Only one regret, says Hamid

(The Star) KUALA LUMPUR: After being in politics for 31 years, out-going Senate president Tan Sri Dr Hamid Pawanteh’s only regret is having to leave Parliament when it is at its most exciting.

The politician, who has once been deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker as well as Perlis mentri besar, said he would certainly miss the buzz once he retires on Monday.

“I am happy to have tried my best. My performance is for others to judge.

“The only regret I have is leaving at a time which I think is the most exciting in Parliament history of Malaysia after 50 years of nationhood.

“Before this, it was quite dull,” he admitted in an interview.

Tomorrow will be the last time that Dr Hamid will be presiding as the Senate president, a post he has held for six years after resigning as Kangar MP in July 2003.

He became Senate president on July 7 the same year.

Dr Hamid said he had taken up the Senate post as his way of putting his own country “above self and party”, and hoped to see a more assertive Dewan Negara in its role to provide a check and balance.

“It is the country’s politics that determines the character of Parliament.

“Parliament is the cart and politics is the horse. People forget that and often think Parliament is the horse. Now, politics has changed and Parliament also changes.”

Dr Hamid said debating reflected the behaviour of Malaysians at large, particularly those patrons of the country’s coffeeshops.

Ironically, Dr Hamid said he had planned his exit the moment he was made Senate president – just like how he had persuaded former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to let him relinquish his post as Perlis mentri besar when he found the “fire was no longer in him.”

“If you can’t get done what you want to do in eight-and-a-half years, chances are they are not going to be done,” he said.

The trained medical doctor started his political career in 1978 as the Kangar town council member before becoming the deputy Speaker between 1983 and 1986, and the mentri besar from 1986 until 1995.

Dr Hamid, who briefly worked as a company director from 1995 to 2003, is now going back to the business world to guide his five children, none of whom has shown any interest in politics.

“I will be focusing on training and grooming my five children to cope with the world of business.

“I am excited about taking on my new task – trying to build two power plants in Vietnam and one each in Thailand and India,” he said.