(From left) Tengku Datuk Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Robert Lim, Gao Wei, Datuk Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, Datuk Dr Ong Hong Peng, looking at the picture after the launches of the 'Everlasting Friendship - Malaysia - China Pictorical Exhibition'.
KUALA LUMPUR: It is 40 years since former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein made his inaugural visit to China and members of the original delegation who accompanied him recall it as one of their proudest moments.
Datuk Abdul Rahman Rahim, who was attached with the Commission of Malaysia in Hong Kong then, was tasked with preparing for the historic visit in 1974.
“We had our officials from the Foreign Ministry, Information Ministry and Home Affairs Ministry meeting officials from China and detailed all the arrangements.
“After the historic visit, I was assigned to the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing. I helped open the embassy and was a diplomat there.
“We were the first Asean country to open an embassy there in 1974,” said Abdul Rahman when met by reporters at the launch of the “Everlasting Friendship – Malaysia-China Pictorial Exhibition” yesterday.
The exhibition is in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.
Abdul Rahman, who lived in Beijing for three years, said China held a special place in his heart as he had many bittersweet memories.
Among them were surviving the Tangshan earthquake in 1976 as well as the birth of his daughter in Beijing.
“It was a challenging and yet memorable posting,” said Abdul Rahman, who was a diplomat for 30 years.
Datuk Mohd Nordin Idris, who was the police aide-de-camp accompanying Abdul Razak, said he had the opportunity to shake hands with Chairman Mao Zedong.
“It was a proud moment to shake hands with Chairman Mao. He was one of the greatest leaders in the world, although he was with a communist party.
“Not everyone had the privilege to meet him. When we were there, we were told to wait before he summoned us to meet him,” said Mohd Nordin.
The exhibition at Bangsar Shopping Complex, from now to June 8, features more than 200 meticulously compiled pictures reflecting the daily activities of Abdul Razak during his visit to China.
It also shows pictures of former prime ministers’ visit to China and visits of Chinese leaders to Malaysia.
Malaysia-China Friendship Association president Datuk Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan said the exhibition was a form of appreciation to Abdul Razak for his contributions in paving the way for the bilateral relationship.
“The relationship has brought mutual benefits to both countries,” he added.
Abdul Majid said the exhibition was also educational for the younger generation who could learn an important aspect of Malaysian history.
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