Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The Quintessential Man

updated: Pak Lah officiated at the late-tea launch of the book, which was attended by quite a few captains of industry and corporate leaders, including Khazanah's Amok, Jamal of TM International, Hassan Merican, who played host, and ministry sec-gens and former sec-gens.
I was attracted by the tribute to the late Azizan by his childhood friend Omar Hashim, especially the part about "defending Petronas from the predators". Omar said Petronas is proud symbol of the ability of the Bumiputeras to make it big in the international corporate arena.

Original post:

Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin
by Azam Aris
384 pages
RM100 [hard cover]
Crestime Holding/Utusan Publications and Distributors

Available NOW at all leading bookstores

The giant who led a giant. Back then we had difficulty deciding who was bigger: Azizan or Petronas. Oil prices were below US$20 per barrel and several of us, young journos, including Leslie Lopez (now Straits Times Singapore) and I, were competing with one another to specialize in the oil industry for Business Times, then Malaysia's only financial daily.
But Azizan took a liking for Azam and gave him many exclusives. And this biography, The Quintessential Man, is the biggest scoop yet.

What Azam has given us is not just a story of one of the most important architects of modern Malaysia but the story about this Land itself, from Francis Light (twho Azam describes as a conman who founded Penang on deceit and lies) to Putrajaya ["a city that both of us planned and one which he (Azizan) turned into reality" - Dr Mahathir].


  1. Anonymous10:36 pm

    Thanks for the brief, it's a must buy book. Perhaps I'll wait for a soft copy, it's probably cheaper than RM100 now!, is there any?.

  2. Anonymous10:48 pm

    You sure it is available now Rocky - i went to Kino & MPH yesterday - not there yet...

    man man man

  3. Sdr Rocky's Bru,

    A kind man, a great man.

    An honest man, a great friend.

    Known the man from Tun Hussein's days.

    Petronas was his forte.

    Served Tun Hussein and Tun Dr Mahathir with utmost dedication and integrity.

    Soft spoken, sometimes hesitant.

    Last collaborated when we sat as members of the Royal Commission on the Police.


  4. Hi Rocky

    Shah called me.

    Thanks. Appreciate and am humbled!!

  5. Al.Fatiha.

    Humble and a mentor for poor kampong boy.

  6. Old Fart,

    Don't be lulled by one good deed, man, cos I'm going for your jugular in my next posting!

    Man man man (Anon 10:48),
    That's what I was told. I got a review copy, so sue me!

  7. Anonymous11:41 pm

    Francis Light a conman who founded Penang on deceit and lies?

    This moron doesn't know history, is the British who build up this country and UMNO who spoil it.

  8. Anonymous12:44 am

    Anon 11.41,

    May I ask,is Penang,ceded,occupier or colonised by the EIC?

  9. Anonymous12:56 am

    Its times like these we need more Towering Malaysians like this guy!

    Instead, we're stuck with Dozy the Intellectual Dwarf and his son-in-law court jester.

    - The (original) Watcher

  10. Anonymous1:22 am

    errrr....man man man ni karpal ke bro? :)

  11. Anonymous1:53 am

    Anonymous 11.41.
    You are so wrong. The British Empire is the root cause of all the problems in this world today. THe sad fact is the younger British generation dont know this fact.


  12. Anonymous8:20 am

    Anon of 11:41pm

    Ya Francis Light was a conman, a deceit and a lier as much as you and your malaysian cinaman are lanuns.

  13. Anonymous8:27 am


    i had the opportunity to know this great man... a larger than life personality... very humble and very smart.. he do care about Malaysia and he loves this country so much up to an extent everything good for the country is a must do project for the man but he would not pinch a taste of the tasty cake...

    an antagonist character of current Khairy Jamaluddin..

    God bless this man..

  14. Anonymous8:52 am

    Tahniah to Azam.


  15. Anonymous9:09 am

    Anon 11:41pm "is the British who build up this country" hahaha... this guy is a gone case. Kebodohan tahap maximum. Sudah tidak ada harapan.

  16. Ya master rocky,

    Arwah juga merupakan bekas Pengerusi Lembaga Pemegang Amanah untuk Perdana Leadership Foundation di Putrajaya. Dialah yang bertanggungjawab membangunkan yayasan tersebut sehingga ke hari ini. Saya sempat la jumpa dan bercakap dengan dia semasa di awal pembukaan yayasan pada Feb 2004.

    long live the king...

