Meeting the Deputy PM

With the Deputy Prime Minister

Today after work I went to the Malaysian High Commission to meet the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Noris and Eskandar were also there with me. The meeting was attended by over a hundred Malaysian professionals and students in and around London. Some came from as far as Plymouth and Oxford.

Before the meeting, I knew very little of our DPM because he was the new man who's taken up the portfolio only recently, some time in April 2009. I was not particularly interested in politics at the time because of petty political bickering that were happening in the country.

Tan Sri took on the questions thrown at him by the floor with tact. The questions touched on race-based politics, national key result areas like the state of our public transportation, education and tackling of crime; and the general state of our economy.

Speech by Tan Sri

He acknowledged that we still have lots to improve and there are challenges ahead. He was very honest about it. One particular subject which particularly drew my attention was on brain drain. He dismissed that as a serious problem at the moment. "We haven't reached a critical level yet," he said. He pointed out that we were still fortunate to have "brains to export" at the moment. However, he quickly added that the government was also working hard on a "brain gain" programme.

When I shook the hands of Tan Sri, he asked where I was studying. I said, "Cambridge but I've graduated." Then he asked, "Ah Cambridge...dah habis pulak. Bila nak balik ni? " (Ah Cambridge....so you've finished. When are you planning to return?). Feeling a little odd with the question, I quipped, "Soon Tan Sri. But let's take a photo of us in London before I go back to Malaysia." He smiled and obliged for the shot.

Also at the meeting was Datuk Saifuddin, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Dr Rosman, Director of the Malaysian Student Department for UK and EIRE.

Datuk Saifuddin (3rd from left) and Dr Rosman (4th from left)

All in all, it was a good evening and meet up with other Malaysians.