Minister with a Heart of Gold

Translation into:

Bahasa Malaysia https://come-to-senses.blogspot.com/2025/10/menteri-berhati-emas.html

Mandarin: https://come-to-senses.blogspot.com/2025/10/blog-post.html

Tamil: https://come-to-senses.blogspot.com/2025/10/blog-post_3.html

The morning may have seemed gloomy beneath an overcast sky, but few things are more heartwarming than receiving a message from Sheila Abdul Rahman, former editor of Sunday Mail.

Her message touched on a “naughty” minister in the Madani government—someone who’s drawn heavy criticism from netizens, many of whom have swallowed the toxic narratives spread by hired cybertroopers bent on destabilising yet another prime minister.

But for ordinary citizens like Sheila and me, we remain pragmatic. We still believe there are good politicians out there, just as there are bad journalists, too. 

When I first learned that Sheila had been trying for years to help a few children from a family in her community gain legal status as Malaysian citizens, I told her there’s at least some hope now—with Saifuddin Nasution Ismail serving as Home Minister.

I would have written him off, as I did with Muhyiddin Yasin and Hamzah Zainudin after the collapse of the 22-month-old Pakatan Harapan government, had he not responded to some of my messages. 

Often, we take hours to write our letters, refining every line to ensure that it accurately paints a clear picture of what is happening to the best of our knowledge. Muhyiddin never even responded. I said forget about approaching Hamzah Zainudin. 

I have witnessed how another Saifuddin, who eventually became a full-fledged minister during the Pakatan Harapan government, chose to ignore all of my messages. This was despite the fact that he had once been friendly when I invited him to officiate an event several years ago. I had reached out to inform him that the telephone at the High Commission office in Bangkok was ringing, but no one was answering the calls. All he could have at least done was to get his special officer to contact the High Commission, and help would be on the way.

At that time, I was assisting a family in distress. The father, a carpenter working in Bangkok, had died of a heart attack. His body needed to be repatriated, and his two sons were left stranded in Bangkok—uncertain, overwhelmed, and without guidance on what steps to take or whom to approach for help.

That's why I never had too much hope in some of our ministers. Many, after becoming ministers, would prefer to ignore the grassroots. 

Minister with a Heart of Gold

But thankfully, Saifuddin has shown a heart of compassion. I am describing him here as a Minister with a Heart of Gold not to flatter him, but to encourage him on the right path. After observing him from a distance over the past two years, I have come to see a man who isn’t chasing brownie points.

To him, the issue of statelessness is a long-standing injustice. And as Home Minister, he is determined to resolve it—knowing full well that granting citizenship to those who deserve it won’t win him votes. Instead, he received brickbats from certain parties accusing him of granting citizenships to China nationals. 

My role was simple: I became the postman. When Sheila told me about the Eu family—five stateless children without any future—I simply forwarded her messages to Saifuddin Nasution, trusting he would act on all the applications long pending.

My Role as Salt 

Though I have never been a full-time journalist, I have always seen my role as one that seeks to improve lives. Just like salt, my role is to preserve society from the rot. 

Whenever I write, it is not for the sake of writing, but to highlight issues—from illegal dumps, clogged drains and potholes to matters of national concern—with the hope of inspiring change. That’s why I resonate deeply with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s call for reform since 2005 or 2006.

Saifuddin Nasution is one of those rare ministers who has proven his worth. Last year, he told me he would focus on Article 15(a) and (b) of the Federal Constitution, where the real issues with statelessness is concerned. He endured intense pressure—from Lawyers for Liberty to countless unreasonable netizens—but remained unwavering. And because of that, families like the Eu's have found hope.

For years to come, I believe many formerly stateless individuals will remember Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. Just like the Eu children—who were stateless barely a year ago—their futures are now brighter as full-fledged Malaysians. If only more ministers would follow his example, Malaysia would be a better place for all.