  17. Anonymous9:29 am

    Putrajaya was criticised when it was concieved and built. But the very critters are now impatiently waiting to occupy the high seats there.

    Must read the whole book, though.


  18. Anonymous10:03 am

    a great man with a great heart. I wonder whether we still have anymore quintessential man in Malaysia....

  19. An honest man... Even the Malaysia Institute of Integrity set up an integrity program for young professional named after him.It is known as Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin Integrity Circle, TSAZAIC. If i'm not mistaken it has been running for 7 batch...

  20. Anonymous10:37 am

    "Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Francis Light a conman who founded Penang on deceit and lies?



  21. Anonymous10:38 am


    "Anonymous said...

    Francis Light a conman who founded Penang on deceit and lies?



  22. Anonymous11:31 am

    Jgn layan anon gila tu.. Biasa la.. Evrything also blame umno, Bn.. Sad piece of shi*t..

  23. Anonymous12:23 pm

    "Jangan salah faham dan jangan salah nilai. Meninggalkan Barisan Nasional dan masuk ke dalam Pakatan Rakyat TIDAK sama dengan keluar dari Pakatan Rakyat untuk memasuki atau mencampuri Barisan Nasional. Dua pekara yang dilihat serupa tetapi TIDAK sama. Ada perbezaan yang amat ketara seperti petai dengan kerayong.

    Tidak boleh disamakan perjuangan Yasser Arafat mengangkat senjata dengan Monshe Dayan yang juga mengangkat senjata. Tidak boleh di samakan Che Geuvera yang meninggalkan Cuba dengan Thaksin yang meninggalkan Thailand. Tidak boleh di samakan Nelson Mandela yang di penjara dengan Razak Baginda yang juga di penjara.

    Ada nilai salah dan ada nilai benar di sini. Yang salah tetap salah dan yang benar tetap benar. Kebenaran tetap benar bukan bersangkut paut dengan pandangan majoriti atau pandangan minoriti."

    Untuk baca selanjutnya, sila pergi ke Tukar Tiub...

  24. Anonymous12:29 pm


  25. Anonymous1:38 pm

    Tahniah. Yes, Rocky is spot on. Biggest Scoop. I witnessed how Azam devoted his time, resources to the assignment. He was passionate. I suspect he missed much of the EPL action during the period including those involving his beloved Hantu Bulu Ketiaq Merah (Red Devils).

    There were occasions at meetings held at Santai when he glared as I kept reading Haven and Off the Edge that he brought us. A most learned man, this sprightly 62-year-old, a regular at the place, would stop by and sort of engage in a banter: "Bila Nak Siap Ni?"

    Alas, our man was also writing a book. I was accommodated as a research person. Usop offered encouragement and in fact participated in an interview.

    Must say it was a most enlightening experience. Wonderful family. Puan Sri, the children. The man came across as expansive, a nation builder. Brilliant.


  26. Anonymous2:12 pm


    Not much more to add about the late Tan Sri. But allow me to congratulate Sdr Azam for writing the book and to cherish the fact that once upon a time, he was one of us.

    Business Times

  27. Anonymous3:49 pm

    Another man who was fed with a silver spoon called the NEP.

    Could they have risen without political connection and highly-focused affirmative institutional support?

    Think about it.

  28. Anonymous3:59 pm


    Kenapa tak lapor pasal Karpal dah setuju yang matlamat utama Pakatan Rakyat adalah untuk menewaskan Barisan Nasional di pilihanraya untuk menunjukkan secara referendum bahawa rakyat Perak menyokong Pakatan Rakyat?

    Karpal dah tinggalkan dah isu pasal marah dgn Anwar tu, dan sekarang fokus kembali kepada matlamat utama Pakatan Rakyat.

    Soalnya, kenapa Rocky kau lapor kalau berita tu buruk untuk Pakatan Rakyat, tapi kalau berita tu baik untuk Pakatan Rakyat kau tak lapor?

    Kau cakap kau ni "neutral"?


  29. Anonymous4:02 pm

    10 Derhaka UMNO:

    Let us begin our today’s lesson on Derhaka by listing 10 most Derhaka incident in Modern History of Malaysia. I shall start by the most horrible Derhaka of all which is conducted by UMNO current Information Chief, a senator and a minister by the name of Muhammad Muhammad Taib. He deceived than lie to the Al Marhum Tuanku about his marriage with Tuanku’s princess. He took the princess to Thailand and secretly took their vow there.

