Before Facebook, I Was Writing About Mankind

 

I stumbled across this recently and, honestly, what a throwback!

This was a story I wrote 26 years ago, in July 2000, for ZingAsia — right in the middle of the dotcom boom, when everyone was convinced the Internet was going to change the world.

Well… they were right. 😂

The story was about WWF superstar Mick Foley, better known then as Mankind and Cactus Jack, who had arrived in Kuala Lumpur as part of his Southeast Asian tour.

And yes, yours truly was there.

The crowd was fantastic — kids, teenagers, adults and even senior citizens, all turning up to see the wrestling superstar they had only known from their TV screens. There was even a Mankind impersonation contest!

But looking at this old article today, what makes me smile isn't just the story.

It's the website. Look at it! The blue navigation bars. The tiny advertising boxes. “Quick Poll”. “Select a Channel”. And my favourite: “You are here: SportZing > Sports Spectator.”

This was the Internet before Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and smartphones. “Going online” was something you actually did.

And look at that photograph of Mick Foley and me. The caption says: “I managed to get a shot with him!” 

Today we'd probably take 20 selfies, post them immediately, tag him, upload a Reel and do a TikTok. Back then, one photograph was enough.

And I suddenly realised something while looking at this: I was already doing digital journalism before we even called it digital journalism.

26 years later, I'm still writing. And I still have these old articles tucked away.

What a treasure trove.

A little piece of my younger self... and a little time capsule of the Internet.

Remembering Tun Mohamed Eusoff Chin

 

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.

Former Chief Justice of Malaysia, Tun Mohamed Eusoff Chin, passed away early Friday morning at the age of 91.

The first time I met Allahyarham Tun personally was when he came to Miri in 1997 (pic above), where I was posted when I first joined the judiciary. It was a historic visit, and you can imagine how hard everyone worked to make sure everything went smoothly and the visit would be a memorable one.

My encounters with Allahyarham Tun became more frequent after I was transferred back to KL in 1998. And here's one story I often tell...

It was the 1999 Judges' Conference in Lumut. I was then the special officer to the Chief Registrar, Datuk Ramly Ali. One evening, during some downtime, we were told that the Chief Justice wanted to visit a place he had heard about. I think it was Teluk Rubiah Resort.

The problem was, nobody seemed to know exactly where it was.

We met at the car park and Datuk Ramly suddenly said, "Zul, you drive."

Alamak.

This was pre-GPS days.

So I got into his Perdana and started driving, with Allahyarham Tun's car and a couple of other judges following behind. Funnily enough, I don't remember there being any police escorts then.

Terketar kaki.

I just followed the signboards and hoped for the best. Eventually, we turned into what seemed like a rather jungly area. And throughout the drive, one thought kept going through my head:

"Where the heck am I taking the Chief Justice of Malaysia?"

Somehow, we found the place.

My boss just laughed.

But honestly, throughout that drive I really thought my head was on the chopping block — or, at the very least, I was going to get transferred somewhere like Kuala Krai or something. 

Looking back, it's one of those little memories from my days in the judiciary that has stayed with me all these years.

Al-Fatihah buat Allahyarham Tun Mohamed Eusoff Chin. May Allah place him among the righteous.

Mo Salah Is Back!

 

After months of speculation, I have to admit this was quite a surprise. Mohamed Salah has officially chosen Trabzonspor as the next destination in his remarkable career. Mabruk! 

It'll certainly be strange seeing him in different colours after everything he achieved at Anfield, but football moves on, and so do its greatest players. I sincerely hope this new adventure brings him happiness, success, and the appreciation he truly deserves. 

And FYI... my birthday is in December, and that Trabzonspor jersey would look soooo good on me. 😊😊