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MALAYSIAN DIPLOMATS: OUR STORIES

the 1990 election in Yangon, Myanmar after the civil unrest brought the
downfall of strongman General Ne Win. I even had the pleasure of having
lunch with President Fidel Castro when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
visited Cuba as Foreign Minister. I still have a photo of me shaking hands
with the President displayed in my house.

Not forgetting the Renault Espace that I lost in the Atlantic Ocean. T e
container, loaded with my car and personal belongings such as clothes and
photos, and 27 containers belonging to others fell overboard from the ship
which was en route to New York from Port Klang in a heavy storm. Losing
the car was not really a loss as it could be replaced but what was irreplaceable
were the photos with so many memories. Unfortunately, I did not get any
compensation from the insurance company as apparently I had failed to
read the “small print”. As for the Government, I tried. So, my family and I
arrived in New York literally with the shirts on our back.

To sum it all up, yes, I had an enriching 34 years on His Majesty’s Service.

Ambassador Abdullah Faiz Zain was born in his grandmother’s house on Jalan Barat in
Pudu, Kuala Lumpur. He went to Petaling Jaya Primary School, La Salle Brickf elds and
Victoria Institution. He retired on 14 February 2015.

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