Nik Aziz and his cheap, plastic BIC ballpoint pen

(Anilnetto) Here’s something our politicians can learn from Kelantan Mentri Besar Niz Aziz, who lives in a simple wooden house.

Farish Noor describes his encounter with the simple politician who still uses the same type of ballpoint that he saw him using when they met in 1999.

Blog reader Zack adds:

Nik Aziz was once ask why he did not press the BIC ballpoint pen hard on to the paper when signing documents. His simple answer was that it was to save ink! This man is a rare breed and one in a million.

We all know what most of the Barisan leaders are like, but I wonder to what extent the other Pakatan leaders will change their life-styles if and when they come to power.

In this respect, they can’t go wrong if they emulate the simple life-style of Nik Aziz.

I will let blog-reader Karma have the final say:

A great man, he is. Tok Guru reminds me of Gandhi. Both have spiritual strength and it is this strength that has coloured their personalities. Gandhi left no material wealth when he died, but he left spiritual wealth to the people of this world. Tok Guru would always remind us of the importance of spiritual values rather than forms in life. He believes in moderation. He also believes in simplicity.

His soft spot for all races and religions is because of his spiritual richness. When a person is spiritually strong, he will not waver when it comes to principles in life. Friendship to him is genuine. To forgive for him is divine. Hopefully, with his spiritual strength, Malaysians would be guided to the right path.

I remember in one of his religious talks he said, “Every Malaysian and every human being has the right to live peacefully in this world. Hate not each other, but help each other. Don’t make greed a way of life, as this will lead to selfishness. We are all children of God, seek in us the similarities and not the differences and this will lead us to a true bond among all. It is only when your heart is spiritually cleansed would you appreciate the beauty of creation and discover the truth.

“This is only a temporary world, remember. No one will live forever, strong or weak. So, nurture in you pleasantness to achieve the best in life. Rich or poor, you will one day leave this world. So, be kind to all when you are in this world.”