Prince

It's amazing who you can get a meeting with just by asking. Everywhere we went people told us we should talk to Tengku, well we finally got a 15 minute appointment.  We arrived at his office and were asked if we wanted water, which sounded like such a welcome relief in the heat, turns out water is served hot to prove that it was boiled.  The chairman of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Dato’ Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin (Ph.D), was an impressive character.  His business card is a fold out that lists all his organization presidencies and chairmanships. This guy is somewhat of a legend around here. He’s been the president of just about every significant conservation society in Sabah, travels the world, is an adventurer and an actual prince.

Now I would like to be the kind of guy that doesn't get star struck, but I really was. First he sat back and listened to us drone on and on about the organization and the project the kids are doing. Then he talked to us about the greatness of Sabah (it really is an amazing place) and the future of conservation and tourism in the state. Borneo is THE biodiversity epi-ceter both above the ground and below the sea. Then he showed us a book of photos he’s taken. He's written quite a few books. One great one was of Mount Kinabalu taken from a helicopter on his way to head the rescue operation for a lost climber. He’s an extreme sportsman, skydiver, deep diver, rock climber, scientist and champion of nature and the poor. In his collection of photos were presidents, prime ministers, and royalty.

After 2 hours into our 15 minute appointment, I pressed my luck and told him that we appreciated the time he spent with us and asked if it was possible for us to take him out to lunch. I fully expected a polite refusal, especially since it was his first day back from the 3 day ride he organizes every year with the International Harley Owners Group. But he agreed and insisted on treating us. He suggested a great local restaurant, he knows of just half an hour out of town. On the way we passed what used to be the tallest building in Malaysia, one that he had built when he was the CEO of The Sabah Society. He showed us around it for a few minute and took us to the revolving restaurant. On the way, he stopped to shake everyone’s hand and greet them.

As we continued on to the restaurant, he told us about how he had lived in the jungle for five years as a child when the Japanese had invaded and stories of Sabah in the early days and his negotiations with the logging companies after independence. The restaurant, Salut, was on a fish farm. You walk around and pick the fish and vegetables you want to eat and they cook them up for you. This was the best food I’ve had in Malaysia. The feast consisted of a dozen large prawns, 4 crabs in a tasty sauce, clam soup, a delicious fern that only grows in Borneo, rice fried in garlic and my favorite drink, coconut. Salut is owned and worked entirely by a village in the area. All the food was farmed in the village and all the money stays in the community. On the way back to town we stopped by the Wetlands Center to introduce him to the project team. When we introduced him to the students, you could tell they rocognized the name. Hopefully it will inspire some of them to continue on with the conservation efforts we are trying encourage. Maybe one of them will be Sabah's next Tengku. All in all we spent four and a half hours with the man and it was fascinating.