Thursday, December 06, 2007

Coach Anwar's Award

It has been a long, grueling three weeks for our Tekad Kelantan, Tekad Pahang and Tekad Penang Champions who just finished sitting for their SPM.

Now, Coach Anwar will share with you what you can achieve when you combine hard work, strong determination and a powerful “Tekad”.

It’s all was unexpected.

Abang Anwar was conferred the most prestigious academic award in Malaysia presented by our Yang Di-pertuan Agong itself. To add to the prestige, it was awarded during the conference of rulers # 212 on 31^st Oct 2007 (Majlis Raja-Raja).

Couldn’t find words to precisely describe my feelings on the 31^st Oct. The day was full of surprises…. Let me start from the very beginning….

Abang found the advertisement for scholarship on the same day of due date. Wrote the application in “rocket speed”, got it ready by 10 am and sent it via Poslaju. Luckily it arrived Istana exactly at 5.30 pm which was the due. Pewhhh…….

Waited for the interview few weeks and rushed over to Bangkok for business trip. Spent couple of days (full swing) in remote area in North Thailand with poor net facility. Thus, didn’t check e-mail. Departed Bangkok and arrived in KLIA on 9 Sept 2007 (Sunday). Was very tired and thought of checking the mail in office on Monday. But my 6^th sense programmed my biological system to extend the working hours and thus got back to office at 8pm and checked my mail. Alhamdulillah.. It was an invitation to attend the interview on the following morning.

Oh.. God… but I left my Tie, Long Suit and etc at BKK. Emhh…. Got a little “hikmat” from Illahi. I had my Chinese “Cheong Sam” which I bought from Beijing, I was the only one appeared very weird during the interview with “Cheong Sam” which was the most decent cloth I had at that point of time.

The interview was as if I were talking to a bunch of people I’m familiar with. Maybe this is due to the network of my friends whom are mostly above 40 yrs old. The interviewer was the director of SIRIM, Prof from UTM, Director of Jabatan Sumber Asli. The requirements for scholarship are as follow:-

1. Academic excellence: min. First class recipient on undergraduate studies.
2. Standing offer from premier university
3. Excellent track record in social services.
4. Clear record on lifelong capacity to learn and teach others.

I believe my involvement as a Global PEACE Foundation secretariat, member of IEM (Institution of Engineers Malaysia), member of SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers), member of UTP Alumni, PROJEK TEKAD coach, and etc gave me a lot of credits. As to make it even more obvious my “Cheong Sam” could have added harmonious philosophies within me coupled with my little ability on Mandarin Language. Some of the teachings by the great Master Chin Kung who is Mahaguru in Buddhism whom I was appointed as a liaison officer by Tun Dr. Mahathir in 2005 added a lot of things to be on the edge. Interview ended with a lot confidence built-up.

Waited couple of weeks more to know the result. To get a break from materialistic world, somehow rather I was keen in getting a 2 weeks personnel trip to Sri Lanka to be with less fortunate people and to learn the world I never seen, it was heart breaking to see the realities in Sri Lanka. Again there was no communication between me the rest of the world. I finished the trip and back to Malaysia on 28^th October and found out about the award on 29^th Oct in office.

31^st October was very important milestone in my life. Meeting the majesty and queen, state rulers, Yang Dipertua Negeri, Cabinet ministers and our Prime Minister.

We were briefed on protocol on the 31^st Morning and the Award receiving ceremony begins at 10 am. I read through the protocol and Istana Language to “Menjunjug Kasih” with the King. We were arranged in semi-sphere with the king and queen in the middle. One by one was called upon to pay the tribute with the background reading by Dato Maharaja Lela on the previous academic achievement, state of origin, and the company we are working and which field we will further studies to king and queen. All of us (12) went through the same. Then tea talks with the king and queen. Everyone got the opportunity to talk. I was surprised with the way King treated us, as though we were his children.

Next was the evening dinner in conference of rulers # 212. It is decided before the dinner that all of us to be introduced to rulers that are seated in a semi-circle while we stand in a line.

Then all of us marched to Palace Banquet and had a wonderful meal blended with musical performance with some stars that I’m not familiar with. Very little exposure to TV…...The dinner ends and King followed by rulers walked out of the golden crafted table according to protocol and the state rulers approached us on the way out and gave their well wishes, Yang Di-Pertua Negeri said he will be waiting for my Visit in Penang for Hari Raya. Insyaallah I may head-up to his home if given an invitation card.

All in all, I went through a series “fortunate events” and “wonderland” experience especially being among sultans, state rulers and PM during the conference of rulers 212.

Anyway, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our government, rulers and The majesty and Queen whom gave a new perspective in life which is to “pay back what I owe to the society and public” and to treat this nation as my home, to treat the public as my family members and to treat the elderly as my parents.

I know all of you will be very happy for me. As a matter of fact, Projek TEKAD and wonderful people like you in the project have been instrumental to some extend without you may not realize it. People are linked to each other via so called “Telepathy of Karma”. Thanks a lot for your invitation to serve in Project TEKAD for a noble cause.

I would like take this space in the spirit of fellowship and brotherhood to say “Good Luck in SPM” to all the Malaysian students specially our beloved TEKAD champions.

Labels: Inspire

TekadMon at 12:11 am

0comments

0 Comments

Post a Comment

Home