My Moment With CM

A couple weeks ago I was called upon to attend a dinner function of an association which my employer was a member. As usual in a Chinese-style function time is always a problem to meet. Know what I'm sayin' - the invitation card may states 7.00pm but the guests only trickled in an hour late or 8.30pm to full house.

I say 'late' because a dinner function is like another important appointment, you just got to be punctual. 10 minutes late for a dinner function could be excusable. But always people will take their own sweet time coming to a dinner function. It's a matter of respecting the host or organizer la. So be punctual next time as though you are meeting someone important i.e. your darling or sweetheart!

OK, the dinner went on as usual, nothing much "unusual", looking around I spotted some people are taking such opportunity to walk around "to be seen" and or course many just want to "look-see look-see" for beautiful species. There were also some people like to chat their lungs out, even at a distance you could hear them talking about "yesterday night good times".

An hour later, came our honorable guest - Penang CM Lim Guan Eng. He got a standing ovation, alright. I was proud to see him too, just being at the same venue. Is he anything special? Hmmm, not really. The fact is HE IS LIKEABLE WITH A BOY-NEXT-DOOR- IMAGE THAT STRIKES MANY IN THE HEART. He looks so simple and humble as a person - portraying that kind of 'no air' (lan si) image.

Yeah he was busy indeed that week and what more just came back from overseas trip to Korea and came straight to this function upon touching down in Penang on that day. So, my moment was standing on stage with him, supposedly receiving a recognition momento from him but no, anyway shook his hand and took a couple group photos that were published in various mainstream Chinese media. Check out Penang CM, fourth from right. And me, I was "somewhere" on the right side.

Now, how a person endears himself to people by and large is really a 'natural' skill of sort, not taught in school. The way one speaks, reacts, portrays own image, etc. especially as a public figure is self-taught as far as I'm concern. During his speech he was as usual calm and gentlemanly, however, couldn't resist taking a swipe at the federal garmen's many decisions. Everybody had a good laugh....

Example, Penang state government is going ahead to implement a FREE WiFi service to Penang (of course a chunk of the cost is to be borne by sponsors) BUT our federal garmen of the day is going to spend "billions" to go wireless. Yeah right, millions are too small a sum nowadays! Think again!!!

Penang Gerakan, the sunset political party, made so much noise when Penang CM led a group of 50 to Korea on business trip - in fact they were barking at the wrong tree! But a worthless agricultural trip to Taiwan recently was not sounded. Classic example there.

Lastly, to all the politicians who are always talking about going to the grassroots, please learn a thing or two from CM Lim first. His guanxi (relationship) with Penang people is building up momentum - very good indeed.