- Zabidi Tusin/The Star
KUALA TERENGGANU: Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has been credited for taking Terengganu to a higher level of development during his tenure as the country’s fifth Prime Minister.
Among his brainchild is the Crystal Mosque located in Wan Man, Kuala Terengganu, which has been regularly ranked as one of the best in the world by travel sites.
The iconic mosque is also located at the Islamic Heritage Park, which is the only one in the country.
Delivering his inaugural lecture as an adjunct professor at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, property developer Datuk Patrick Lim paid tribute to Abdullah, 85, and shared the inspirations of the retired leader to the audience.
His lecture was titled: Realisation of a Vision, Thinking Beyond Boundaries, The Tun Abdullah Vision for Terengganu.
“We called it Crystal Mosque because in our minds comes nature and nature is the work of God.
“In keeping with the theme, our minarets are bezel. When this mosque was designed, we thought of illuminating in a different way. It is lit up at night with the colours of amber.
Datuk Patrick Lim
“When the mosque was designed, it also took into consideration that being made of glass, the Crystal Mosque could get very warm.
“The Crystal Mosque is designed with a cooling system that takes the water from the bottom and cools it. At the same time, the glass was laminated with gold because gold is nature.
“This is why when you see the mosque in the daytime, it looks magnificent and that is the Crystal Mosque," said Lim, who was involved in the development of the project.
Calling Abdullah a statesman, Lim, who regarded himself as a builder and planner, described Pak Lah - as he is affectionately called - as a man ahead of his time.
“Even 20 years ago, he already had the vision that people should not be displaced or be forced to move to big cities," said Lim, adding that he was already talking about green ecology.
Johor Baru-based Lim also said Abdullah saw the tourism potential of Terengganu even during the Monsoon period which brought heavy rains and choppy seas that prevented fishermen from going out.
He said the idea of the Monsoon Cup, a yacht race in the state that was first held in 2015, was inspired by the Sydney Hobart Race with the hope of making it like the America’s Cup.
It was meant to bring economic benefits to the state even during the Monsoon season, Lim added, with careful considerations to the heritage and faith of the people in the state.
Describing Abdullah as a humble person, in paying tribute to the former Umno president, Lim said the former PM always had the interest of the people, including the people of Terengganu, at heart.
Lim said he wanted to share with the young, especially university students, what Abdullah had done for the state.
