Tributes to Dato' Mahani Zainal Abidin

We encourage you to share your tributes, thoughts, fond memories, photos and videos with Allahyarham Dato' Mahani. Please send your stories via email to 
james dot imran dot miller @ gmail dot com.

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“We have found her to be gracious, warm and empathetic; and a valuable contributor to our institution” 
Dato’ Loy Teik Ngan, 
Group Chief Executive Officer, Taylor’s Education Group
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“We have always held Dato’ Mahani in the highest esteem and enjoyed working with her on several occasions, including as the visiting speaker at the UNDP country office retreat. We greatly admired her passion, commitment, integrity and her forthright and honest views on policy issues and Malaysia’s economic challenges. Her vast fountain of knowledge on policy challenges for Malaysia and frank views has nurtured a more fertile and informed Malaysian discourse on society. She was an inspiration to all who had the pleasure to enjoy her company and will be greatly missed”
James George
Officer-in-Charge (and Assistant Resident Representative - Programme for UNDP Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam
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“She was a very nice person and friend”
Mr Kamal Malhotra
UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Turkey
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“Loss of a brilliant mind committed to Malaysia’s economic development. She will be terribly missed”
Richard Leete
Ph.D. Director, Dept of Social Development General Secretariat for Development Planning
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“A great personal loss but also a loss for the whole nation of Malaysia – she did so much for her country in its darkest economic times – when Malaysia showed the whole world what clear independent thinking can achieve” 
Dr. Phillips Young
Former UN Resident Coordinator in Malaysia and UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam (1999-2001)
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“I knew her as an excellent and friendly professional, who we, in UNDP worked with during an eventful time in Malaysia in the late 1990s”
Mr Neil Buhne
Director, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, UNDP Geneva
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“Shocking! Wonderful person, my former lecturer”
Dr Hari Ramalu Ragavan
Programme Director, UNDP Malaysia
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“I have known Mahani for many years and we have worked together on many research projects and regional activities. She was a dear friend and a very special person to me, and I will certainly miss her”
Mari Elka Pangetsu
Minister of Tourism and Economic Development, Indonesia
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“Sesungguhnya, Allahyarhamah merupakan seorang tokoh pakar ekonomi wanita yang telah banyak menyumbang kepakarannya dalam bidang ekonomi kepada Negara. Pemergian Allahyarhamah akan amat di rasai oleh warga ISIS khususnya dan Negara amnya. Saya sendiri amat mengenali Allahyarhamah secara dekat.” 
Datin Paduka Seri Hajah Rosmah Mansor
Wife of the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Dato Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak
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“The late of Allahyarhamah Y.Bhg Dato’ Dr Mahani Zainal Abidin contributed significantly to economic policy thinking in Malaysia. We, at Malaysia Institute of Economic Research (MIER), shall always fondly remember the late Allahyarhamah Y.Bhg Dato’ Dr Mahani Zainal Abidin for being a true friend and well-wisher of the Institute. Her untimely departure is certainly a great loss to all of us”
Dr Zakariah Abdul Rashid
Executive Director, Malaysian Institute of Economic Research
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“Beliau telah memberi sumbangan yang besar kepada Negara. Saya telah kehilangan seorang sahabat. Allahyarham telah membantu saya dalam banyak perkara dan saya terhutang budi kepada Allahyarham”
Tun Daim Zainuddin
Former Finance Minister of Malaysia (1984-1991)
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“In her role as Chief Executive of ISIS, Dato’ Mahani made an outstanding contribution to furthering Australian-Malaysia bilateral relations. She was a wonderful advocate and supporter of numerous programs involving Australia such the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Dialogue, the Australia-ASEAN Emerging Leaders Program and the Asia Pacific Roundtables. Her skillful leadership, expertise and thoughtful insights will be really missed. Her contribution to economic policy issues in Malaysia and service on many boards over the years is a lasting legacy of professional service to her country that we will also remember her by my colleagues and I at the Australian High Commission valued her personal friendship, sharp intelligence and warmth. We will miss her”
Jane Duke
Acting High Commissioner, Australian High Commissioner Kuala Lumpur
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“As a member of the Board of Trustees of Yayasan 1Malaysia, Mahani was totally dedicated and committed to the 1Malaysia cause. In spite of her busy schedule, she found time to supervise, and offer guidance on, Yayasan 1Malaysia financial management. She was most concerned about prudent spending and financial integrity. The trustees will always cherish her outstanding service to Yayasan 1Malaysia. Mahani was also one of the better known economists in the country who served the nation well in various capacities. Her immense contributions will be recorded in the nations annals”
Dr Chandra Muzaffar
Chairman, Board of Trustees, Yayasan 1Malaysia
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“Dr Mahani will be remembered by many, particularly during the early days, when we were getting the concept and idea of Epsom College off the ground here in Malaysia. She shared her passion for the importance of Education and with her characteristic smile laugh and great sense of humour, really supported us in so many difference ways”
Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes
CEO Air Asia & Chairman of Governors of Epsom College Malaysia
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“Dato’ Mahani was a valued, inspirational and respected member of the Yayasan Canselor University since its corporation in 2009. She will be deeply missed”
Leo Moggie
Chairman, Board of Trustees, Yayasan Canselor University Tenaga Nasional

