The launching ceremony for the books was held on Wednesday April 8, 2009 at the Perdana Leadership Foundation (PLF), Prescint 8, Putrajaya by YABhg. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia and Hon. President of PLF starting at 3.15 pm. YABhg Tun dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali also joined the Event.
2. A meeting of the Organising Committee and a rehearsal for the Event was held a day earlier. At this meeting members of the Committee felt that, due to the change of political leadership where YAB Dato' Seri Najib Tun A. Razak was taking over from YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the role Tun Dr Mahathir was playing, it was anticipated that the Event would have a good turnout particularly from the media. It was decided among other things, to increase the food.
3. Guests started trickling in at 2.15 pm. Each guest signed the guest book, presented a door gift bag containing a paper weight and a 'Parker' pen and was ushered in to his seat in the main hall. Some of the guests mingled in the corridor where books could be purchased as the publishers of the book, Utusan Publications & Distributors Sdn Bhd, displayed their publications at the entrance of the building. I had also a table where I displayed all the publications I have edited and written. The media representatives registered separately. Yes as anticipated there was an overwhelming response from the media and the invited guests. The hall was full. It was estimated that the total no. of people attending the Event was 130 (guests, representatives of the media, members of the organising committee and those assisting in the organisation).
4. Tun Dr. Mahathir came out of his office at 3.15 sharp accompanied by Tun Dr Siti Hasmah. Dr Ahmad Hairi Abu Bakar, CEO of Utusan Publications and I escorted them to their seats in the Hall.
5. The MC for the Event was Dr. Rohani, the Director of the UPM Alumni Centre. I was invited to give a welcoming address. In my speech I expressed how touched I was to see the many friends who have responded to the invitations. I recognised by mentioning them - Alumni of SAHOCA, Alumni of UPM, working associates in the Dept of Agriculture, MARDI and the Malaysian Cocoa Board, colleagues in Malaysian Nature Society, associates in the business and corporate world and members of the family. The inspiration to write the autobiography was largely motivated by the realisation in sharing one's unique experience with present and future generations and that some of the information in the book would be useful and the writing kept one continuously reading and a test of discipline. I then went on to relate my early days as an island boy in Langkawi, the secondary education at Sultan Abdul Hamid College Alor Star before pursuing tertiary education at the College of Agriculture Serdang and the American Universities. The working experiences covered many years in the early formative years in MARDI and then served as the first Director-General of the Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB). On retirement joined the corporate world. In the searh for happiness I related my involvement in community work: social include the Rotay Clubs, Parent-Teachers Association, Social Clubs; environment which include the Malaysian Nature Society, Business Council for Sustainable Development, The Environment Action Committee Sabah; sport and recreation which include Kota Kinabalu Recreation Club, Outward Bound School. The key to happiness is good health which can be achieved through proper diets and regular exercises. I shared my healthy regime of exercises which revolve arounf jogging, swimming and cycling.
6. I shared with the audience the writing process that I went thrrough. I started around June 2005 with a skeletal chapters of the book. For each chapter the information was collected by going back to the reports, papers, books, magazines and the internet. Using Buzan mind mapping technique where the points for each chapter were outlined, waking up at three in the morning, I wrote long hand. I completed writing in September 2007 taking slightly more than two years to finish. I targetted to launch the book on my 70th birthday on February 23, 2008. The first publisher sat on it and the publication could not meet the deadline. Utusan Publications is the second publisher, who after scrutinising the book, felt that it could be better marketted in the BM. It was translated, edited and the BM version was finally out in the market around September 2008. The original English version was out a few days before the launching.
7. The Happiness theme of the book was inspired by a few authors - Lord Baden-Powell, Lin Yutang, Edward de Bono, HH Dalai Lama who identified HAPPINESS as the very purpose of living and that it can be attained by being healthy; actively involved in social,voluntary works that one enjoys in doing; participate in activities that one feels exciting; get rid of the negative aspects of living such as greed, arrogance, wasteful etc; having friends and close and lasting relationships with members of the family; generous.
8. Tun Dr Mahathir congratulated the author for the successful publication of both the BM and English versions of the book. He encouraged those present to emulate the author in sharing one's unique experiences in a publication. The records perpetuated in a book will have significance in history. Tun Dr. Mahathir also mentioned that his own memoir is in the process of being published and indicated that it is scheduled to be in the market by the end of the year. He confessed that he has gone over the drafts many times
and that has delayed its completion.
9. The organisation of the Event received positive comments. One sms had this to say 'it was a well-organised, well-attended and well-supported launching event. It is heartening that at your age you still can muster that kind of attendance. Well done'. Another sms message 'Have to be here at your memorable moment of achievement. I thought you and Tun did good, light and appropriate speeches. Tahniah my friend'. 'At your age you are still contributing to the nation and the international world. Syukur you are blessed with good health and strong brain power' said another sms. At the post mortem meeting of the Organising Committee, the members expressed their satisfaction as the response was very good, the various components of the event went on smoothly and according to schedule. To me it was another satisfying and memorable event in my happy journey in life.
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