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It is difficult not to be charmed by Abdullah. His smile is most disarming and his commonplace remarks often put those who meet him at ease almost immediately.
A journalist who works for a foreign newspaper, who had several unpleasant encounters with the autocratic Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was bowled over by the "work with me, and not for me" call that Abdullah made just a day after being sworn in.
After Abdullah made the pledge in Parliament a few days later to put an end to corruption in the government and to uphold democracy, the journalist exulted "this is the prime minister for me!" loudly during a dinner with fellow scribes.
And after Abdullah made that surprise visit to the Immigration Department a fortnight later and told those manning counters that they should provide good service and cause less inconvenience to the public, he was most effusive in his praise for the prime minister, even though it was the only such visit.
He was estatic when Abdullah attended a Christmas reception at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brickfields where he announced that he is the "prime minister of all Malaysians."
It was one of his missed opportunities. Abdullah could have built on that to promote genuine racial integration.
Most Malaysian voters were delighted to receive a letter from Abdullah sent to their home addresses advising them to be careful when they drive home to vote in the 2004 general election and telling them that they must exercise their right to vote.
But a few months after the general election, the journalist, like other Malaysians, was noticed to be less enraptured by Abdullah, especially after his new cabinet was more or less a re-hash of the old one that he had inherited and was doing little to root out corruption.
When Abdullah did not tick off those who waved the keris, those who made ketuanan Melayu a new war cry or moderate the call for the extension of the new economic policy, the journalist was back being his old cynical self.
Most Malaysians were delighted when Abdullah --- to the horrors of some of his ministers --- declared he was all for a more open society and invited them, especially members of the Barisan Nasional, to tell him the truth.
Those in the media were overwhelmed, especially after Mahathir had in his 22-year rule tightened laws governing publishing, printing and broadcasting to such an extent that government’s control was near absolute.
If only Abdullah had amended some of the laws to allow the media to at least have recourse to the courts over some of the unjust decisions of the government, he could have been hailed as the "Father of Freedom."
Even though he did not do that, there is no doubt that the openness that he declared gave way to more open discussions on matters that were discouraged previously. But it also brought problems --- perhaps as a result of poor management --- to his administration.
So far it has not been heard by what appellation he would be known considering all his predecessors were given popular names. Tunku Abdul Rahman was "Bapa Merdeka" or "Bapa Malaysia", Tun Abdul Razak Hussein was "Bapa Pembangunan", Tun Hussein Onn was "Bapa Perpaduan" and Mahathir was "Bapa Pemodenan".
Abdullah, the nature of the man that he is, had a lot of good intentions when he was prime minister but it was unfortunate that he was unable to press on with many of the more meaningful initiatives that he started when the challenge to them became strong.
Often, he would go back on his words, so much so that much of his six years as prime minister was characterized by numerous U-turns.
One glaring example is the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission or IPCMC which was recommended by the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police.
Had it been implemented as recommended, which he promised it would, Malaysia would have one of the best police forces in the world. He would go down in history as the man who had dared to go where others had failed to tread.
Even on Islam Hadhari, a pet project which he genuinely believe would lead Muslims in the country to become more progressive like those who lived during the Golden Age of Islam where they were free to innovate and experiment, he was challenged at every turn.
Instead of supporting and helping him, most religious leaders and mosque officials continued to preach the restrictive form of the religion that frowns on innovation and progressive thought.
He is sad that Islam Hadhari is given a cold shoulder in the country when it is accepted by other countries like Indonesia and those in the middle east, he told newspaper editors when he had lunch with them on Tuesday.
He should have known that "a prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and his house".
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