Guess it was bound to happen one day. Dato' Zarir Cama, CEO of HSBC Malaysia, will be leaving Kuala Lumpur to take up his next (more senior) posting in London next month. Never thought I would ever feel sad at the departure of a corporate CEO - not quite endearing a specie in my book. But sad I do feel, like everyone else involved in Arts and Literature in the city, at the departure of Dato' Cama, or Zed to all who knew him.Other corporate bodies have been involved in the arts too, but one cannot help feeling that they were merely trying to impress the overlords, or responding to some form of arm-twisting. But none have been like Zed, who appeared to simply love the arts and literature, who was willing to get down to the ground, who was equally comfortable with presidents and prime ministers as he was with grungy artist types. Perhaps it was a well-calculated corporate strategy. But so what? That is exactly the point, isn't it? Can anyone talk about the Arts in Kuala Lumpur without simultaneously thinking of HSBC?
HSBC sponsored the printing of Silverfish New Writing 5 and 6. Now these two books which carry the bank's logo are going to be around for the next ten, if not twenty years, during which period anyone who picks up the books to read, or borrows them or browses a library will see that logo. Newspapers last for a day, magazines for a week, bill boards a bit longer. But books are forever, and at a fraction of the cost at that. Corporations do underestimate the power of the arts and literature as a corporate strategy.
I asked Zed once how he got into literature. He laughed and said that the question should be how he got into banking. He said he was a Literature graduate and that he majored in TS Eliot. I was shocked into submission. He said TS Eliot had also been a banker, as did PG Wodehouse. Come to think of it, our own Wong Phui Nam was a banker too. Looks like there is something more to be said for bean counters.
Farewell, Zed. Thank you for being a friend of Arts and Literature in Malaysia. Thank you for being our friend. Your four years and seven months in this country has left an indelible mark. (Seems like he's been around forever, doesn't it?) We are sure HSBC for the Arts will continue from where you left off.
And, welcome to Malaysia Ms Irene M Dorner, CEO of HSBC Malaysia.
For some reason I feel sad too! I've been quietly observing HSBC's growing involvement over the years in lending solid financial support to the arts via its "HSBC in the Arts" programme and had heard that Zed was the prime mover of this phenomenon. Finally I get the opportunity to meet the man (at the launch of the Sutra Foundation) whom I found exceptionally warm and approachable... and a few weeks later I hear he's leaving. And I was just mulling over whether to be cheeky and write Zed about sponsoring my music preservation project (I have about 6 hours of music recently salvaged from analog extinction which deserve to be reissued on CD)... Oh well, back to the drawing board....
ReplyDeletebut I sincerely wish Zed all the best and thank him for the excellent deeds he has performed on behalf of Malaysian arts.