Today is the last day that Tan Sri Hassan Merican is the CEO and acting Chairman of PETRONAS.

Like everything that’s great, it will come to an end eventually. His 21 years in PETRONAS, with 15 years as the CEO, has been great for PETRONAS. The company changed from a local champion into a multinational group of companies, operating in 34 countries (last personal count) and growing. His contributions to the company are too many for me to list it here; but suffice to say that the PETRONAS Twin Tower – proudly standing at the heart of Kuala Lumpur – is a testimony of all the sums of the achievements that the company has gone through.

Many of us in the company are sad with his departure. There’s abundance of praise and good words of him that were uttered in the corridor, in smoking breaks, during meetings and discussions, etc. Even in my division, we have came up with a token of goodwill for him to remember us – given that we are of the few HCUs that reported directly to him.

Initially I was asked by a manager in my division to write a poem for this sad occasion, so that it will be included in the division’s farewell card. I was sceptical that I could even came with an idea to kick start this assignment. Well, I can’t just ask for the goddess of creativity to bestow her magic on me by request.

Somehow, with my copy-and-paste and alteration skills, I have somehow came up with a poem for his departure, based on an existing poem on the net. No originality here, I admitted it to the manager when I gave this poem to him. But then due to some unforeseen circumstances (that I rather not elaborate since I’m a party to this incident) he has decided not to use this poem.

Oh well, I could have just print it out and send it to TSP (as we all fondly called Tan Sri) as a farewell note – they opened a box at level 70 for staff to do so. But I must admit that I’m not that up to the beat on this. so I guess I just post this poem here, for all to read – and hope that it will be a good farewell to him.

This final time you leave your post
GIA staff here would like to boast:
We’ve wished you the best
happy life, relaxing with your wife
and family;
While we continue here, in our daily work
engrossed, for the country.

Looking into the future
From the tallest twin tower
of PETRONAS in the international arena
we can’t stop but remember
since 1989 that you have been here
and that made all the difference.

And with that
Let us together toast
You
Our dear friend and boss.

Post-edit: I went down to the farewell walk that was unofficially coordinated by the Corporate Affairs people (I guess), where many staff were standing on the sides of his path as he slowly came down from his office to his car. Many got to shake his hands (including yours truly!), some were openly weeping, while others were thanking him for all that he has done for the company.

It will be a new day for PETRONAS tomorrow, but we will never forget TSP’s contribution and foundation that he has laid down well for the company.