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| Tan Sri Dr Ani Arope |
ON AUG 5, 2005, the Malaysian Scientific Association presented Tan Sri Dr Ani Arope the Science Technology Award, in recognition of his lifetime’s work in agriculture.
My husband and I conveyed our congratulations and had a chat with Tan Sri Ani over tea in his lovely landscaped garden recently. I discovered an internationally recognised agriculturist who is not only multi-lingual but also multi-faceted.
Tan Sri Ani was honoured and humbled to receive the award. He modestly acknowledged: “The award is for all deserving agriculturists who have made contributions each in his own way. I accept it on behalf of all my mentors and colleagues in recognition for the little contributions that each made for the advancement of our agriculture.”
Tan Sri Ani opined that Malaysia has the potential to be the highest producer of agricultural products in the tropics, especially in rice, rubber, palm oil and animal husbandry.
“With new technology, we can improve overall yields. We must continue to invest in unravelling the secrets of nature by both inductive and deductive procedures, advance our knowledge and apply the knowledge pragmatically to our agricultural practices so as to enhance production.”
To do this, he feels that Malaysia should have its own Agricultural University not only for teaching but for research and development as well.
Tan Sri Ani was born in Penang. He had his early education in a Catholic Mission school, defying the norms of the day of a Muslim attending a Catholic school. He has a Diploma of Agriculture from Serdang College (now called Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor) where he studied in 1955; Bachelor of Science, Agriculture (1960) from University of Canterbury, New Zealand; Master of Science from the University of Vermont, United States (1966), under the Fulbright Scholarship; and a Doctorate of Science (1974), from the University of Ghent, Belgium.
Tan Sri Ani was Director of Rubber Research Institute (RRI) (1974 -1982), Chairman of National Savings Bank Malaysia, Group Chief Executive of Kumpulan Guthrie (1982 -1990) and Chairman and Chief Executive of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (1990-1996), after which he retired from public service.
Tan Sri Ani kept in touch with his ex-colleagues, often inviting them to his home for Hari Raya lunch. His colleagues from RRI would invite him for Chinese New Year dinner almost every year.
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| A Hari Raya Celebration with RRI colleagues in Tan Sri Ani's home in 2006 |
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| Chinese New Year celebration with RRI colleagues in Shah Alam Club |
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| A Chinese New Year dinner with RRI colleagues in Klang Executive Club |
Tan Sri Ani holds several honorary doctorates from national and foreign universities and has some 80 publications to his credit. He also sits on several educational councils and committees in Malaysia.
During his career, Tan Sri Ani derived great satisfaction in human resource development. He has sent many young people to Germany, France, Belgium and Poland to further their education.
“Now many of them are Heads of Research Centres in the country,” he said with satisfaction and pride.
He is able to see potential in others and help them achieve their full potential. He strongly believes that the man on the top is only as good as the pyramid that supports him. This embraces his philosophy of life that one should have a generous heart, large enough to help others when opportunities arise.
This illustrious intellectual is multilingual and speaks six languages and dialects – Malay, English, French, Hokkien, Japanese and Tamil. He credits his flair for languages to his childhood in Penang.
“I grew up in a multi-cultural society,” he informs. “When I was five years old, my childhood friends were Arabs, Burmese, Chinese, Eurasians, Jews, Indians and Thais. We grew up together, moving freely in each other’s homes. We respected our differences. Whenever we were at a loss for words in our own language, we would switch over to the other person’s language.” This helped him to be conversant in many languages at a young age.
Very few seniors can speak French, let alone write it. Tan Sri Ani speaks and writes in this beautiful language, having taken it as a subject for his Cambridge School Certificate (the equivalent of SPM now). He is currently taking a refresher course in French to enable him to communicate with his daughter, Dr Salina who lives in Lausanne, Switzerland, and corresponds with him only in French.
Tan Sri Ani has many hobbies, some of which are adrenalin pumping. These include flying, horseback riding, reading and gardening. He has a Private Pilot’s Licence and often pilots a plane to Penang, Kota Baru and Kuala Terengganu for meetings at USM and other bodies.
“Flying reinforces in me the need to acquire knowledge, to sharpen my skills and occasionally to exercise a touch of boldness!” he enthused.
Horse-riding is a sport not many seniors dare to try. Tan Sri Ani goes riding at the TUDM Equestrian Club when he has the time. He says that it is good for the back and posture.
His love for horse-riding started when he was a student in New Zealand. “I used to work at a riding school during the weekends, teaching children how to groom and handle their mounts,” he reminisced.
An avid reader, Tan Sri Ani says reading is more important than eating to him. He reads on comparative religions, geography, bibliographies and battle epics (from the Napoleonic wars to the wars in Kuwait and Iraq).
He says: “Reading gives me an insight into the experiences of others, especially when I read the biographies of successful people. One exemplary person is Nelsen Mandela, who after 26 years of imprisonment, has succeeded in impacting people’s lives in a major way.”
A practising agriculturist, Tan Sri Ani gardens during the weekends. He mows the lawn, prunes trees and shreds leaves with a garden shredder for composting. “I just got myself a power saw and pruning the trees in the garden is a piece of cake,” he told me. “After a strenuous workout in the garden, I will sleep like a log!”
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| Tan Sri Ani's garden - 2006 |
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| Tan Sri Ani 's garden - 2006 |
A savvy senior, Tan Sri Ani moves with the times. He uses high tech gadgets like the computer, digital camera and mobile phone to keep in touch with family (especially his three children) and friends both locally and abroad.
Tan Sri Ani values good health. He said that many people take their health for granted, and only start to be health-conscious when something drastic happens.
“We are what we eat, drink or smoke,” he declares. “We need to eat moderately and exercise regularly to burn off excess calories.”
Reminiscing on the past, Tan Sri Ani spoke of an event that has left a lasting impression on him.
He recalls: “It was the beginning of our December school holidays. I had just finished breakfast when air-raid sirens sounded. About 60 twin-engine airplanes were in the sky. Suddenly I heard loud explosions, which lasted one hour. When the bombing stopped, I saw people carrying the dead or wounded, moving from the city to the suburbs for refuge. I remember that day vividly – Dec 8, 1941. That image of the people and what we had to endure for the next three years and eight months made me grow up instantly.”
He was only nine at that time but the memory lingers.
On a final note, Tan Sri Ani wished to share with us the following. “Many of us do not realise that we have a direct link to the Almighty. Few of us tap this super energy source of power. I believe fervently in the power of prayer.
“Visualise what you seek in your prayers, then energise the programme to actualise what you seek. In my life, I have used this creative principle to guide me in my career and life path. Try it out for yourself.”
Tan Sri Ani, “pushing 74” as he says, is a versatile, illustrious, colourful and well-balanced senior who is enjoying a fulfilling life with his wife, Puan Sri Sainah.
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This article was published in the Star (Malaysian paper) on 14th November 2005.
I was most impressed by Tan Sri Ani's intelligence, energy and zest for life.
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Tan Sri Ani Arope had published a book "Memoirs of Tan Sri Ani Arope" which was launched at his home on 16th October 2013 and launched publicly in Univeristi Tenaga, Kajang, on 17th December 2013.
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| Book launch at his home |
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| Book launch: with his RRI colleagues |
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| Book launch in Universiti Tenaga on 17th December 2013 |
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| Tan Sri Ani Arope speaking at his book launch |
Tan Sri Ani Arope passed away on 20th December 2014, but the memory of this towering individual remains.
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