In memory of Ibrahim Saad

 

From Koh Tsu Koon

I am very shocked and saddened to hear of the demise of Ibrahim Saad, a former colleague and close friend. I have just conveyed my condolences to his widow, Zainab Kadir.

I also apologised for not being able to attend the funeral today because of a family wedding in Penang.

Ibrahim and I got to know each other in the early 1970s when we were graduate students in the United States. He was at the University of Wisconsin, while I was at the University of Chicago. We had visited each other before we later became colleagues in politics and government.

We both left academia in 1982 when I was elected as an MP and he was appointed political secretary to Anwar Ibrahim. In 1986, he won the Seberang Jaya state seat and was appointed as an executive councillor in the Penang government under the late Dr Lim Chong Eu.

Ibrahim served well as my deputy during my first term as Penang chief minister from 1990 to 1995. We worked closely together, facing a very strong opposition in the state legislative assembly, with 14 DAP members led by Lim Kit Siang versus 19 from Barisan Nasional (BN), comprising Umno (12) and Gerakan (7).

With a strong sense of purpose, we forged an effective working relationship in facing many challenges. He managed to stabilise Umno in Penang, while I strengthened Gerakan.

I still remember our first major challenge was the by-election for the Perai state constituency in 1991.

BN fielded V Muthusamy, a first-timer from MIC against DAP’s Karpal Singh. Against great odds, we won that by-election.

We then worked very hard to formulate a new strategic development plan for Penang. We also went to the grassroots very often to garner support.

As a result, in the 1995 general elections, we managed to win 32 out of 33 seats, setting a strong momentum for the next two general elections in 1999 and 2004.

In the 1995 general elections, Ibrahim was moved up to the federal level and won the parliamentary seat of Tasek Gelugor. He was then named deputy transport minister and was later appointed Malaysia’s ambassador to the Philippines.

We continued to keep in touch. My last visit to his house in Kuala Lumpur was just before the Covid-19 pandemic. - FMT

Koh Tsu Koon is a former Penang chief minister.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.