I VIVIDLY remember my maiden trip to Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2004. Arriving as a Member of our Parliament’s Lower House and coming from the tropical heat of Malaysia, I was utterly shocked to find myself braving a bone-chilling -25°C in a blisteringly cold December, a far cry from the warmth and humidity I was accustomed to.
Beyond the harshest winter rigours I have ever experienced in my life, my initial visit to the Central Asian nation coincided with a pivotal time in the country’s history. President Islam Karimov, who led Uzbekistan since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, was at the helm, overseeing a nation that was coming to terms with its sovereignty. Being invited as an international parliamentary election observer representing Malaysia, I was able to experience firsthand the complexities of a nation that, while largely stable, was also marked by a pervasive sense of control, both political and social.
