At long last...Finally!
Checklist to do before going to Canada:
21) Meet Tun Dr Mahathir: Checked!
From left: Me, Tun Dr Mahathir, and Tun Dr Siti Hasmah...
Phew...What a day it has been! Nearly a year after blogging about wanting to meet the two VIP Tun's on Merdeka Day, I finally got my chance...Today, at 12 noon, I was taken to the 86th floor of the Petronas Twin Towers (escorted by a policeman lar wei), and waiting for me once the lift doors opened was En Sufi Yusoff, Tun Dr Mahathir's aide...
He invited me in, I turned a corner, and literally gave a yelp, because there he was, in his classic suit, sitting at the table: Tun Dr Mahathir himself...
I got to shake his hand!
I got to shake her hand, too!
Oh wow...
Everybody keeps saying "Oh, so Marina got you in", which she didn't, so I better put this right before somebody goes back to her. I am very proud to say that I did not use any 'jalan belakang' (ie: Go through Aunty MarinaM or any other influential blogger) to meet both the Tun's. For the record, I felt it was very unfair (to all parties involved) to ask for a favour...=)
And so, I wrote to his office requesting an appointment, and was pleasantly surprised to get a reply, with a time and date (I waited in line for about two months).
It was actually Kak Farina's idea to write in (Thanks, Kak Farina!), while we were chatting online. My initial plan was to stand in the fountains outside his office and refuse to get out till he agreed to see me...*Lol*...Just kidding!
Tun Dr M himself said: "Many people write to me requesting to meet me. But I cannot meet everyone."
Yeap, point taken. I'm lucky...Hehe...
All in all, I had about 35 minutes in the office with them. I went in expecting to meet Tun Dr Mahathir, and hoping to also get to meet Tun Dr Siti. What a stroke of luck she walked in and joined us!
Long way to travel from Ipoh (and stayed at Holiday Inn, Glenmarie, Shah Alam), but it was worth every penny and minute to finally get to meet them.
Thank you, Tun Dr Mahathir, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah, and En Sufi Yusoff, for making this dream a reality. =)
PS: No politically inclined comments, please...Thanks!
33 Comments:
Whoa... you did even better than Kerp! Kerp had to share him with a whole crowd... you got yourself a private meet.
Kerp oiii... tak jealous ke??? Hehehe...
OMG YOU LUCKY GAL!
Daph,
Congratulations! I thought you were kidding when you wrote the last checklist as meeting Tun M. That will be a god start to you meeting many more great people.
Congrats Daphne! writing to him is so much better and easier than waiting/wailing/screaming to meet him fr the klcc's fountain kan? hehe.
Hello Daphne,
OMG..You did it! And you got the appointment all on your own and no jalan belakang. All I can say is what an ethical young lady you are.
I wish to congratulate two people and they are your parents. They have brought you up into such a fine lady indeed. They must be so proud of you. Well done.
Dreams do come true eh? Ha ha..
The photos are magnificent.
OMG...I'm speechless - and there I was thinking that you were just joking about meeting TDM in your checklist!!!
Wow...talk about a dream come true, huh? Happy for you :)
Woohoo! Congrats, Daph! I am truly glad your dream came true and on such a classy noble path.
Psst-psst to Farina ... you wrote to Mr Bush already?? LOL! Sorry dear, just couldn't resist.
woohooo!!
its the real deal, alright.
Kak Pi,
jealous la ofcos. firstly as you said, i had to share with the crowd and 2ndly, Tun Siti hasmah was not in sight! hehe...
but anyway i dont think i can do like what daphne did today. the thought of meeting the MAN privately gives me cold feet i may freak out at the 11th hour.
*oh by the way, i was being unfair to some influential bloggers for bugging them to make my dream realised. dont blame me, cant think of any other ways.
Well for most people, Tun Mahathir can be a very different person, looking from each other perspective.....
So how do you honestly find him?
It's very true that Daph didn't ask me cos I found out about this only a couple of days before. Would have gone along except that I was flying off to Jakarta. But glad it worked out well, Daph.
Yalah, you should talk a bit more about how it went lah. I know you didn't just sit there and say nothing...
Kerp, did you ask me? Or am I not influential enough??? :-)
Hi Kak Pi,
Adoi, mula lah like last time. Only this time, Kerp read the comment while it was still 'hot'. When he met TDM, I only got to read the comment a few posts later! =)
Hey Anon 21:12,
Haha, yeah! I quite figured that out too ;)
Hi Pak Zawi,
Nope, I wasn't kidding at all. Memang he was on the checklist from a long time ago, but since i was leaving, it kinda became a more pressing wish, which made me act on it...
