Farewell to Harun and Azmi - unsung heroes in their respective fields

LAST Tuesday was a sad day for many.

Two unsung heroes in their respective fields passed away on the third day of the blessed month of Ramadan.

Harun Rasheed Othman, the first schoolboy to dip below 50 seconds in the 400m race, died in his sleep around 5am. Harun, 70, was laid to rest at the Sungai Kantan Muslim cemetery in Kajang. He is survived by five children.

Slightly 13 hours later, Azmi Abdullah, 72, who led a team of engineers to develop Malaysia’s prototype automotive engine that was launched in 1998, breathed his last at his residence in Ampang. He was laid to rest at the Ukay Perdana cemetery.

Harun, who hailed from Kulim, Kedah, burst into the scene in 1971 but made a name for himself with a record-breaking run of a hand-timed 49.1 seconds, 0.9sec faster than the previous junior record, in the Malaysian Schools meet on July 27, 1973.

On that same day, National Sportswoman of the Year, Junaidah Aman, was beaten by Marina Chin in the women’s 400m race.

It was indeed a break-out year for Harun for he was picked for the 4x400 relay team that bagged the gold medal in the Singapore SEAP Games, comprising of P.L.B.S Peyadesa, S. Sabapathy and Asir Victor.

It culminated with Harun being installed as the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Sportsboy of the Year.

Former MSSM secretary-general, Datuk A. Vaithilingam, said: “I am deeply shocked to learn of his passing. I knew him as a schoolboy athlete in MSSM and the Asean Schools meets. He was the captain of the Malaysian team then.

“Later he was part of the 1973 SEAP Games in Singapore when I managed the team. My sympathies and heartfelt condolences to Harun’s family.”

Harun went on to scoop another gold medal in the relay race in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1977, joining forces with Peyadesa, 400m individual gold medallist Sukhninder Singh and M. Mariah Naidu.

Upon taking up coaching in 1980, Harun stamped his own mark, as athletes under his wings soared to great heights, most notably G. Shanti, who garnered a slew of medals at SEA Games level, including a double in the 100m and 200m at the 1997 SEA Games in Jakarta.

“It is a huge personal loss for me for he was my coach ever since I began my athletic journey. He was a very kind-hearted coach and above all, an amazing man.”

Shanti will miss Harun’s cooking too.

“When we were camped in Germany in the 1990s, Harun liked to cook chicken curry and fish sambal,” Shanti recalled with great fondness.

Harun too created an impact on my show Dengan Izin on Astro Arena.

Having been banned by the Malaysian Athletic Union (MAU) for his alleged role in instructing six athletes to skip a dope test in 2012, Harun disclosed on television that he had acted upon orders from a top official.

The recording of the alleged conversation between the MAU official, Harun and the six athletes at a restaurant was played on the show, quoting the official as having absolved Harun of all blame in the incident as the team were preparing for the 2011 SEA Games.

Three of the six athletes who initially skipped the dope tests were sent off to Bulgaria the day after the incident.

Azmi, meanwhile, was born in Parit Jawa, Muar, Johor. We shared the same surau as he happened to be my neighbour.

He was the project manager tasked to develop the country’s first prototype commercial engine, Petronas EO1, which was officially unveiled and launched in November 1998.

The two-litre prototype was developed based on Formula 1 technology at Sauber Petronas Engineering’s facility in Hinwil, on the suburbs of Zurich, Switzerland, with five pioneering engineers originally selected to participate in the technology transfer programme.

The joint venture between Swiss Red Bull Sauber Holding and Petronas provided the engineers which later grew to 15, the opportunities to expand their knowledge base in engines, fuels, lubricants and composite technology.

It was reliably learned that the engine, which had benefited from the Formula One technology of Sauber, delivered something like 200 horsepower!

May Allah the Almighty grant the two departed souls eternal peace, forgiveness, and a place in His paradise. May He also grant strength and patience to their loved ones, especially Hajjah Faridah Baba and family, during this difficult time.