In January 2022, 5 years after I ended my government service, I received a mail package containing an A4 document entitled "TOKOH (Figureheads) PlanMalaysia" from the old department which had even rebranded it's name from the Federal Department of Town and County planning to PlanMalaysia.
In a department of 300+ officers and 700+ support staff nationwide, the current top management officially endorsed me as one of 9 people (not including previous and current Director-Generals) as a departmental figurehead, specifically, as the pioneer who introduced and promoted Open Source Software in the department (which incidentally is not even from my academic background but something I just happened to enjoy tinkering during my spare time). Of course, it is a great honor to receive this recognition as the previous top management often did not see eye to eye with me when I shared constructive opinions and criticisms so this document squashes all bad things said in front of as well as the back of me. (Though I rather prefer them remembering me as the Elvis Presley of the department).
This recognition took 42 years to hatch from the time I first started to work at the department in 1980. It shows that Allah's blessing concerning one's professional abilities may not outstanding surface during one's professional carrier but while one pensioned and stamps that recognition on the department wall for all to see from now onwards. For all the blunders I made during my professional carrier, truly, I am blessed. From a different angle, it was already written long before I was even born. Shukur Alhadmuillah.