As for meeting more great people, I think that's enough for a while. I don't think my nerves can handle it! *Lol*
Hi Kak Farina,
Hehe...Yeah lor...Much better idea than "waiting/wailing/screaming ", which would have earned me police escorts too, but to the Hospital Bahagia! Thanks for the idea though...Who knew it actually worked?!?
Hi Kak Ruby,
I'm realy sorry to have missed you the other day, but I'm sure we'll have another chance some other time...=)
Yes! I did it by myself. Hehe...It was important to put the story right because who knows how far the wrong story can go (and implicate Aunty Marina who doesn't know anything)?
Mum read your comment. She said thanks! And she said her first proudest moment of me was when I was 5, and went up and did a chinese dance in kindergarten...Me, the shy thing, on stage....Haha!
Hi Kak Wanshana,
Thanks for coming over...
Yeap, dreams do come true. It's still surreal till today =)
And no lar, I really wasn't joking ler...Serious punya business oh!
Hey Aunty Rita,
Yay! I got to meet him...Now I have my own story of "Meeting the legend" to share, instead of just turning green listening to everybody else's story (Hey, I met TWO!)...Hehe...
Oh Kak Farina, so, did you? ;)
Hey Kerp,
You know, what is fair in this case, is subjective. I felt it was unfair doesn't mean you feel the same way. So you acted the way you felt, and I acted the way I felt. So all's cool!
Hehe...
Important thing is, we both got to meet him!
Hi Letting The Time Pass Me By,
Yes, I agree, everyone has different experiences.
I found Tun Dr Mahathir to be a very charismatic man. He exudes alot of power and commands a lot of respect (not 'demands'...'Commands') just by sitting there. His presence is just...Wow!
We didn't talk about politics or anything remotely close, so if you were also wondering about that, I don't know.
He was very gracious. After all, he agreed to meet a 22 year-old girl =), who had nothing on her 'agenda' except to meet him...
Hi Aunty Marina,
Oh gosh...How I wished you had been there...I would have not felt so nervous!
What bad timing to have missed you by just some hours...=(
As for what we talked about, er, better not la. Firstly, it would be very long. Secondly, I'm not sure whether Tun would be very happy me just openly sharing his thoughts (in case I misunderstood him)...=)
Lovely pictures all three of you :-) Glad you had a good time. You deserve it.
kak Marina,
it was a stroke of luck actually. Bigdoggy and Mr A Voice were partly behind that fateful day, with Mat Salo playing the major role in between!
Wahhhhhh....I am so happy for you!
I once bumped into him, at the KLCC park..I yelped too, but I was too star-struck to say anything!
But..again, SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!
OMG DAPH! What did you talk about for so long? Tell Tell Tel!
Hi Daph
Congartulations, you lucky girl! To meet such an esteemed figure who has done tremendously for the country is 'to die for'.
When are you leaving? Even though we've never met, I think I will miss you. Lol..you are going to continue blogging, right?
Have fun ticking off your checklist! :)
Hey Aunty Marina,
Ok, I will listen to you that it's ok to share more. Thanks!
Hi Anon 18:30,
Thanks!
Hi Mott,
Haha...I remember you telling me this the last time...;) Haih, you regret it, don't you?
I yelped out loud and actually turned around to back (to get my nerve back first), but right behind me was En Sufi, and he sorta pushed me forward again, without actually using his hands! Hehe...
Hi Jo-D,
Next post dear!
Hey Kak Ydiana,
Haha...Miss me leh? *Bangga* I'm leaving early August, so I have about 2 months more here...=(
Yes, it is a dream for many to meet him. He was so a part of our lives for so long, after all.
Daphne & Rita, nak buat apa i tulis jumpa si 'dia' yg you cakap tu? dia bukannya pandai pun. habiskan beras aje. :P
hey.... you're leaving already? when?
wow... not everyone gets to see him eh?
drop me a mail!
Hey Kak Farina,
Haha...Might be fun to meet him, you know? He does say really funny stuff, after all...Ingat tak, si 'dia' kata Ratu UK berumur 300 tahun? Hehe...
But I do wonder, how on earth did he survive all the presidential speeches running up to the nomination, and later to the elections?!?!? Pelik jugak...
Hi Zewt,
I'm not leaving just yet, lar...Only leaving in August...
Yeap, not everyone gets to see him, but you know, alotttt of people have actually met him before...
You should have seen the comments when I first wrote about wanting to meet him...Everybody was sharing their moment with him!
I missed the boat...
anyhow, feel proud (as if I pulak yg meet Tun..hehehe) coz you did it!
hreat moment to cherish in your life girl!
hi daphne,
congratulation on your meeting with TunM and Tun Siti Hasmah.. wow, you're one lucky girl
i've been reading your blog for quite some time.. but hasn't comment on anything.. malu. hehe
wish you all the best in CANADA..
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