The TYT they know

KUCHING : Winston Lim and his wife, Se Tho Yeow Kham, were having roti canai for breakfast when they decided to tease a friend about a subject he took rather seriously.

Head of State, Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had often proudly told them that the best roti canai could be found at the restaurant below his legal practice in the city.

That morning, the couple thought they had found a worthy contender and sent him a photograph with the caption “The BEST roti canai in Malaysia”.

His response came almost immediately, through a phone call.

“Where is this restaurant? See both of you there at 8:00 am tomorrow,” Winston recalled him saying.

Wan Junaidi approved of their recommendation and the restaurant became somewhere they would visit with his family, even after he became Sarawak’s Head of State.

For Winston, it remains a fond memory of a friendship in which a little teasing could lead to breakfast together the next morning.

As Wan Junaidi’s birthday approaches, friends and colleagues offer a personal portrait through memories of shared meals, family outings and gestures that have stayed with them over the years.

Seated: Wan Junaidi and his late wife, Feona, during a trip with Fahmi (standing, right) and others.

Wan Junaidi takes the wheel as he and his wife, Fauziah, head out for some time together.

Winston and Se Tho were introduced to him through a mutual friend in Kuala Lumpur, where their first impression was of a friendly but reserved man who carried himself with the bearing of an English gentleman.

As their friendship grew, they discovered how closely he paid attention to the people around him.

Because the couple do not eat beef for religious reasons, he would remind whoever was ordering food to make sure there were suitable dishes for them.

If a beef dish was inadvertently placed in front of them, he would move it farther down the table himself.

The couple did not mind its presence, but he remembered their preferences and acted on them without needing to be asked.

“These two fellows don’t take beef. Make sure you have something for them,” Winston recalled him telling others.

Another birthday memory revealed how much Wan Junaidi valued the efforts of those around him.

During his time as a minister, employees from different levels of the ministry contributed about eight cakes for a celebration.

Wan Junaidi (second left) and Fauziah (centre) with others outside a shop during a day out.

After the prayers, he went over to examine every cake, asking who had brought it and inviting the individuals or departments to describe their contributions.

Some had decorated their cakes with photographs, including pictures of themselves with him.

He later collected those photographs and mounted them on a wall at home.

What touched Winston was the attention given to each contribution, whether the cake was big or small, and the care taken to preserve the photographs afterwards.

He also remembers Wan Junaidi making his way around every table at functions he hosted, greeting guests and taking photographs with them.

For Winston, those encounters showed his desire to make each person feel welcome.

Former staff member, Fahmi Mustafa came to know that attentiveness through about 11 years working closely with Wan Junaidi, beginning in 2013.

Despite the demands of his appointments, Fahmi remembers him taking an interest in whether the officers around him were doing well and what they needed.

“He does not merely see us as officers carrying out our duties. He also takes an interest in our wellbeing and needs as individuals,” Fahmi said when contacted.

That concern was among the qualities he witnessed most consistently, alongside a readiness to assist people who approached him for help.

Whether through financial assistance or other support within his means, Fahmi recalls him making an effort to offer whatever he could.

For Fahmi, the sincerity lay in that willingness to respond to another person’s difficulties, even when his own resources were limited.

He also remembers Wan Junaidi making time to have dinner with his family whenever his schedule allowed.

Through years of accompanying him across different ministries and offices, Fahmi saw those personal commitments remain important amid changing responsibilities.

His memories of that period include a concern for staff welfare, generosity towards those in need and affection for family that he believes deserved to be better known.

Wan Junaidi (right) warmly embraces his former law firm partner, Yap.

Wilfred Yap, who joined Wan Junaidi’s legal firm in 1993, remembers that willingness to help through people who came to the office seeking assistance.

Among them was a married couple whose child’s birth certificate had been marked ‘Bukan Warganegara’, which Yap attributed to an error involving the classification of their marital status.

The husband was Malaysian and the wife Indonesian, and Yap recalls Wan Junaidi taking an interest in helping resolve the matter so the certificate could be rectified.

He also remembers him assisting a woman detained by Indonesian authorities after entering the country without following the proper immigration procedures, helping her return safely.

“These incidents may not have been widely known, but to me, they reflected Tun’s willingness to help people who were facing difficulties, regardless of their circumstances,” Yap said.

For Datuk Seri Syed Hamzah, his senior private secretary, some of the most meaningful memories belong to the family life he witnessed over more than two decades.

During Wan Junaidi’s years as an elected representative, Saturday and Sunday mornings were set aside for his family, including visits to Satok market.

He would also drive his wife and children to Lundu simply to have a drink together, or take them to Buntal.

Hamzah remembers those outings as a commitment he maintained through the different positions he held.

“Whatever position he held, he remained a loving husband and a loving father,” he said, adding that the same affection extended to the people of Sarawak.

Speaking about that devotion brought Hamzah to a much more difficult memory.

Syed Hamzah wipes away tears while recalling a touching story when visiting.

After Wan Junaidi’s late wife, Datin Seri Feona Sim @ Norjanah, passed away, Hamzah visited his Kuala Lumpur home and noticed an instant noodle packet at the kitchen sink.

He paused several times during the interview as he recalled how deeply the sight had affected him.

To Hamzah, Wan Junaidi was someone he regarded as a father, who had taught him about work and life, and the thought of him preparing a simple meal alone was painful.

“Tun, you cannot live like this,” he recalled telling him.

Out of that concern, Hamzah encouraged him to consider finding a companion, and he described Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi’s arrival in his life as bringing renewed happiness.

Today, Winston sees another familiar source of joy when Wan Junaidi’s grand-daughters appear, watching his face light up before he takes photographs to share proudly.

The friendship between their families has continued through the years, with even a brief message saying he is in Kuala Lumpur becoming a cue to make time for dinner.

Winston and Se Tho remain included in important occasions, but they treasure those ordinary evenings together just as much.

“His friendship is not just from him. It extended to his family,” Winston said.