cakap cakap...anwar ibrahim.

A few days back, I watched our PMX having lunch after Friday prayers.

Anwar has hundreds of people watching him have lunch. They are not having lunch with him, they are just watching him have lunch. There is too much rice on his plate, so he halves the serve. I am sure some reporter covering his lunch, watching his every move, would write in his notebook: "DSAI - small appetite". And maybe at the next table, someone is watching what he is doing...and he does the same thing. If Anwar is watching his diet, then he too wants to do what Anwar does. Imagine a life when what you do at lunch, what you eat or do not eat, becomes national news. How disconcerting is that?

As PMX, the people he meets will be the best of the best. He meets senior politicians, the most senior government servants, the heads of PDRM, ATM, and other government agencies and GLCs. From the Judiciary, he confers with the Chief Justice and meets with the most senior of judges and the best lawyers. In business, he has briefings and discussions with Captains of industries, and self-made tycoons about the state of the economy and how they can together invite foreign investments and stimulate domestic economic growth.

In the international arena, he will be making state visits to meet with heads of government, prime ministers, Kings, and Queens. With them, he will discuss trade, defense, and other matters that concern each other security and well-being. Australia might want to export life sheep and cattle to Malaysia. Anwar has to know how that will affect the domestic markets and local suppliers of beef and lamb - not in any considerable detail, but he must know enough to carry on meaningful discussions with his counterpart in Australia and then allow his representatives to work out a win-win trade pact that will advantage both nations.

Maybe early next year, Elon Mask or Bill Gates would want to discuss how they can do business in Malaysia. Anwar might want Elon Mask to manufacture electric batteries in Malaysia. Where in Malaysia? What terms and conditions can he offer Elon to attract him to invest in Malaysia - how will that advantage Malaysia, and how does Anwar convince them that doing business in Malaysia would be good for them and Malaysia? The President of the US will want to discuss geopolitics in the ASEAN Region. How the US and Malaysia can work together to manage China's intentions of dominating the world (Biden's point of view - not mine)? When he meets with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, they will be discussing how they can work together to manage US imperialistic intentions in "our part" of the world. It is all so confusing kan, but that is what Anwar has to deal with 24/7.

From business to geopolitics - and all the time dealing, discussing, and negotiating with those who are at the top of their game - how does Anwar do that? How does anyone do that 24/7 at his age...at any age?

Of course, it helps to have good advisors and assistants, but it is Anwar himself who have to do the talking, the discussing, and making decisions on what can and cannot be agreed upon. And every decision he makes will affect hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in his country and the country he is doing the negotiations with, if not the world.

And then he has to go back to Tambun, his constituency. Maybe a member of his constituents will mengadu to Datuk Seri that his house has no running water or electricity. Another might ask for DSAI help to get his son into MCKK because he wants his son to study where Anwar studied....and can Anwar also please arrange for a scholarship because he cannot afford to pay for his son's expenses at MCKK. Maybe there will be another hamba Allah who wants to invite Anwar to his daughter's wedding in two weeks time at the Tambun Town Hall. Is Anwar free to attend as his tertamu khas? And if Anwar cannot attend, Anwar must give some sedekah to help the man cover some wedding expenses....and the list goes on and on about what he has to do in Tambun, in Malaysia, and anywhere he goes as prime minister...our prime minister.

And Anwar will have to listen and deal with these people in the same manner that he has to deal with Biden, Xi Jinping, and Jokowi. With grace and to their satisfaction. If he fails to do so, that is what those people will remember for the rest of their life....that the prime minister of Malaysia is lacking in intellect and social graces...and we do not want that of our prime minister kan?

How many people does he meet in a day? Hundreds? Thousands? How does he remember their names and who they are? How does he remember their faces? Does he have an aide by his side constantly reminding him who is who, lest he upset them by forgetting who they are when he had just met them recently?

Even before he became PMX, DSAI has constantly been in the public eye. We know his hair is thinning up on top! And if the light hits him at a certain angle, we know he is slowly but surely going bald....as any other 75-year-old men... are also going bald!

DSAI has got good dress sense. He is well-attired. So far no Burberry or any designer shirts or T-Shirts. No expensive watches on his wrists. And if he does use one, we will soon know the watch brand, its price, and how rare or common that watch is.

In the past two weeks - some of the shirts he has been wearing are a tad questionable. Just a suggestion, brother Anwar...subdued colors and coordinate your attire. The songkok looks good on you and, of course, it hides that bald patch - kan? But I think wearing slippers/chapal to the office is just being a bit too casual - even if you are going to Friday prayers after. Especially when others around you are in suits and ties.

I know I am giving unsolicited opinions on brother Anwar, but what are friends for? And if I don't, who will? Who has got the guts to tell Anwar not to wear that chapal to work? Who will tell him the batik shirt he is wearing tak ada class?

I can and I will because I am 6000km away and the most he can do to me is to ask one of our friends to tell me to STFU....but I have yet to hear him swear. He is that kind of man...even at his most unguarded moments, he has class, is unfailingly polite, and always has time for friends. We are indeed blessed to have as our prime minister someone who, while being extraordinarily gifted in many ways, is also, a good, decent human being with a heart. Let us all say amen to that.

And what does he listen to when he can? Try this......