The Australian connection

Connections: Goledzinowski with a photo taken in KL in 1984 showing a younger Mahathir (left) with former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke (Hawke died on Thursday).

ANDREW Goledzinowski has been using a key diplomatic tool to bring people together since taking up his posting as Australia’s High Commissioner to Malaysia in January last year: food.

The career diplomat with over 30 years of international service noted soon after his arrival that, “Instead of asking ‘how are you?’ people here ask ‘have you eaten? or ‘sudah makan?’ each time we meet.”