New PM a punctual and approachable man, say friends

 

Ismail Sabri Yaakob gets along well with people of all ages, according to those who know him well. (Bernama pic)

BERA: Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has been described as a person who is concerned about punctuality, is approachable and emphasises the well-being of the people regardless of race and background.

Sharing the personal side of the Bera MP, an old friend, Abu Hassan Mohd Endut, 73, who has known the new prime minister for more than 20 years when they both started being active in Umno, described him as a very responsible person in carrying out his duties.

“He doesn’t like people waiting for him. He will try to be on time. In fact, there were times when he arrived earlier than promised.

“Our prayers are that he will be able to shoulder this responsibility as best as he can and that everything will be smooth,” he told reporters when met in Bera yesterday.

Meanwhile, Azhar Mohamad, 56, who is Ismail’s nephew, described his uncle, fondly known as Pok Su Yie, as deeply concerned about family ties, and as a favourite of many.

He said that they had not met face-to-face for a long time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“He complied with the rules set, as prior to this (pandemic), my house was a must-visit destination for him and his family,” Azhar added.

Another friend, Ismail Ishak, 74, described the prime minister, who is also Umno vice-president, as a hard-working individual and wise to adapt to situations or when faced with an issue.

He said that the new prime minister as being firm in terms of work, but still able to share jokes with all age groups. He added that as a result, Ismail was liked by the locals because there seemed to be no gap when they got together for any social gathering.

The village head, or Tok Batin, of Kampung Bukit Gemuruh, Johari Salam, 53, also described the prime minister as a sociable person and always concerned about the residents of Bera, including the well-being of the Orang Asli community.

“He treats us, the Orang Asli community in Bera, equally and is always ready to help in terms of infrastructure and so on. That is his nature for as long as I can remember,” he said.

Johari added that he was confident with Ismail’s abilities and experience, he would be able to govern the country well even with the economy and health aspects currently facing various challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For K Murugan, 49, Ismail, who is also Bera Umno division chief, has always treated everyone equally and was easily contacted and ever ready to lend a hand when any party needed help.

“He said the Indian community in the constituency did not face any difficulty when asking for assistance.

“He has done all sorts of things for us, including putting up Tamil schools in Kemayan and Triang since he became our MP,” he added.

Elsewhere, Lim Seng Tiong, 58, said that the appointment of Ismail as prime minister will hopefully bring even more development to Bera, which now has several fast food restaurant chains, a military camp and also a Mara Junior Science College (MRSM).

“Infrastructure is also getting better. For example, the road from Temerloh, which connects this area to Negeri Sembilan, is one of the main routes for the people of the east coast to go to the southern region,” he said. - FMT