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“I had the honour and pleasure to know and work together with Dato’ Dr Mahani and she was always generous to share her knowledge, ideas and advice in such enthusiastic, passionate and lively way especially to the Land Public Transport Commission. She is a great loss to the Land Public Transport Commission and the country”
Tan Sri Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar
Chairman, Land Public Transport Commission
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"Mahani was someone who loved and was committed to Malaysia and her people, but was also fully open to the international community. I had the privilege of working with her on the NEAC New Economic Model in 2009 and saw how her combination of leadership and incisive thinking was put to use for the benefit of her country."
Edward Clayton
Managing Partner, Booz & Company (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
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"I was fortunate to know and cooperate with Mahani Zainal Abidin for over ten years on issues relating to the development of Malaysia, ASEAN and international economic cooperation. 

 She was a wonderfully warm person, full of insights and a real passion for improving the lives of people by promoting good policies and close communication and cooperation among people from many economies.

 Along with my colleagues at the Australian National University I was saddened by the news of her passing. She lives on in our memories."
Andrew Elek
Research Associate, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
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"The last time I met Allahyarhamah was at my daughter's wedding at PICC, Putrajaya November 25th,2011. I will not forget that both of you enjoyed the Evergreens performed by UPSI Band that night. We were supposed to meet for lunch with our friends in MTEN and EPU but she was so so busy that it never got to materialize. I miss her exuberance and I cried when I erased her name from my phone. I have and will always include her in my prayers."
Datin Rahmah
Friend
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"I used to work with her a lot when I was covering the higher education beat and when it was helmed by Datuk Shafie Salleh and Datuk Mustapha Mohammad. There is so many fond memories I have of her but none documented in pictures. I have interviewed her on several occasions and I must say she is very easy to work with, gives good quotable quotes and is always willing to help a journalist get a good story. I will miss her."
June Ramli
Reporter
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"She  taught me statistics when i was her student in the late 1970's. Since then I became interested in statistics and now I become one who can be considered the expert in statistics for social sciences. Later, in early 1980's, I joined FEA as academic staff. We were together at the department, Applied Economics. We became very close friends then. After she left to join other government departments and ISIS, we have not met so often, because we were not under the same roof. I respect her as she was my former favorite lecture, colleague in the same dept and a good friend well."
Che Hashim Hassan
University Malaya
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"We have lost a fellow professional, colleague, friend, and valued human being."
Prof. Govindan Nair
The George Washington University, President, Hemispheres Solutions LLC (USA)
Former Lead Economist, The World Bank
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"I have the privilege of knowing the late Dato' Mahani recently while I was on the same board of Governor of Epsom College in Malaysia.  We have met often times at the board meetings and she had come across to me as an affable, approachable and humble lady.

