KUALA LUMPUR: Like many other MCA comrades, party president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong finds it hard to say goodbye to his mentor and respected elder, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik.
Dr Wee has stationed himself at Dr Ling’s wake for much of the day, as he and other party leaders do what they can to help the family.
Foremost in everyone’s mind was according the former MCA president the dignified send-off he deserved.
Dr Wee shared several personal encounters that shaped his admiration for Ling.
“At just 31 years old in the late 1990s, I was merely the Johor Baru MCA division secretary, handling public complaints in Johor. My passion was taking part in debates at party assemblies.
“Though we had no personal connection, Tun Ling had, unbeknownst to me, been observing from afar as I participated in party activities and acted as emcee for events,” he wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday (April 7).
He recalled receiving an unexpected call to go to the Transport Ministry.
“Dr Ling told me that he had decided to appoint me and nine other MCA comrades to represent the party at the National Economic Consultative Council II (NECC II), formed by balanced representation from bumiputra and non-bumiputra groups.
“Among the 10 MCA representatives, I was the youngest. Since I had to consult and report to him regularly, I had the privilege of personal engagement with him," he said.
Dr Wee said he was “pleasantly surprised but also worried” about living up to the task, but Dr Ling reassured him.
“Tun Ling encouraged me with his kind words: ‘Ka Siong, I believe you can handle it and it is a very suitable platform for you. I have made my recommendation to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir, you will receive the appointment letter very soon," he wrote.
He described meetings with Dr Ling as “a unique experience”.
“As you presented your views, he would often remain silent and listen intently, gently turning the ring on his finger as he paid attention. Only after careful thought would he respond, offering insights that were measured, precise and invaluable,” he said.
As deputy education minister, Dr Wee also turned to Dr Ling when facing “little Napoleons” in the bureaucracy who claimed the Cabinet had decided not to build any more Chinese schools.
“To find out the truth, I called both the retired Dr Ling and the late Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik. Dr Ling’s reply was firm and unequivocal: ‘Ka Siong, that is absolutely not true.’
“He urged me to stand my ground and confront these man-made obstacles. That one phone call gave me the conviction I needed, and in the end we broke through those bureaucratic barriers,” he said.
Dr Wee also recalled Dr Ling’s down-to-earth nature.
“He had little interest in lavish banquets. He preferred simple hawker fare. I still remember one occasion when he cheerfully put on an apron and tried his hand at frying char kway teow to raise funds for the then Tunku Abdul Rahman College.
“In that moment, he was not the Transport Minister or MCA president – he was simply a man of the people,” he wrote.
Despite being English-educated, Dr Ling placed great importance on his mother tongue.
“He annotated his speeches with pinyin and asked his secretary to correct his pronunciation. He delighted in weaving Chinese idioms into his speeches to engage with the Chinese community,” said Dr Wee.
He added that Dr Ling, a strong advocate of mind-mapping, was known for his remarkable memory and could effortlessly recall names, faces and policy details.
“Dr Ling, thank you for your faith in me and for seeing something in a young man I had yet to see in myself.
“Thank you for the lessons shared over simple meals and quiet conversations. What you left me is not only political wisdom, but a lasting example of humility, grace and humanity,” Dr Wee said.
