Ghazali Shafie Passes On

The man who self-proclaimed himself or was proclaimed with that moniker by third parties from the cartoon strip,"Alley Oop", Ghazali Shafie or “King Ghaz” passed away yesterday.

Let us recall his highlights.

He was a no-nonsense Minister. Know your stuff before going before him or else you will feel the lashes of the Spanish Inquisition from him.A thoroughbred of a man, he choose to know as much as possible of an issue before speaking on it. He was the epitome of what a strict taskmaster was. He is quick tempered and harsh if you pussyfooted with him.

He served 4 prime ministers though he came close to become one. Did the late Tun Hussein Onn made one sad irreversible mistake by not choosing Ghazalie Shafie, the apparently wisest of the three UMNO VPs then?

He was also known internationally when he was foreign minister, besides serving with various international bodies and missions. He famously escaped death in a plane crash in Kampung Janda Baik on Jan 10, 1982 which killed his personal bodyguard and the co-pilot. The incident shocked the nation at the time.

Born in Kuala Lipis on March 22, he received his early education at a number of Malay and English schools in Raub, Kuala Lipis, Bentong and Penjum before studying at Clifford School, Kuala Lipis from 1939 to 1940.

In 1941, he furthered his studies at Raffles College in Singapore before obtaining his LLB (Honours) at University College of Wales and then a degree in international relations from the London School of Economics in 1954.

From 1941 to 1946, he served in several defence forces including the Malayan Volunteer Force and Anti-Japanese Movement.

Ghazali who had worked as a clerk with the Selangor Council, was appointed as Malaya’s High Commissioner to India in 1957 and two years later, was made the secretary-general of the Foreign Ministry.

He was foreign minister from July 1981 to July 1984 and resigned from the post the same month. A highly important task held by Ghazali was as a member of the Cobbold Commission on the formation of Malaysia.

His long service in the Cabinet started in 1970 when he was appointed minister with special functions and a year later was given the additional information portfolio. Sixteen months later, he was made home and information minister and in July 1981, was appointed foreign minister.

After resigning from the Cabinet in 1984, Ghazali held various important positions in the corporate sector and international organisations.

He lost in the contest for a party vice-president post in 1972 and 1975. However, he won the post in 1981.

I post this in memory of the man who wants to excel and did in his own way. We say goodbye to him here.