A Tribute to Datuk Ruslan Khalid

December 23, 2012

A Tribute to Datuk Ruslan Khalid: Designs for the improved nation

by Tunku Abidin Muhriz (12-22-12) @http://www.thestar.com.my

Prof Datuk Ruslan Khalid was an architect by contention if usually he had helped operative how Malaysians currently should think, work as good as live, ours would be the improved society, especially for the younger generation.

IN July the single of my father's friends asked me to encounter him to embrace the draft of his autobiography. Though we did not know him well, we duly picked up the huge file, accompanied by the letter stating: "I would be beholden if we could give me your opinion about the content."

Chronicling his hold up from his birth in Kuala Perlis in 1933 right by his extraordinary journeys as good as practice in London as good as across the universe to his eventual return to Malaysia, each page spurred my curiosity; it seemed which his hold up was full of new dramas which began prior to the prior ones were resolved, whether it was to do with his educational life, his road to apropos the veteran architect or his girlfriends.

Poignantly, the same settlement would repeat itself during the really end. Having been told progressing in the year which he usually had the couple of months left to live, owing to cancer, he adamantly declared which "the book launch must go upon as planned, even if we die the day prior to it. And it should be the happy occasion."

Prof Datuk Ruslan Khalid passed away five weeks prior to the launch.Malaysian architects will know his name well, as good as during the launch, his friend Hijjas Kasturi (right) gave the speech, besides those by the late author's sister Datuk Faridah as good as his friend Datuk Dr Richard Leete (former UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia). The Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan, who initial met him in London in the 1960s, prior to fasten him upon the Board of Directors in 2006, additionally gave the short debate prior to rising the book.

These speeches recollected amusing anecdotes as good as his engorgement of interests which ranged from skiing to horse riding as good as jazz to exemplary song he was founding president of the Chopin Society Malaysia, whose members came out in force during the launch which featured the recital by the immature Malaysian virtuosos. The speeches additionally noted his meticulousness as good as his dynamic patriotism.

It was the opposite arrange of nationalism in those days. As Hijjas Kasturi writes in his foreword, "the spirit of nationhood shaped our era in ways which younger Malaysians can never fully understand, as good as the desire to master the contention as good as bring back those skills to the nation which was crying out for the own veteran expertise was overwhelming".

This is precisely because Malaysians of my era as good as younger must review this book. Datuk Ruslan has supposing us with an discernment of what it was like to be partial of the era who knew which the success of their immature nation depended upon their contributions.

It was an era when Malays from inconsequential fishing villages could, by particular responsibility as good as tough work, develop in the meritocratic sourroundings even if, referring to himself, the single was the late starter. He celebrated the change when he returned home, though. An early declare of the unintended disastrous consequences of the New Economi! c Policy , Datuk Ruslan relates his experience during the Department of Architecture during Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, where he comparison candidates for the course.

Finding which nearly half of the applicants did not have the required education or aptitude, he rejected them for this, he was chastised by the Vice-Chancellor upon the grounds of ignoring the NEP.

He laments: "It never crossed my thoughts which the preference criteria upholding the educational customary of value was deliberate the disservice to the university as good as the Malay competition as the whole!"

Meritocracy as good as professionalism threaded by all of his endeavours. "Ruslan was unapproachable of what he completed but any political patronage working in London's rarely competitive architectural environment," removed Dr Leete (left) in his speech.

Back in Malaysia, too, he never used his extensive network to win jobs; indeed, "he was quite sardonic about the Ali Babas who lent their names as good as used personal change to gain contracts for others. Their actions deprived upcoming younger Malay contractors from meaningful participation."

Some of these frustrations have been felt towards the finish of the book. But it is required to review the initial partial of the book to appreciate how he acquired the values which not enough Malaysians retain as good as practise today.

Distributed during the book launch meticulously programmed by Datuk Ruslan, down to the scones as good as clotted cream was the CD of jazz numbers sung by him accompanied by the single of the former Alleycats. Recorded during his home usually the couple of months prior to his demise, the usually hint of his ailing health comes during the finish of the song Perfidia.

Perhaps, re! ferencin g his miss of luck in love, he sings, "I find my adore was not for you, And so we take it back with the sigh Goodbye, Goodbye."

Quest for Architectural Excellence by Allahyarham Professor Datuk Ruslan Khalid is published by Marshall Cavendish.

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