There can never be a more apt idiom that came to mind than the oft-quoted Malay saying, “Harimau mati tinggalkan belang, manusia mati tinggalkan nama,” that immediately sprang to mind as I was leafing through the book ‘Idealis’ – a memoir of Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar.
To the uninitiated, this idiom refers to the deeds of men that will continue to be appreciated and remembered long after the bearer of the name departs this earth. Translated, the idiom means: “A tiger dies leaving its stripes, man dies leaving behind his (good) name.”
Not that, at 78 years of age this year, the man who would have been content to remain a lawyer but fleetingly went on to become a banker before giving up corporate life to be a politician and elevated to minister, is showing any signs of bidding this world adieu.
Though the feline inference suggests mortality, the only giveaway that morbidity is inevitable is the walking stick Syed Hamid carries with him for mobility.
He was hale and hearty – feisty even – when holding court at the Lake Club last week at the launch of his memoirs, written by former journalist Noor Hasilah Ismail and political scientist Firdaus Zainal. How could he not be, since the guest of honour was none other than a certain even more celebrated centenarian – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Back to the tiger stripes – the progenitor of the Albar clan name started with Syed Hamid’s great-grandfather, Syed Ali Albar bin Ali. The word Albar carries notions of honour, fidelity, and righteousness and was incorporated into Syed Ali’s name as a patronym to indicate filial piety and loyalty. So to this day, the practice stuck, and everyone in the lineage carries the Albar family-clan name.
And indeed, the most famous Albar has to be Syed Hamid’s father, Syed Jaafar Albar – whose mere mention of the name will fill the air with the reverberating roar of the lion. For those not familiar with the history of Umno, Syed Jaafar was known as a vocal advocate of Malay rights and even considered an ultra, with his adversaries awarding him the sobriquet Singa (The Lion) of Umno!
A hard act to follow, no doubt, as Albar the younger appeared not to have inherited the incendiary demeanour nor volatile rhetorical style of his father. Indeed, his life was marked by a pacifist path that eschewed confrontation.
Throughout the book, the writers found instances where – in the rough and tumble of Umno politics – Syed Hamid felt justifiably hard done by.
It started with his decision to leave a lucrative corporate position at Bank Bumiputra, which he had to give up in order to contest in the 1986 General Election. All was set when his name was mysteriously removed from the candidate’s list to contest the Sungai Benut parliamentary seat. His professional life was turned upside down, and that unfortunate incident left him scrambling to straighten out his family finances.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity or recriminations, Syed Hamid campaigned tirelessly for the eventual candidate, who won handsomely.
As if to make amends, Umno offered the Kota Tinggi seat for Syed Hamid to contest in the 1990 elections, which he duly won. This win propelled him to Parliament, where he went on to serve the Cabinet for 20 years under three prime ministers, including holding the position of foreign minister.
Post-Cabinet, he was once nominated to be chairman of a statutory body, but somehow his name was yanked out at the last minute – again!
Throughout the setbacks, Syed Hamid never chose to spring into attack mode but accepted these as inevitable hurdles in the rough and tumble of political life. He firmly holds the view that if it is meant to be, it will be – leaving his ultimate fate to divine provision.
From the very first chapter, ‘Idealis’ sets itself apart from the typical political biography by focusing not only on the public persona of Syed Hamid but also on his personal journey. The book traces his upbringing in a prominent family, where a deep sense of duty, honour, and idealism was instilled in him from an early age.
This grounding in traditional values, reinforced by his formative years in a post-colonial Malaysia, is pivotal in understanding the man behind the politician.
The early chapters paint a picture of a young, idealistic Syed Hamid, one who aspired to reform and contribute to a country emerging from the shadows of British colonialism. This idealism, which gives the book its title, is a constant thread running throughout the narrative, but it is also one that evolves and is constantly challenged as Syed Hamid confronts the pragmatic realities of power and governance.
Syed Hamid’s transformation from a youthful idealist to a seasoned politician in the thick of Malaysia’s political and economic landscape is portrayed with poignant clarity. His early years of study abroad, particularly in the United Kingdom, broadened his worldview and exposed him to the complexities of global politics.
This period of self-discovery is crucial in shaping his views on diplomacy, governance, and social justice, which would later define his career.
Now that he has been there, done that, Syed Hamid is content to let Malaysian politics trundle along its chosen path, secure in the knowledge that he has done his part. Where it leads to now, he is content to leave well alone.
