WHAT do you get when you cross a Japanese programme director and eight alumni members of IATSS Forumu at Paya Serai Coffee House, PJ Hilton?
Formalities, fond nostalgia, friendly banter and of course, a continuous flow of food. 
Well, it almost started off with cold-blooded murder when secretary Chee Wah good-naturedly threatened to kill our president, Daniel, for an apparent hiccup in the reservations. 
Basically, we couldn’t find any familiar listed down for the lunch cum hi-tea buffet and the coffee house was fully booked, according to the waitress. 

However, there was to be no blood-spilling that day as we managed to get a table in the end for the nine of us - Ashizawa-san, Jenny (6th batch), Irene (6th batch), Poh Aun (17th batch), Azlan (21st batch), Chee Wah (24th batch), Jayanthi (28th batch), Roshni and watashi-wa (30th batch). (So, no hard feelings, Daniel, you’re vindicated).
In between assam laksa, rojak, ketupat, serunding and a host of other local delights, we asked Tommy-san (what Roshni and I were more used to calling) about the rest of the staff at IATSS Forum, the weather in Japan (for lack of small talk topics) and also exchanged news on what was happening in our respective working lives. 
Then, with the passing round of 115 photographs Roshni had kindly reprinted for me from our trip, I believe we were all transported back to Suzuka Saarkit, the soothing onsen at Kur Garden, the mysterious geishas and endless temples of Kyoto, and the rush-hour bustle in metropolitan Tokyo. 

I don’t know about the rest, but suddenly, I really envied the next batch of participants who would be going to Japan.
By 3pm, trips to the buffet tables had stopped and I, for one, was a little tired out from the chatting and munching. Tommy-san’s taxi was scheduled to arrive at 3.30pm to send him to the airport for his flight to Singapore, his next destination. 
So, it was then that we said our goodbyes and parted ways, but all of us will remain connected by our one common past

(Ashizawa-san was in Malaysia from Jan 17-19 to interview candidates for the 31st and 32nd IATSS Forum Programme participants.)

Celebrating Pak Ungku's 80th Birthday, 22 March 2002, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

For the IATSS alumni, we will remember Pak Ungku as one of the interviewers as we sit through the final round of the IATSS Forum interview. Well, he is much more than that.  

YM. Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid is also a well known and respected public figure in the country. He is a leading academician and economist who has contributed many ideas to the government.

Royal Professor Ungku Aziz was born in London on January 28, 1922. He completed his secondary education at English College, Johore Bahru and obtained a diploma from Raffles College, Singapore in 1947. In 1951, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics (graduating with Class I Honours) from the University of Malaya and subsequently in 1964, the Doctor of Economics (Hakase) from Waseda University, Tokyo.

Pak Ungku, as he is fondly know as, has also been bestowed with many international awards and honorary degrees, one of them being the "Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure First Class" by the Emperor of Japan.

Together with Tun Ismail Ali, Raja Tun Mohar, Tan Sri Jamil Rais,  and, Dato’ Siew Nim Chee (Convenor), Royal Professor Ungku Aziz founded the Persatuan Ekonomi Malaysia (PEM), or also known as the Malaysian Economic Association (MEA) in 1962. 

He was also the longest serving Vice Chancellor for Malaysia's premier university, University of Malaya holding the position for almost 20 years. Recently he was awarded with one of the nation's highest awards, the "Tokoh Maal Hijrah" award by the King of Malaysia in conjunction with the Islamic new year celebration.

You may read more about Pak Ungku in two articles under the 'In the News' section

IATSS alumni were honoured when Pak Ungku accepted our invitation to have a small birthday party for him. Not a fancy huge one in a big ballroom but a small gathering at Izumi Restaurant at the Eastin Hotel in Petaling Jaya. 

Bon Voyage Party for 31st and 32nd Batch, 15 May 2001, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
[ Sorry, no photos as I forgot to bring the camera to the event]

Time flies by so quickly, and before we knew it, it was time again to wish Bon Voyage to this years' IATSS participants. As per the new format, it was broken up into two groups.
Azizul Kamaredzuan (IATSS 31)
Dr Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain (IATSS 31)
Khairul Naim Adham (IATSS 32)
Chong Siong Chuan (IATSS 32)

The party was held at Rumah Universiti with our standard IATSS farewell food fare of roti jala and chicken curry,  

Annual General Meeting, 12November 2002, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Instead of having the AGM at a hotel, we decide to hold it at President Daniel's office this time round. Cheryl organised the catering and included something Japanese like sushi and green tea cake. We also had some finger food from Strudels and Daniel also arranged for some Malay goodies.

It was also fasting month, so we 'buka puasa' together.  We went through the formal part of the agenda and all reports were passed. Also discussed the 4th International Alumni Meeting that will be held in Manila in February / March 2003.