The grand return of the Pilot Ball Liner

In fashion: Dr Mahathir’s retro accessories of Pilot Ball Liners and name tags are making a comeback. Err, Bush Jackets, anyone?

BLACK, blue and red. No, they’re not the tricolour of a flag, but Pilot Ball Line pens. When I was a medical student and subsequently a busy doctor, I displayed them on my coat pocket as a trusted accoutrement, as if to mean business.

It beguiled everyone, of course, but I was inspired by Tun (then Datuk Seri) Dr Mahathir’s penchant for this particular pen. During his first innings as Prime Minister, it was a common sight to see two flat clips of this pen sticking out of his Bush jacket. It had to be two, presumably, so that if one ran out of ink, he could still depend on the other.