Jaafar Abdul Manap aka A.M. Jaafar was not a journalist. But as the PR head honcho of Malaysia Airlines in the Eighties (before public relations became corporate comm), and later as president of Institute of PR Malaysia, Jeff helped shape many a young journalist's career. Malaysian journalism owes him a debt of gratitude it can never repay.
This morning, at 64, he returned to rahmatullah.
innalillah...semoga rohnya dicucuri rahmat..
ReplyDeleteTakziah kepada Pn Azizah Dahlan sekeluarga atas perginya suami yang tersayang.
ReplyDeleteSemoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas roh Allahyarham Sdr Jaafar.
Al fatiha...
Dear Rocky,
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming over to pay your respects to arwah. And also for this little tribute, which means a lot to my family. As his daughter, I am overwhlemed. I grew up looking up to my Dad as a truly "happening" man who was always surrounded by people, having been in PR and led the "good life", so to speak. Boy, do I remember throwing tantrums when he'd have dinners to attend, sometimes, with my Mum, leaving us kids void of their attention for yet another night. But a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. And that was just one of the many things that he did -- some even beyond the call of duty. But cynical as I am, I believe that you never know who truly cares until you're dying or, in some cases, dead. The only people who will be there for you till the last breath, God willing, is your family. I still hold on to that belief. Because that's what he taught me. But as I have also learnt today, the kindness you show to others, big or small, will always be remembered. Al Fatihah.
Sdr Rocky, Jeff was a good friend. He was also a good man. Above all, he was a true PR professional.
ReplyDeleteLast I saw him was a few weeks ago at Raju. Azizah and one of their daughters were with him.
Being Jeff, he was cheerful despite his poor health.
He made Mas alive when he was its Airport Manager at Subang and later as its PR head.
I join you and all his frends in presenting his soul with the Al Fatihah and in conveying my deepest condolence to Azizah and her children.
Goodbye my friend.
Thank You
From Allah he came, to Allah he returns. Dearest Azizah, I am so sorry to learn of Jaafar's passing. I only got to know when reading Rocky's Bru this afternoon. I immediately rang friends and they could only tell me little. I later learnt from Shameem Abdul Jalil that there were many at the funeral. I know this is a difficult moment for you and the family, but you can be rest assured that Jeff was happy to have been with all of you in his lifetime, and proud of the achievements that you all have earned. Please accept our condolences. I am not sure if you remember me. It has been two decades since we last met at your office (when I discovered you were married to Jaafar because he called you to say he would not be home for dinner). We used to provide the laser razzmatazz for your launches at Ericsson. Salam, Ghazalie (Duchess).
ReplyDeleteTo the family of Allahyarham Jaafar Abdul Manap,
ReplyDeleteI only had his acquintance once in a wedding of the daughter of an MAS couple in Klang. He was playing MC for the ceremony and compere for the fun and games time.
It was truly a joyous occasion and I made the remark that he must be a very warm and joyous person to be with. I wouldn't have known the man making the kids enjoy themselves was such a great person.
Although my acquaintance was short and brief, me and my wife wish his roh eternal divine blessing. Our Fatihah to him.
We wish the family much patience in this moment of grief.
Me & Mrs
I didn't know Jeff personally, other than his gigantic reputation, but back when I was still the Malay Mail (old) asst. news editor and still writing a music column called the "Jazz Scene", I remember being in very close proximity with Jeff, and three other gentlemen, inside a TV studio recording a forgettable TV3 forum on the state of Malaysian music.
ReplyDeleteWhat was unforgettable was Jeff's presence. He was the mediator of the talk show and he expertly guided the four of us - me, Freddie Fernandez, Mike Bernie Chin and a university don whose name eludes me - through a heated discussion riddled with many social and cultural landmines, many of which I deliberately ignited, just to make the debate more interesting and spirited.
Jeff fielded the attacks and counter-attacks from all sides with such unflappable ease that you knew that PR served him well as much as he served the industry admirably.
And yes, the sense of humour that he possessed warmed the occasion, even when the verbal swords clashed mightily.
They don't make PR guys like him anymore and his passing surely marks the end of an era of sorts for the industry and also to many veteran journalists who, during their reporting days, use to beat on MAS' doors looking for tidbits of news that Jeff, in his relaxed and cheerful demeanour, would try hard to provide.
My condolences to his family and may he be among Allah's blessed souls.
I truely do not know Jaafar Abdul Manap, but judging by what is written on this blog , I think (for no particular reason) he must have been a good and respectable husband, father and friend.
ReplyDeleteFrom me and my family we convey... Our deepest condolence to the family of Jaafar Abdul Manap. Godbless' !
Bro
ReplyDeleteI first met Jeff in the mid-1980s as a rookie reporter covering MAS. Jeff and those in the PR Department of MAS made it a breeze for me and other rookies to cover the national airline.
He was most accommodating. Once, I had to get his comments about his transfer to Bangkok. He entertained my call despite the fact that I was disrupting the family dinner.
Al Fatehah, semoga roh Jeff di cucuri rahmat. Takziah to Azizah Dahlan and family.
Take the late Jeff as the yardstick, most of today's PR people, including at Jeff's former workplace, are a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteThey are more concerned with apple-polishing their megolomaniac bosses than polishing the image of their ministries, departments, corporations and companies.
I say this without reservations and without apology.
When Jeff and Samad Rahim were in Mas' PR Dept, Mas was treated with respect. Even in negative circumstances, the media showed respect for the airline.
If there's one regret I have in my relationship with Arwah Jeff, it's the fact that I wasn't present at his funeral despite knowing of his passing earlier in the day. Jeff was born with PR blood in his veins and that was his philosophy in life as well. I've never seen him without a smile, much less a scowl. He would walk with a rather stylish swagger, and always had time for anyone who care to ask or listen. He was one popular dude too, and had friends in many places. We join Azizah and family in their hour of grief. AlFatihah.
ReplyDeletemy condolences to you and your family julia.
ReplyDelete- harris iskandar taib
dear Rocky,
ReplyDeletethanx for posting this tribute. my father was one of those old-skool guys who didn’t know how to connect to the internet let alone know what a blog is. nevertheless, i know he would be terharu to know this page existed.
on behalf of my mum and sisters, thanx for all the takziah posted here. we’re overwhelmed by all the love and support.
as a daughter, i’m honoured to read such nice comments about my father. he was a fantastic, loving father but when it came to principles, he was no-nonsense. integrity was key, without which one has no maruah. always stand up for the truth. help the weak. never look down at your subordinates. don’t ever be a sell-out.
my father was a special guy.
on behalf of the family, thank you all again. also, kalau ada salah atau silap, please forgive him. may his soul rest in peace. amin.
-daughter #3-
amin. God bless him, the family he leaves behind, the people he loved, and all of your bloggers.
ReplyDeletei heard a lot about arwah but has never got the chance to meet him in person. i've met azizah couple of times tho and also ainuddin dahlan numerous times.
ReplyDeletetakziah. semoga Allah memberikan arwah tempat terbaik.
We worked together at ShellMalaysia in the seventies.
ReplyDeleteHe was a down to earth guy and I will always remember him. We kept in touch when he joined MAS. A true Malay gentleman
Jeff and I worked for Shell Malaysia Ipoh in the seventies. He was a bachelor then and we socialized a lot. He was the nicest guy you will always want to be with. A true Malay gentleman. I will always remember him. Kenny
ReplyDelete