Blind but he saw

by Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria

The passing a way of an outstanding Malaysian who excelled as an academic, strategic thinker, educationist and activist is a tremendous loss not only to his family but to our nation.

YB Senator Datuk Professor Dr Ismail Md Salleh is another person our nation must honor. Fighting visual impairment he triumphed to intellectual heights at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia as an economics professor and subsequently as a strategic thinking at the ISIS. His pain taking service through the Malaysian Association for the Blind as the Council President and Chair of the Tun Hussein Onn Eye hospital earned his the honor of becoming the first disabled person to be appointed as a Senator.

My admiration for him grew especially during the period when Dr Ismail served in the National Economic Consultative Council (MAPEN II) between 1999 and 2000 as the person responsible in drafting the full report. The Council report was to be a document that was to be independent of government. I too was a member of the steering committee.

He devoted a lot of his time in reading the submissions made by community groups, professional bodies and business interest. He also had to hear many differing views and sometime views in conflict with one another. However with great tack and skill as a master scholar he drafted a document which reflected the aspirations, concerns and dreams of all the various communities.

This to me is a God given gift : As a scholar, academic and strategic thinker to craft a document which captures the essence of every Malaysian. Malaysia needs more such citizens who not only feel passionately for their community but also will stand alongside other communities because it is the right thing to do. Unfortunately this report which is an excellent piece of community socio- economic bargaining and which conceptualized the National Vision Policy (2001-2010) is not widely distributed nor read.

I stood alongside many others yesterday evening at his home in Kajang waiting for his remains to return from overseas to pay our last respects. In such occasions we can only give thanks to God for a life well lived and for a man who was loved and respected not only by his family and friends but by so many people across the broad spectrum of our nation.