    Then came double act by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi the Prime Minister and President of UMNO last March.

    Where is UMNO during this time? Are they behind their leader and tumpang menderhaka sekaki or defending the Palace?....


  30. bunch of pirates who claim to be merchants. for all we know in reality this Light was running away from persecution or treason.

  31. Anonymous5:26 pm

    Funny thing when someone Malay enjoy from NEP...

    Berjaya ? Maxis ? Hong Leong Group ? Genting ? YTL ? LimKoKwING ..to name a few . Are they Malay that proper during BN reign ?

    Adam B

  32. Anonymous5:38 pm

    Tahniah Zam! Beau Sabreur


  33. Anonymous7:11 pm

    keranda emas, another man who was fed with an automatic citizenship under umno leadership.

    Could he have risen without highly focussed development program initiated by umno led govt

    think about it

  34. Anonymous8:46 pm

    Ever notice rocky that you really don't need a brillant mind to rise in Malaysia only connections and that too if it is within family circles.Go figure.


  35. Anonymous8:52 pm

    Azam, who are you to judge Francis Light? A conman? With due respect to Azam, Azam is just a mediocre journalist who is trying to curry favour with the powers-that-be by spinning a myth around a so-so civil servant. To say that Azizan is an empire builder is to insult the many who have toiled and sweated for Petronas.


  36. Anonymous9:15 pm

    cehh..ramai plak dengki biler melayu berjaya.. mahai..
    datang x di jemput..balik di alu2 kan..


  37. Anonymous9:26 pm

    This is simple, they hurt when they see Malay successful. How tainted is their heart.


  38. Anonymous11:06 pm

    Keramda Mas

    I know the late Tan Sri rather well.
    In fact my late dad's contemporary.
    His peers concocted the NEP.
    He is not a beneficiary of the NEP.
    Its my generation downwards that benefit.
    If you want to run down people, please check your facts first.

  39. Anonymous7:44 am

    Francis Light a conman who founded Penang on deceit and lies?


    Let me further prove my case.

    The British build up two great institution, one is called PENANG FREE SCHOOL in Penang and the other is called RAFFLES INSTITUTION in Singapore.

    This two institution are of equal standing where they educate the elite such as TAR and LKY.

    Penang Free School has gone to the dog since starting 1965, I went back to my mother school last year to have a relity check and confirm that under UMNO we have lost every pride which the British help build. On the other hand Raffles Institution is the top collage in Asia and one of the best in the world today, even the Sultan of Brunei choose to educate his Crown Prince from this school.

    Brother, throw your tongkat brother, late is better than never brother.

  40. orang paling d percayai bekas pm...dengar critenya camtu ar..sbb tu lama dia pegang presiden petronas...sebagai seorang bekas wartawan, ingin tahu ke mana menghilang saudara mohd noor azam bekas wartawan yang juga bekas su politik tun dr mahathir...suka dengan tulisan dia.

  41. Anonymous10:54 am


    It is another SUCCESSFUL NEP product!

    I think that you and your like love to see the NEP fail. You just cannot see the benefits of NEP. One of those is by creating wealth for the population, which in turn creates more buying power.

    And who do they buy from? The Chinese businessmen, of course. Unless your eyes are so blind to see that in most of the shopping complexes, 99% of the retailers are Chinese who in turn are the front of Chinese suppliers.

    So, please try to spare yourself the embarrassment of being labeled an idiot.


  42. Anonymous12:12 pm

    Adam B dan lain lain:

    Selain golongan Melayu yang telah berjaya kerana sokongan kuat daripada pihak politik dan polisi sosial yang memanfaatkan golongan "elit Melayu kaya" yang kecil ini, ada juga ramai Cina dan India kaya-raya giler-giler yang telah juga manfaat daripada "kabel" sambungan politik, misalnya badan korporat-korporat seperti Berjaya, Maxis, Hong Leong Group, Genting dan YTL semua sama-sama rasuah dan korup.

    Dua-dua golongan ini, iaitu Melayu yang disuap beri pangkat dan kekayaan melalui NEP dan Cina/Melayu yang disuap beri pangkat dan kekayaan melalui sambungan politik tiada bezanya antara mereka.

