Elyas Omar - an undeniable part of KL history

Star Online - Ex-KL mayor Elyas Omar passes away:

PETALING JAYA: Former Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Elyas Omar passed away at the National Heart Institute (IJN) here at 7.15pm on Tuesday (May 15), Sinar Harian reported.

The former Badminton Association Malaysia (BAM) president was 81.

My Unc told me Tan Sri Elyas Omar was one of the smartest-looking man he had ever met.

Elyas Omar was slim, trim and sharply dressed in probably very very expensive dress-suits. And he had an impressive professorial-looking mustache and goatee to go along with his general smartness. He spoke very impressive pukka English too. I wonder whether he had tea everyday at 4:30 pm, wakakaka.

Once my Unc with some foreign friends met him at an official reception, and Unc heard his foreign friend, an Aussie, remarked, "They don't get any smarter than him". Tan Sri was then the 3rd Datuk Bandar of Kuala Lumpur.

He was one of Mahathir's faves. Many at that time believed he was going to be Chief Secretary to the Cabinet.

But alas, he had an unforgivable failing. He didn't have a PhD but was addressed by many as 'Doctor'. Someone who didn't like him or was his rival let the doctoral cat out of the bag and publicly shamed him kaukau.

Elyas Omar argued he didn't claim he was one but others had kept addressing as such. But again, that saboteur showed a letter signed by him with the Dr title and PhD in the signature block. That was the sad beginning of his fall from grace. It's sad because he was every effective and efficient as Datuk Bandar and had a nice amicable personality.

His is an undeniable part of KL history.

Al Fatihah, Tan Sri. Requiescat in pace.