(Hundreds of copies were sold on that day according to Gerakbudaya)
Last couple of weeks on the 20th January 2009 at the Royal Lake Club, Lake Garden, Kuala Lumpur I attended a book launching event entitled ‘Malaya's First Year at the United Nations: As Reflected in Dr Ismail's Reports Home to Tunku Abdul Rahman’. The book launching was officiate by The US Ambassador to Malaysia; Ambassador James R. Keith and the Guest Of Honour who attended that day was HRH Raja Nazrin Shah (The Crown Prince of Perak)
(Dr Ooi, Me & Seth were some of the 'peyambut tetamu' waiting for HRH)
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Keith thanked not only the book’s co-editors (Tawfik Ismail & Dr Ooi Kee Beng), but also “all those public servants, either paid or unpaid, official or unofficial, who help every day to advance U.S.-Malaysia relations, through their writing, through their networks, and through their work on academic, social and cultural exchanges between our two countries.”
(HRH Raja Nazrin with other VIPs)
It was in this speech where Ambassador Keith also mentioned about the US-Malaysia relations through the American Field Service @ AFS aka Antarabudaya Malaysia @ ABM in Malay which is a non-profit organization who helps the secondary schools students in Malaysia to engage in the student-exchange programme. Both my brother & sister have benefit from this programme when they sent them to Japan few years ago (Azad to Nagoya & Shahrina to Kyoto).
(An opening speech by Tawfik Ismail)
This book can be considered as the sequel / expansion of the bestselling previously released The Reluctant Politician: Tun Dr Ismail & His Time and the Malay version which is the Bukan Kerana Pangkat: Tun Dr Ismail dan Masanya. Tun Dr Ismail was given a heavy task for being the person who was responsible to bring Malaya to the recognition of the United Nations. Nevertheless things goes on smoothly & the Federation of Malaya was admitted to the world body’s by being 82nd member on the historic day of 17th September 1957.
(The grandnephews, granddaughter & grandsons of Tun Dr Ismail)
Generally speaking, this book covers much of him being a diplomat to the Washington D.C., USA before returns to Malaya in 1959 and continues to serve as the Minister of Commerce & Industry. I must say it is an interesting reading material besides the ‘Number One Wisma Putra’ which I'd bought last year. For those who loves reading Malaysian history & foreign affairs, this book is a must buy!
