of you..
From
adzlee, tokyo
adzlee, tokyo, thanks for the visit and the kind words on us. We just thoughts that it is only appropriate that we went to see him at this juncture of his political life. Just as a friend should. Like I said it is apolitical.
To tell the truth I am not that sure who you are. There are so many young officers working with us at that time. My email is there if you could takes a moment to communicate further.
Have a nice day and take care
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