TRIBUTE ABDUL - Perdana Library

Without a Crystal Ball
(J. S. H. Cunyngham-Brown O.B.E. M.C.S. frtd).)
"I cannot aspire to encounter a Prophet", said Confucius;
"all I dare hops is to meet a perfect gentlemen"
Not having the honour of close personal acquaintanceship|
with Yang Teramat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-haj
K.O.M. I am acutely conscious of inadequacy in the company of so
many better qualified whose names appear here to pay him tribute.
But having been requested by the author of this book to write a
word or two in reference to Malaya's first Prime Minister on his
60th birthday, a strong desire not to remain churlishly silent on so
happy an occasion and a very real sense of pleasure at so kind an
invitation have overcome a natural diffidence, at least to the extent
of placing on record such facts concerning the Tunku's actions
and their background reasons as are easily gleaned by any man who
reads the daily papers.
Let us first examine that background.
The races whose contributions to this country have made
her what she is today - the Chinese with their restless energy, pertinacity
and business acumen; the Indian peoples of so many differing
ethnic stocks whose lucid and articulate temperaments, patience,
brilliance and mental, as well as physical, courage have
matured the Malayan population in the sunshine of their
philosophy; the British Islanders and other western races
whose short period here (it was only a total of 182 years, if we exclude
the presence, restricted solely to Malacca, of Portugese and Dutch
from 1511 to 1820) has utterly metamorphosed the peninsula, has
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