    Dua-duanya adalah sindrom sama, iaitu sindrom pengkayaan golongan kecil elit dengan wang dan sumber rakyat dan negara tanpa manfaat meluas yang setimpal untuk rakyat biasa.

    Inilah antara masalah utama negara kita yang kita enggan kita akui, terutamanya golongan UMNO.

    Inilah golongan yang diagungkan orang-orang seperti A Kadir Jasin dan Rocky's Bru.

  43. Anonymous2:19 pm

    I have never met the Tan Sri,but have heard good words spoken about him by even the most cynical of my close friends. I have also followed his career through the newspapers and other print media and he, somehow, emanated a feeling of trust. There were men of his stature well before the NEP, such as Tun Ismail Ali to name just one. The unfortunate thing is that there are definitely many more potentially great Malay corporate,political and social leaders who are unable to rise due to cronyism, nepotism and their own reluctance to be syncophants. What a waste!

  44. Anonymous2:51 pm

    Just admit it..simple..
    Everybody is born racist and proud to be one..
    Everybody in Malaysia love racist game..only hypocrites denied it and pretend not to be one..this is not something moulded overnite..

    If racist is what majority people want..so be it..let the ultra-racist champion the call..

    At the end there will be no gainer but the looser will sore the worst..and history already proven the lesson left for the living people with brain to learn..

    Really unfortunate that, most of the decendant of this looser racist, left their brain inside the toilet bowl and suffer denial syndrom of idiotic verbal diarrhoea..a case of a system mulfunction..

    they supposed to excrete those feaces through the other holes, instead they had excreted out their own brain..pity them..

    When we have dental problem..we consult a dentist..

    When we have cardiac problem..we consult a cardialogist..

    When we have racial problem..of course! we consult a racist..!

    May the best of all racist win....!
    Show no mercy..

    -anti hindraf & ultra-chingkies-

  45. "This moron doesn't know history, is the British who build up this country and UMNO who spoil it."

    yes of coz UMNO spoilt it becoz they so simply give the citizenship to the x-communist and soon have the decendent with most of them are ungrateful ppl.

  46. Anonymous3:26 pm

    TO nstman,

    nst is an umno-linked company. U hate the malays. and yet u want to be linked to a malay-linked-owned company.

    lu tak malu kah? the trouble with you philip is that u r just like all of a us - a racist!

    ali bkt jalil

  47. Anonymous4:10 pm

    Malaysia under fire at UN over refugees
    12 hours ago

    GENEVA (AFP) — Malaysia was taken to task by some Western countries on Wednesday over its treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, during a United Nations review of its human rights record.

    Belgium, Britain and the Netherlands were among the nations that expressed "concerns" surrounding refugees and asylum-seekers held in detention in Malaysia, as they called on Kuala Lumpur to develop legislation that distinguishes asylum seekers from irregular migrants.

    "We note serious problems faced by refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in Malaysia... that is linked to a lack of clarity on their status in the country," Belgium's representative told the UN Human Rights Council during a universal periodic review session.

    Under universal periodic review, all 192 member states of the United Nations have their human rights record vetted by the council once every four years.

    The session is based on three reports, one submitted by the country under review, and two summaries compiled by the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.

    The high commissioner's report noted the lack of national legislation on refugees as well as absence of laws on the rights of migrant workers.

    In addition, it said, "many asylum seeking and refugee children, among them Muslim children from a nearby country, including the Rohingya refugee children who had lived in Malaysia since 1990s, lacked access to formal education."

    The secretary general of Malaysia's foreign ministry Rastam Mohd Isa said in his opening remarks that Malaysia prosecutes only refugees who have committed crimes.

    Foreign workers are accorded the same rights as local workers, and the rights of illegal immigrants are protected, he added.

    Human rights groups have accused Malaysia of mistreating millions of foreign workers who live there, as well as asylum-seekers, including thousands from nearby Myanmar, which is under military rule.

    Human Rights Watch had singled out a government-backed volunteer force in Malaysia known as RELA for allegedly beating, threatening and extorting money from migrants and asylum-seekers.

    During Wednesday's session, some countries, including Chile and France, encouraged Malaysia to eliminate discrimination due to sexual orientation and to "respect the human rights of all individuals, including homosexuals."

