Geveva Motor Show: Mar 4 2010

By al-Din on March 6, 2010 12:09 AM

In life sojourn we meet all kinds of people. To the untrained mind this can be confusing because people tend to put their ideas across and one has to seive through them to remain sane. Education and wisdom help us to meander through life's maze.

At the inception of Proton my immediate superior was very volatile against the idea. He was volatile because he was just back with PhD from volatile Belfast! He was on government scholarship though!

Up to this day many still do not understand why we need Proton as exemplified by the previous PM! Yes, many could not see beyond their noses. Are they ignorant of the achievements of great nations and civilisations? Tun's idea of 2020 is a reminder to put peoples' sight further beyond our noses.

The next project people like to criticize is the Twin Towers. We could still come across comments saying that they are a waste. They think of being utilitarians but lack that far, far-sighted vision.

Great nations must have tangible heritage as a mode to inspire the populace. Individually as well as a group people will aspire to achieve what their leaders project to them to be.

If such is not true then why Emperor Shih Huang Ti built the Great Wall of China (apart to deter the northerners)) and now they have the rail-link to the westernmost part to Tibet, and the Three-Gorges Dam. They are thinking so far ahead even at the displacement of thousands of villages and millions of people! The people are willing to sacrifice.

The pharoahs built the pyramids, and the Mayans, Aztecs, Incas their symbols of power and achievements; the Greeks and Romans with their coloseums.

Why France built the Eifel Tower (mid-nineteenth century!) and the US sending people to the moon? The Japanese have the bullet trains and an airport on man-made sea-island at that.

Thus, Malaysia's venture into such projects as Proton, Twin Towers, the scenic bridge (?) are not only utilitarian but are comparatively small and not wasteful. Dream on Malaysia for generations ahead.

As circumstances demand it Tun has the unique ability to see the forest above the trees, at times the trees above the forest, at other times both the forest and the trees. Yet, he won't get lost when he in the forest surrounded by the trees! Even when the forest and the trees are not there yet he could still see them.