MH370: Three cheers for Malaysia-China badminton diplomacy
Haresh Says, as published in The Malay Mail today. ONE was a nation with a rich history that had just undergone a cultural revolution. The other was a new country, eager to progress quickly. Both had differing ideologies but came together through a simple game of table-tennis. The Malaysian table-tennis team was invited to Beijing in 1971 to participate in the Asia-Africa-Latin America tournament. It was dubbed the “Ping-Pong diplomacy”. Three years later, Malaysia established formal ties with China – the first Asean country to do so despite differing political views. Former national champion Soong Poh Wah remembers the tournament well. He was 21 when he participated in the historical meet. “All of us enjoyed our stay. It was a well-organised tournament and China was a gracious host,” recalled Soong, 64. “They (organisers) arranged gatherings and even took us around, including visiting the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. It was a memo...