  48. Anonymous5:32 pm


    Kenapa tak beri apa-apa pandangan pasal berita berikut:


    Satu survey rasmi yang dibuat di Perak pada Feb 8 menunjukkan jelas rakyat Perak MENOLAK keputusan Sultan dan tindakan Barisan Nasional mengambil alih Perak!!!!

    Baca kat sini untuk selanjutnya...

  49. Anonymous6:15 pm

    Lebih banyak diorang "kutuk melayu"

    Lebih besar semangat aku untuk kekalkan NEP.

  50. Anonymous7:40 pm

    "Petronas is proud symbol of the ability of the Bumiputeras to make it big"?

    Like Harry Redknapp said "even my missus can do that".

  51. Anonymous8:30 pm


    i am very proud to say that i had a chance to work under Tan Sri during the Putrajaya heydays. As one of the Tender Committee Members, his leadership during appointments is excellent. The country really missed a wonderful person. Al-fatihah.


  52. Anonymous9:42 pm


  53. Anonymous10:04 pm

    You can put a monkey in that position and Patronas can make even more profit because the monkey only demand a few peanuts and bananas a day. Patronas is used by the people who walks the corridor of power but I guess UMNO cannot link through a monkey thus could help save us billions and billions of riggit.

    Our oil field if given to the highest bidder in the international open market we could have been richer, Patronas is the most corrupted and without transparency we Malaysian are short charged.

    Sorry for the folks in Terengganu, Sarawaks and Sabah, Patronas is like your playboy son who spend away your fortune.

  54. WOHOOOO Rocky David Arumugam dapat Datukship laa!! W00T!!!

  55. Anonymous2:21 am

    nstman, read history la... Kedah give Penang to Francis Light in the hope that British help them in war with Siam, when Siam send their army to Kedah, what the brit do? They help Siam, in the end, pattani, naratiwat & yala are under siam nowadays! if you want to protect Francis Light, I like to shit on your face!


  56. Hi friend,have a nice weekend

  57. Anonymous8:02 am

    To be the head of Patronas the most important job is to cook the book for UMNO especially Tun Dr M during those 22 darkest years.

    Please stop glorifying those who mismanage our assets, show us the accounts and be transparent before we can conclude their worth.

    How much did Patronas spend on F1?
    What contigency planning for Patronas when our oil field runs dry in the next 10 years? Are they like Shell to expend oversea?
    More questions than answers... hopeless CEO of Patronas & UMNO.

  58. Anonymous9:28 am

    Margin of Error:
    Extract from Wikipedia:
    ..In some cases, the margin of error is not expressed as an "absolute" quantity; rather it is expressed as a "relative" quantity. For example, suppose the true value is 50 people, and the statistic has a confidence interval radius of 5 people. If we use the "absolute" definition, the margin of error would be 5 people. If we use the "relative" definition, then we express this absolute margin of error as a percent of the true value. So in this case, the absolute margin of error is 5 people, but the "percent relative" margin of error is 10% (because 5 people are ten percent of 50 people).

    To those Fakatan bigots ruminating from the Malaysian Insider..please lah understand the fundamental of statistic.. belajar lah sikit2 bg faham dulu, bukan terus telan bulat2..nanti org suap taik pun telan juga..

    How can that source claimed that from 507 voters they'd interviewed via random (selective ?) telephone (yellow pages or your own buddies?) method, the margin of error is 4.5%.. Does that sampling cover all domains of both BN & PR? How does that hold water to jump to that statistical conclusion..??

    Allo brader, there are many2 thousands of voters in Perak out there..don't be lazy lah and simply manipulate with misleading information for your own benefit... Go! off ya donkey ass butt now and collect more samples..at least 33% of the total numbers of Perak voters..go to the rural areas also..even by foot..

    Don't just select your samples from those 999 yrs granted land and those Fakatan fanatics..be neutral.

    Be professional lah oi..Me & everybody else also want to know the REAL statistical survey result..Not everybody are stupid like you people..

    -anti hindraf & ultra chingkies-

  59. I got a hard copy with autograph on it.


  60. Anonymous1:26 pm

    Arumugam dapat Datukship..so yindian problem solved and HINDRAF disbanded.

    Wow malaysia boleh. Terima kasih!


  61. Anonymous9:14 pm

    'Belum di suruh sudah pergi belum di panggil sudah datang', that is your Quintessential Man.Ramalx