Civil society activist Anwar Fazal is recognised for his lifetime of work

GEORGE TOWN – Lifelong activist Datuk Seri Anwar Fazal has chalked up yet another award, this time as a Living Heritage Treasure.

The recognition was given by the Penang Heritage Trust, which unfortunately came with a sombre mood as Covid-19 took one of their own last August, when Datuk Kee Phaik Cheen succumbed to the ravages of the virus after battling it for over six weeks.

However, the organisation had a moment to bask in glory as with Anwar, there is no one more fitting to be celebrated as Penang's living heritage – it is his legacy.

And in his usual humble demeanour, Anwar told The Vibes that the commendations helped him connect with the people for the betterment of the world and to also keep him connected with mother nature.

He said he values and appreciates anything that keeps him connected to the chirping of the birds, the running of the streams, the leaves that fall to the ground, the meow of the cats, and moo of the cattle and the sounds of the wild animals in the forest.

Anwar is the undisputed “godfather” of Penang's civil society, having set up the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) in the 1970s with the late S.M. Mohamed Idris and having seen the organisation grow from strength to strength.

Penang through his persistence, has also become an incubator for non-governmental organisations, as after CAP came Sahabat Alam Malaysia, Aliran, heritage activists, environmentalists, and the umbrella body of civil societies – Penang Forum.

“Awards, rewards, and commendations will further help to keep me connected to nature and it all helps me to keep closer to Mother Nature, as I grew up seeing and living with the world of nature,” he said.

He was awarded for his vast knowledge in the conservation of heritage and contributions to global consumerism, for promoting the welfare of mothers and children worldwide, and his services and contributions to various international organisations.

The nature lover also said the award will inspire him to promote peace and harmony among the people of the world, as “peace and harmony” is the key phrase to keep the world stitched together.

He was a United Nations activist, heath activist, environmental activist, peace activist, anti-corruption crusader, and meteorologist who went further to promote “love and peace” and to inspire the people he meets around the world.  

“I grew up with Malay, Chinese, Tamil, Punjabis, Sindhis, and Eurasians as my neighbours. We lived as a family and learnt to respect the multi-races, multi-cultures, multi-languages, food and practices of other communities that taught us the world belongs to mankind.

“I still continue to uphold the simple principles of respecting each other for long lasting peace and harmony as I believe tolerance and understanding of each other is of the utmost importance in the world to coexist in the world,” Anwar added.

The Penang Free School student was Penang state’s record holder for the 1,500m run for many years.

Anwar considers Penang's Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, formerly known as Pitt Street, as the “Street of Harmony” as around the street are many places of worship for major religions, including a mosque, Hindu temple, Chinese temple, and church.

He added that nowhere else in the world can be found such a symbol of unity, as early Penangites had to learn to live happily with unity in diversity.

He added the late president of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was amazed with the houses of worship and wrote a poem about the unique situation in Penang.

Penang Heritage Trust committee member Clement Liang said the Living Heritage Award is a prestigious award as it is rare that living personalities are recognised for their contributions to society.

“We recognise outstanding personalities for their talents, unique skills, knowledge in specialised sectors and their dissemination of skills to the younger generation. Not many governments do this. Japan is one of the countries in the world that does this as they provide lifetime monthly financial aid to awardees.

“We have recognised 15 personalities so far. Besides the commendation letters, we provide RM2,000 cash yearly to the awardees as they need to be recognised while they are living. The recipients are selected by the public and names will be submitted to a panel of judges to qualify for the award,” Liang added. – The Vibes, October 6, 2021