From Daily Mirror

By Ilica Malkanthi Karunaratne

Anwar Ibrahim needs no troduction as he is one of the most respected political personalities in this region. He is a colourful personality known for his steadfast stance against corruption and for never wavering in his principles during his entire political life. He has had a remarkable journey in politics and his popularity nationally and internationally has never been in doubt. The posts of the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1993 to 1998 and Minister of Finance in Malaysia from 1991 to 1998 were among the political milestones of his life. He is greatly respected and famed for his principled stance against corruption and his excellent management of the economy during a somewhat turbulent period. He is famed for his qualities of leadership and is viewed as one of the forefathers of The Asian renaissance and a leading proponent of greater co-operation among civilizations. Democracy is the keyword to him in all issues and his is an authoritative voice in bridging the widening gap between East and West.

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Saya dan Azizah berlepas dengan penerbangan Emirates pada jam 2 pagi, transit di lapangan terbang Dubai selama tiga jam dan kini dalam penerbangan ka New York.

Waktu berlepas dari KLIA, selain membaca International Herald Tribune dan Asian Wall Street Journal, saya mengulangi sepintas lalu karya Paul Krugman “The Return of Depression Economics”, dan menghabiskan bab terakhir buku Martin Jacques “When China Rules the World: The Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World”.

Meskipun judulnya agak keterlaluan dan menggemparkan, ia memaparkan sudut sejarah dan budaya China secara padat selain pembedahan mengenai kemunculan China selaku gergasi ekonomi dunia.

Keletihan sudah dan mengantuk maka beradulah saya. Di sabelah saya Azizah sudah nyenyak tidur, seolah-olah telah didendangkan lagu Allahyarham P.Ramlee:

Tidurlah permaisuri, pejamkan mata…
Jika kau tidur lena, mimpikan bahagia…

Arakian, dalam perjalanan 13 jam ka New York dari Dubai, saya harus membaca sebanyak mungkin terutama mengenai China kerana subjek ini menjadi tema diskusi dengan mantan Naib Presiden Amerika Syarikat, Al Gore dan beberapa teman nanti. Nasib baik kami diberi penganjur tiket kelas pertama, waduh selesa sekali!

Dengan membekalkan bahan rujukan terpilih, saya terus menelaah rencana ilmiah yang rencam, di antaranya:

1. China’s Strategic Ambition in Asia (Aaron Friedberg);
2. Reframing China Policy – The Carnegie Debates (karya berasingan oleh Dan Blumenthal, Wing Thye Woo dan Barry Naughton);
3. China: Country Report (Economist Intelligence Unit) dll. rencana pendek.

Hah, saya juga sempat menyaksikan filem yg dibintangi Tom Hanks, Angels and Demons. Filem ini persis The Da Vinci Code, dan hebat juga!

Terlintas pula untuk menonton lakunan Sandra Bullock dalam The Proposal, tapi terlalu banyak bacaan yang perlu dihadham.

Penerbangan panjang, meskipun membosankan namun berkesempatan membaca sebanyak mungkin.

Inshaallah, saya akan menyambung coretan jika punyai kelapangan setibanya kami di lapangan terbang John F. Kennedy, New York.

ANWAR IBRAHIM