Nostalgia and Principles: The Inspiring Story of Dato’ Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail

When I hear stories about my old friend, Dato’ Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, nostalgic memories of our youth flood back. One particularly memorable story he shared with me was about a time during Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s tenure as Prime Minister.

Dato’ Seri Saifuddin told me about an offer he received from Pak Lah (Tun Abdullah). Pak Lah had invited him to switch his party allegiance from PKR to UMNO, promising him the position of Deputy Minister of Home Affairs if he won the parliamentary seat for Pokok Sena, Kedah. The conversation he had with Pak Lah was one of those moments that could alter the course of a political career. Despite the tempting offer, which included a fallback plan of a high-paying public-listed company job if he lost, Saifuddin didn’t immediately reject it. Instead, he explained that he needed to discuss any major decision with his wife. In reality, his answer was a firm NO.

When I heard about this, I was excited and questioned him about why he didn’t take the offer. He then lectured me on political struggle, emphasising the importance of ideological commitment and the true purpose of his party. According to him, political parties are merely vehicles to reach a destination.

Reflecting on this, I realised that had he accepted the offer, he would have likely become the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, a position held by Dato’ Abdul Rahman from UMNO at that time. More importantly, PKR would have lost a talented and magnetic leader, a true reformist like YAB PMX Anwar Ibrahim. This would have been a significant blow to the party, especially since they had already lost Izam Mohd Nor during that period.

When Saifuddin ran for the position of PKR Deputy President, he lost, but I supported him in various political commentaries. As Tun Musa Hitam recently said, “in politics, if you do not have sufficient funds, please do not go for it.”

There are many more interesting stories between my friend and me, some even humorous. For instance, when we were both PKR representatives, Saifuddin was also managing the Tok Guru Nik Aziz Foundation. We found ourselves as panelists in a forum at Dewan Millennium, Kepala Batas, discussing “Ummah Unity.” I was a last-minute replacement for the late lawyer Roslan Kasim, who had backed out from debating with Saifuddin after receiving a message from Izam Mohd Nor.

To my surprise, I was listed as a panelist without representing any party, but rather as an independent speaker (Ustaz Shahbudin Hj Embun). The event was successful and engaging, with lively exchanges of opinion, including heated moments with another panelist, Dato’ Hashim Subuh from Belia 4B Malaysia. The hall was packed, thanks to the efforts of Tan Sri Yusof Latif from the Penang Malay Association.

The main takeaway from this story is that our commitment to a political party should be driven by genuine struggle and ideals. The party is merely a vehicle for achieving our goals. Secondly, we must be sincere and steadfast in our endeavors, borrowing a piece of advice from PMX: “be consistent in your struggle.”

Who would have thought that my friend would turn down a golden opportunity to become Deputy Minister of Home Affairs at that time, choosing instead to remain true to his principles as a reformist? His dedication to building a just and corruption-free nation with PMX has led him to a higher calling as the current Minister of Home Affairs. It’s clear that everything happens for a reason.

If I were to write a book about my friendship with YB Minister of Home Affairs, it would easily fill 300 pages. However, I would need to seek his permission first.