Made to Custom

The Royal Malaysian Customs headquarters in Putrajaya is a place worth visiting.

MENTION the sights of Putrajaya and all the star attractions like the pretty pink mosque, ferry cruises and scenic parks come to mind.

Now, joining in the list of must-visit places in this “Intelligent Garden City” is the Putra Perdana Merdeka Gallery at the Royal Malaysian Customs headquarters at the Finance Ministry Complex in Precinct 2.

Officer, am I under arrest?: Gallery staff Nur Zunnuraini Mohd Sabri slipping her hands into temporary plastic handcuffs which are used by the Customs special forces. This mannequin is one of the many which showcases the uniforms.

A pleasant nook where you can occupy mind and body for a spell or two, the gallery may appear intimidating with an official looking information counter and a business-like interior on first impression.

If you have youngsters in tow, prepare for resistance which will go along the lines of, “... but Mum, it’s going to be boring ...”

So, here’s a tip; tempt them with the prospect of cool air. There is no resisting the comfort of an air-conditioned enclave, more so when the soft lighting promises respite from the harsh glare of the outdoor sun.

And looking at the educational aspect, the gallery holds much promise, though there is no need to go into this at length, as the young tykes will soon find out for themselves.

The Putra Perdana Merdeka Gallery is divided into seven segments, each with an aim to enlighten the visitor on the role, facilities and accreditations garnered by the Royal Malaysian Customs.

They are mostly self-explanatory and the information is straightforward and easily understood.

One segment of the exhibit practically takes the visitor down memory lane.

Kaleidoscope: A video of how operations are conducted is made interesting with a play of mirrors which makes the screen look like a cubic diamond.

The furniture had been in use from 1938 at the customs office in Besut, Terengganu.

There is even a leaf from the investigation daily report, dated Dec 28, 1950, detailing an informer’s testimony on the opium and chandu activity in a fishing village known as Bagan Pasir.

Other interesting items including an ancient-looking calculator, which runs on a machinery of cogs and wheels, and an Imperial typewriter also enjoys pride of place. These are true relics from the colonial times when manual was the only way to go. Interestingly, these were in use at the Customs offices till the 1980s.

What makes this such a likeable gallery is the evidence of effort put into the exhibits. Rather than adopt a single-minded approach with the caption-with-picture-and-exhibit method, it is obvious that the gallery planners have done their very best to disseminate information about Customs operations in an interesting way.

In some segments of the gallery, a video of the vehicles used by the department was placed in a cube of mirrors.

This has a kaleidoscope effect of making the screen look like a diamond suspended in mid-air – an arresting sight by itself which draws the visitor to pause at the area and, inadvertently, watch the video at the same time.

There is even time for play and make-believe with a replica of a Customs ship, complete with sailor’s wheel, compass, radio and radar screens. A screen at the front simulates the conditions of sailing in the high seas.

Another section, which will score a hit with young computer gamers, is a computer simulation program of a customs hovercraft patrolling the coastlines.

This is really fun as you get to island hop and keep a look out on smuggling or any fishy activity that will pop up along the route. The putt putting of the hovercraft engine and the sound of waves give the experience a realistic edge.

Though the gallery tour by itself may seem sufficient on its own, do take time to chitchat with the Customs gallery staff there.

A 20-year-old Nur Zunnuraini Mohd Sabri who was on duty that day did not hesitate to share her experiences while she was stationed at the Langkawi airport last year.

She raised plenty of titters from this writer’s party when she recounted how a lady tried to take a dozen new batik sarongs out of Langkawi by wearing all of them on her person.

Little imagination is needed to paint a funny picture as Zunnuraini re-enacted how the sarong vendor, turbaned, draped, and wrapped in at least six to seven layers of sarong around the waist tried to waddle through the green lane in hope that no one would notice!

And much to our delight, Zunnuraini also thrilled us with a mock demonstration of how one unused to firearms can end up with a dislocated shoulder when she took up an old rifle from the confiscated weapons section for show and tell.

The gallery is open every day from 8am to 5pm.

Opening times are extended till 7pm on weekends. Tel: 03-8882 2412.

A 'Date' With A Cosmonaut-In-Waiting

I met Major Dr. Faiz Khaleed two times for his story. The first time was at his office in Putrajaya and the photo shoot subsequently took place at the park in KLCC.

This is one chap who really knows how to live life! He is the happiest person I have come across. Attribute it to youth, to a life unfetterred by the shackles of commitment, credit it to his very playful nature....I could go on and on. But nuff said, I was reenergised with the positive vibes emanating from his aura!

For this story, I did a walk and talk session with him. From his office, we drove over to Alamanda and talked about what he liked to do on his off days as we strolled by the shops. This method of interviewing is a test of one's memory and strictly not recommended if you're covering something that is out of your field. In this case, I could do this with Faiz because I was familiar with his topics of interests, namely video games, movies and other fun stuff.

The method to employ here is to treat the whole session like a date, to throw away the nerves and to just go with the flow. Play a little, make room for grave topics but time them well. Use your eyes to gage the subject's reactions to the 'sensitive' questions and try never to reach for your pen and notebook because it will break the subject's rhythm.

Mentally, this is a restful way to go about a story because it doesn't feel like work.

It was Faiz's personality that made it work so well. He was very obliging, very himself (he even had time to flirt with a group of blondes at the next table!) and extremely flexible.

Herein, I must mention that this innocent-looking boy-next-door has enough mischief in him to create mayhem!

He deftly maneuvered us to Secret Recipe, constantly tempted me into biting into his cheese cake (I didn't yield), made assurances that a once in a while indulgence was fine and repeatedly chastised me for not eating.

"What? You don't eat? Awww..." he constantly went.

Anyway, wait till he gets to turn 37. Let's see if he still has the appetite of a horse then.