 My Husband, Tan Hoe Pin, and I held very high views of her and always respect her as one of the outstanding professional woman, who contributed much to the Malaysia Economic Industry."
Mrs Nancy Ling
Board of Governors, Epsom College of Malaysia
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"Her friends at CSIS/Washington will miss her wealth of ideas, warmth, energy, enthusiasm, and infectious laugh.  It was a delight working with her over the past two years to explore ways to expand relations between Malaysia and the United States."
Mr Murray Hiebert
CSIS, Washington
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"We had frequently interviewed her on economic issues. She will be missed"
Noelle Lim
Business FM
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"Mahani was always professional and courteous, always helpful and dedicated to the task at hand!  She will be missed by many!"
KJ John,
Friend
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"Curtin University in Perth was graced with a short study tour by Professor Mahani. She was such a perceptive academic and a very warm person. She gave some public lectures here that were well attended and well appreciated. She made a great impression on those fortunate to make contact with her through her radiant and cheerful personality. We shall remember her with great fondness at Curtin University and in Perth Australia. I have lost a great friend."
Dr Eric Tan AM PJN FRACS Hon D Sc Cit WA
Chancellor Emeritus, Curtin University
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"It's a real loss to the education world in Malaysia - she was always such a genuine woman"
Mark and Nina Disney
Friends
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"On the day of her passing, I have written a goodbye piece on her - http://beatenia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/goodbye-to-mentor-and-friend.html"
Izzatina Aziz
ISIS Malaysia
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"I had a short stint working as Allahyarhamah's assistant in her book project some years back. She was an inspiration to me as a newly grad economic student then and dear to my family especially my mother. Truly she was a professional through and through. May Allah bless her and gather her among His beloved Servants."
Norol Asma & Family
Friend
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"I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Dato' Dr Mahani when I was at ISIS in 2009. She had a brilliant mind with an engaging and a down-to-earth personality. I credit her for the economic portion of my doctoral research. We also had some lively conversations on Malaysia-Singapore relations. Her untimely demise is a shocking loss for the epistemic community, and she will be sorely missed."
Mustafa Izzuddin
ISEAS, Singapore
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“For the short duration that I had the chance to work with her, she came across as an unusual Malay lady who expressed her ideas succinctly whether she support or disagree, without rancour or being emotional. I consider her as an diligent professional and she would have assume good position in any of the financial institution or any of the women-based organisation. Her intellectual throughput is astounding and we will miss her insightful and thoughtful analytic.”
Makhdzir Mardan
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“Dr Mahani and I were colleagues at the Faculty of Economics for decades. I had the pleasure of working with her on many projects. We had attended many international conferences together. I had great respect for her intellectual prowess. Dr Mahani had made a significant impact in the policy making circles and she will be remembered for her valuable contributions. Her departure is a great loss to the academic fraternity.”
Mohamed Ariff
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“Judith and I met your parents when they first joined FEA where I too was teaching. Though we left Malaysia in 1987, we have been in touch off and on over the years and when she visited ANU in Canberra. Knowing her personality, I am sure she will approve of the following lines from Christina Rossetti's sonnet 'Remember':

"Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad”
Micheal and Judith Ong
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“When I first met her years ago at a GDN conference, she told me that she had been through treatment for cancer. She was such a bubbly person and I could not connect going through such a harrowing experience with this happy, smiling, and energetic person I was talking to. She was always smiling, hardworking, and positive, and I had many opportunities to interact with her at various conferences (GDN, ISIS, AEP, Kyoto, some ADB projects including the ASEAN 2030 workshop in KL, etc.). We were bound to meet as there are so few females economists in the Asia/ ASEAN circuit. And now there is one less. I will truly miss her laughter and her company, including our shopping expeditions.”
Maria Socorro Gochoco-Bautista
Senior Economic Advisor, Economics and Research Department, Asian Development Bank
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“We missed her dearly. May Allah bless her soul”
Nor Zahidi Alias
Economist MARC
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“I've known her for a number of years and found that intelligence, high profile, and mastery can perfectly blend with softness and humility, as was shown by her.”
ZAMH Zabidi-Hussin P.S.K
MBBS (N'cle) DCH (G'gow) MRCP(UK)FRCPCH
Professor of Paediatrics, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia
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“I have always found Mahani as a bright and straight talking economist who cared for what her views meant for Malaysia. I thought she was a big loss for University Malaya when she left to join the government in the late 1990s. I believe she is a bigger loss now that she has left the mortal world. My condolence to her family.”
Rajah Rasiah, Acting Dean, Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya
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“Prof Mahani as I fondly addressed her, touched me in 3 ways: 
1) As a family friend through Daniazad my longtime friend n thru my husband Mohd Shah 
2) As her stand-in teacher when I was just out of school n she was in Form One. Her late father happened to be the District Officer of my little town Segamat. 
3) As my boss when I was in service at the Ministry of Higher Education in Putrajaya. She gave me guidance, mentoring n entrusted me to represent her in a high level meeting in Geneva. She even trusted my taste when she asked me to buy cutleries and crockeries to entertain national/ international clients who visited her. Prof, we cannot forget your smile, your ideas, your intellectual inputs which we benefited tremendously. Your short tenure as our boss will be etched in our mind forever.”
Zaharah Mohd Salleh
Friend
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"The late Dato' Dr. Mahani Zainal Abidin was a good friend and supporter of the Perdana Leadership Foundation. She participated as speaker and moderator in many of our events, and was one of the members of the selection panel for our Resident Fellowship programme. We will miss her friendship and positive contribution, as well as her upbeat presence and frank opinions on issues affecting Malaysia."
Tan Sri Nik Mohamed Nik Yaacob
Executive Director, Perdana Leadership Foundation
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“Dr Mahani was a wonderful friend who worked with us since the early days when she was an economics lecturer in the Faculty of Economics at the University of Malaya.  She was then concurrently also the Secretary to the Malaysian Economic Association, organizing excellent national, regional and international seminars and conferences, among other initiatives.  When she moved on to head the Economic council in the PM’s Department, we continued our strong partnerships, and this partnership grew even stronger when she became CEO of ISIS.

