FORM is temporary while class is permanent. This adage may be a cliché but it still holds water. There are personalities in Malay-sia who are in a class of their own, and are simply irreplaceable. One such person is the charismatic Tan Sri Dr Mani Jegathesan, who turned 80 on Thursday.
For younger readers, Jega (as he was known), nicknamed “the Flying Doctor” by the BBC, represented Malaysia in the Olympic Games in the 1960s. Driven solely by passion – not to mention pride in his young nation – he qualified for two 200m semifinals.