INTERVIEW It was 3.01pm when I walked into the room for an interview with Syed Husin Ali to find him already seated and waiting for the journalist who was less than two minutes behind in his appointment.

"Where have you been? I am very particular about time," it was the first thing he said.

The interview looked like it had started off on the wrong foot but a journalist should not be so easily scuppered.

I reminded myself that a typical old left is strict about time and schedule.