A war against oppression

A LONG time ago, on a staircase in the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s lobby in Kuala Lumpur, a group of reporters were crowding around the then Malaysian Permanent Representative to the United Nations asking questions when one rookie asked, “Which part of Africa is Unga?”

My colleague who was present recalled that the rest of the group was flabbergasted this reporter didn’t know that “Unga” refers to the UN General Assembly. But the man being questioned was a diplomat after all and was polite enough to pretend he didn’t hear the question.