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Reply #1724 tikusmondok's post
A prince among men
By ELIZABETH TAI
[email protected]
MANY people who knew the late Raja Tun Mohar Raja Badiozaman describe him as “the perfect man’’.
Former Kuala Lumpur mayor and chairman of the Malaysian Humanitarian Foundation (MHF) Tan Sri Dr Mazlan Ahmad says: “His reputation is difficult to describe.” Universiti Malaya Prof Emiritus Datuk Dr Khoo Kay Kim enthuses: “It seems unbelievable. But if any human being were perfect, it would be Raja Mohar.”
He was a man who spun his magic quietly, and, as a result, many Malaysians don’t know of him or what he has done for the country, which, according to Prof Khoo, is a pity.
The Cambridge and Oxford-educated Raja Mohar was a descendant of the founder of Perak, Sultan Muzaffar Shah, and was an exemplary civil servant who worked behind the scenes after Malaya’s independence in 1957 to build the country’s international stature through diplomatic missions.
Raja Mazhar Mohar and sister Raja Nor Mazli with a portrait of Raja Tun Mohar Raja Badiozaman in the family home.
In the 1970s, he helped initiate diplomatic relations with China during a time when no one imagined any ties with the communist nation was possible.
He was Special Economic Adviser under three Prime Ministers – Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Hussein Onn and Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad – and also had an important career in the private sector. He was Malaysian Airline Systems’ chairman from 1973 to 1991.
Raja Mohar passed away on June 8, 2003, at the age of 81.
Not wanting his contribution to the nation to be forgotten, Tan Sri G.K. Rama Iyer (Primary Industries Ministry secretary-general in the 1970s) headed a taskforce on behalf of MHF (where Raja Mohar was the chairman of the board of trustees from 1999 to 2001) to pen the biography called Raja Tun Mohar Raja Badiozaman: A Gracious Prince – The Pride of the Nation.
The making of the book has certainly brought back many fond memories for Raja Mohar’s family.
“For my family, this book has been a journey of discovery. To us, my father was a loving husband and dad ... reading about the part he played in Malaysia’s history has been very inspirational,” says Raja Mohar’s youngest daughter, Raja Nor Mazli, 41, during a recent interview at the family home in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
Raja Mohar’s widow, Toh Puan Norella, 71, tells how she shed many tears as she searched through the family archives for photographs and other materials for the book.
“I’m very proud of him, but when I had to find the photographs of him for the project and when they asked me about him ... it made me feel very sad,’’ she says.
Raja Mohar visiting the Great Wall of China in 1972. He played a big role in establishing diplomatic relations with China at a time when many thought it difficult to do so.
A calm and efficient leader
“He was an unusual man. As a member of royalty, it entitled him to some arrogance, but he was so down to earth,” says Prof Khoo, who helped put the book together.
Perhaps this had something to do with his education: Unlike many of his fellow Malay aristocrats, he wasn’t educated at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar but at the rival Clifford School (also in Kuala Kangsar, Perak) which was a school for the “masses”.
It could’ve been a blow to the ego of a prince to attend a “commoner’s school”, but Raja Mohar never kicked up a fuss, says Prof Khoo. Instead, his education at the multiracial institution may have influenced him to be the man he was.
“He was soft spoken and everyone listened to every word he said. Some people shout but you don’t hear what they say,” says Mazlan.
And he was the same with his family: “He didn’t have to shout to command respect from the children.
That was my father,” says Raja Noor Dunita, 49, Raja Mohar’s second eldest daughter.
Says Raja Nor Mazli: “When I read about the international and domestic negotiations he had to do, you would think that he would be under a lot of pressure, but at home he was very calm.”
The family man with his beloved children at the Stonor Road government quarters in the 1960s. From left: Raja Dunita, Raja Mazhar and Raja Dina, his eldest daughter who passed away due to cancer in 2000.
Public Bank chairman, Tan Sri Thong Yau Hong, was a close friend of Raja Mohar’s who had the privilege of working with him during many significant missions, including negotiations to merge Singapore with Malaya and the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Raja Mohar led the Malaysian delegation, working long hours to reach an agreement.
“There were numerous instances when the negotiations with the Singaporean and British delegation were challenging, but he always provided leadership in a calm, efficient manner and was not easily agitated by difficult arguments. He was always calm and sure of himself,” says Thong.
Raja Mohar also appreciated other cultures, which proved a great boon to his diplomatic missions. Thong recalls a particular visit to the Philippines when Raja Mohar was the leader of the Malaysian delegation.
“After a hard day’s work, the Philippine hosts threw a big feast in honour of the Malaysian delegation. In the usual custom, they placed a roast pig on the table. Perhaps a less open-minded person would have objected, but Raja Mohar appreciated the customs of the host and the good gesture.
“He just continued as if nothing was amiss. Of course, some of us whispered to our host and said that it wasn’t nice since he was a Muslim, so they quietly removed it,” says Thong. “He was a man of great virtue, integrity and honesty... an exemplary leader and I do hope the younger generation will emulate him and follow his lifestyle.’’
Family came first
Despite being an exceptionally busy and important man, Raja Mohar rarely brought work home, or discussed it with his family.
“My father never ‘talked shop’,” says Raja Mazhar, 44, Raja Mohar’s only son.
Instead, he was a homebody who enjoyed free time with his family. A pious Muslim, he would often be found in his prayer room; but he also loved reading, watching TV or tending the koi fish in the pond at the back of the house, says Raja Mazhar.
Clockwise from left: Toh Puan Norella, Raja Noor Dunita (standing) and Raja Nor Mazli still feel the loss of Raja Mohar.
“During the weekends, he didn’t like to go out unless he had to go for his haircut,” he says with a laugh.
Raja Mohar also instilled in his children a strong sense of humility and responsibility: ”My dad told me, ‘Work for the government first or help build the country. Don’t think about your own pocket’,’’ says Raja Mazhar, who is in charge of brand management at Petronas Dagangan.
Having an illustrious father does come with its set of unique burdens, though.
“I am proud to have a father like him, but being the only son, I do feel the extra pressure (to live up to people’s expectations),” he admits, saying that his father’s friends often told him when he was growing up to be “just be like your dad”.
“But I don’t think many people realise that my dad was one in a million. His shoes are too big for us to fill,” he says.
Raja Mohar’s love for his wife Toh Puan Norella was also legendary.
Before they were married, he wooed his wife, 13 years his junior, like a true gentleman would – by asking her father for her hand in marriage. And, according to Raja Noor Dunita, he would do anything for her.
“I think my mother was very lucky. She was the love of his life. He used to say to me that if my mother were to go first, he would follow suit because he couldn’t live without her,” she says.
She also tells how Raja Mohar would write a letter every day to his wife and family when he was overseas. When Raja Noor Dunita was studying abroad, she would often find a letter waiting for her in her pigeon hole.
“He loved to write letters. I don’t know how he found the time because he was always very busy,” she says fondly.
Throughout the interview Toh Puan Norella, Raja Nor Mazli and Raja Noor Dunita wipe away tears as they speak about Raja Mohar. It’s understandable as the family still strongly feels the void he left behind, even though it’s been three years since his passing.
“I miss him. Going to his grave every Hari Raya is never easy. We have to take lots of tissues with us,” says Raja Noor Dunita.
“He was a great man. You can call me biased, but there will never be a man like him.”
# ‘Raja Tun Mohar Raja Badiozaman: A Gracious Prince – The Pride of the Nation’ will be launched at Galeri Petronas, KLCC, tomorrow at 4pm. |
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Post time 2-1-2009 03:10 PM
Post time 2-1-2009 03:22 PM