 When we worked together on common programs when she was in the MEA, Dr Mahani always was very genial and accommodated everyone’s perspective, trying to get the best ideas to fruition. A happy professional, Dr Mahani never failed to also ask me about the welfare of my wife and children, taking a personal interest in the lives of her friends. Dr Mahani was a remarkable professional lady, God-fearing, a leading woman economist, and a wonderful friend.”
Gerard George
Director, Lincoln Resource Center, U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur
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“We greatly appreciated Dr. Mahani's leadership, collaboration and support. Her legacy is sure to continue to inspire future generations to emulate her leadership and vision. She will be greatly missed.”
Ambassador Paul W Jones
United States of America Ambassador to Malaysia
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“Dr. Mahani was a member of the Board of Directors, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu in 2007. She was then the Deputy Director General of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education and she represented the Ministry on the UMT BOD. I was then Registrar of UMT & Secretary of BOD. Dr. Mahani contributed to the development of UMT through her ideas, expertise and experience. May Allah s.w.t bless her soul.”
Mohd Suib Haji Maulud
Former Registrar, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
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“The last time I met her, personally was at Bangsar Village buying groceries. That was about late 2012. Her cheerfulness and exuberant self, was shown when we bumped into each other, is always a welcoming and lasting sight. I miss her dearly.

Arwah was instrumental in allowing my daughter to have a short internship programme at ISIS during her summer holidays last year. I have kept my daughter inspired by sharing  Arwah's contributions to the country. A  role model to be reckoned with.”
Kamariah Jamaludin
Friend
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“During my time at ISIS, I worked very closely under the direction of Datuk Dr. Mahani in several matters, especially with regards to the project that eventually culminated in the book "Malaysia: Polices & Issues in Economic Development". I like to think that Dr. Mahani became more than just a superior but also a friend. I learned a lot from her and appreciated her gentleness, good humour and total lack of pretentiousness. She was a wonderful woman and it was an honour to have served under her. I will always fondly remember my time at ISIS and miss her tremendously.”
Keith Leong
Former colleague
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"Mahani is a dear friend whom I will miss tremendously, not just in terms of friendship and many delightful moments of laughter spent together but also in terms of a like-minded person in thinking through economic development issues, in particular on trade, ASEAN and FTAs. I am glad the Malaysian Journal of Economic Studies has decided to contribute a special issues in honor of her as the economists in Malaysia have lost one of its brightest."
Siew Yean Tham
Friend
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“I have known Datuk Mahani upon a few meetings involving our French Business Community in Malaysia and had greatly appreciated her kind contact and communication. We will miss her.”
Milko P. Papazoff 
Managing Director, FAI ASIA PACIFIC Sdn Bhd
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“We met with Mahani during a conference in Chatham House in London. Then in 2009, she came at my invitation to Kazakhstan for the second Astana Economic Forum. Dr Mahani Zainal Abidin has made an excellent report on the economic development of Malaysia at a plenary session of the Astana Economic Forum. For me, Mahani was a mentor. I really wanted to be like her: a great scientist, politician and a leader.”
Dr Zhamila Bopiyeva
Kazakhstan
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“Please be comforted by the fact that she was a wonderful person who lived and led an exemplary life of devotion to duty and country and who shared a great love for humanity.

I had the privilege of working closely with her on economic matters for many years. She was always open and fair minded, even on the most sensitive issues. She was a true Professional, Patriot and a lovely Person, who so many admired as a real leader and genuine friend.

May God Bless Her Kind Soul!”
Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam
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 "Mahini was a warm,lively, energetic, lovely, thoughtful person – a special person.  She was generous with her time and her energy and we are privileged to have known her.  We feel we have lost a good friend.   We stayed with her, Hamidon and James in KL early last year, and, although she was extremely busy with her work, she gave every minute she could to entertain us.  The photos we have sent show just that"
Colin Tofts & Maggie Morgan
Cousin in-Laws
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 "I was honored to know Dato' Dr. Mahani from my stay at ISIS in 2008 and to keep corresponding with her via email since then. Malaysia has lost of her most talented economists. Her contributions to economic policy issues in Malaysia inspired many of us.

 I was privileged to know Mahani even after leaving the halo circle of academe and research, and am truly grateful that she cared for friends with genuine sincerity. Losing her leaves a vacuum hard to fill."
Dr Noraini Abdullah
AGB
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 "I wish she is still around today to continue serving to the country and the people, but ALLAH S.W.T  MIGHTY GREAT love her more than we love her. I have lost a good friend. Let all of us pray May ALLAH SWT bless her soul and gather her among His beloved Servants."
Tan Sri Zainal Rampak
Chairman, Board of Directors Kolej WIT
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 "I have lost a dear dear friend and she will remain in all our thoughts forever.  Sleep well, Mahani, my friend."
YT Cheah
Friend

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