"THE young YB is here! You simply MUST talk to him!" whispers Joe Sidek, renowned festival director and the man affectionately known as the father of George Town Festival. We're seated across from each other, my view a therapeutic vista of the sea, calm, despite signs of impending rain as clouds above begin to gather.
A small bustle by the entrance leading to Beach Blanket Babylon of Thirty Two At The Mansion, a mansion restaurant set in a beautiful 1920s Italianate villa by the sea, causes me to look up, only to clap eyes with a smiling gentleman clad in a casual blue shirt, striding jauntily towards us.
It's Fazil Irwan Som, the youthful chief executive officer (CEO) of Penang Halal International (PHI), formerly known as Penang International Halal Hub, established in 2008 as a business development agency for the halal ecosystem of the state of Penang in Malaysia.
The 40-something father-of-two is the man behind the weekend's successful Penang International Halal Food and Heritage Festival(PIH2F), an inaugural event which combines the values of halal and heritage to showcase some of the most promising halal cuisines around the region, halal F&B products, as well as unique heritage products from various cultures in the Asean region and beyond.
"Nice to meet you!" says the former executive director and head of the World Islamic Economic Forum's (WIEF) Young Leaders Network (WYN), beaming as he offers his hand for a warm handshake, and takes his seat across from me. Meanwhile, Joe, having done enough to facilitate our meeting, subtly takes his leave to attend to other guests who've also convened at this picturesque venue for a catch-up.
The affable Fazil, holder of a Masters in Southeast Asian Studies from SOAS University of London, is in ebullient mood, having seen his idea for the festival come to fruition, despite the time constraints and limitations.
So, YB, tell me more about this festival of yours, I begin mischievously, unable to resist calling him by the title that he sheepishly tries to downplay.
A chuckle ensues as he replies: "This festival came from an idea in my head combining halal food and heritage, and made possible with the great leadership of YB Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain, chairman of PHI. For all that's beautiful about halal, the take-up for it in Malaysia isn't that great, in terms of Malay Muslim participation. Many of the halal applicants comprise the non-Muslims, in part, because they have something to prove to their Muslim customers."
Continuing, Fazil, who has been at the helm as CEO since March last year, elaborates: "But for the Malays, their mindset is, 'I'm a Muslim, so for sure the Malays will come to me. I don't need the hassle.' This is a stumbling block for the sector. If we're to develop this into something to be reckoned with, it has to be something that's more than just a normal business. It has to be about connectivity and upgrading your business, and connecting you to the bigger market out there."
To do this, it's vital to constantly create new avenues for businesses in the halal sector, says Fazil, adding that it's not just about selling stuff; it's also about connecting to other markets. "Connecting the dots is essentially what I'm trying to achieve. And with my previous experience in WIEF, all around the world, it's very doable from my side."
In Malaysia, halal isn't compulsory, he points out, elaborating: "If you nak apply, apply lah. If not, you won't be put in jail. So, because of that you need to have carrots, not sticks, to get people interested. I see, for example, Penang is such a force to be reckoned with when it comes to heritage conservation, culture etc. I've always had this fascination about heritage becoming a value enhancer of products and services."
Prior to his current posting in Penang, Fazil was serving in Morocco as head of human and social development for Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO). And he brings with him a very global outlook.
Smiling, he confides: "I'm excited about Penang because I feel that it's a good test bed to have such a platform. Like Joe (Sidek) mentioned to me before, if we were to do it in other states, it might not be a walk in the park like it is here because their agenda is different."
TURNING THINGS AROUND
"We only had a month to organise everything," confesses Fazil, sounding not in the least perturbed. Adding, he explains it was a rushed job due to uncertainties. "This was a completely new idea for us so it took some time for things to be approved. We had a choice to do it either this year or next year. But the thing is, with Chinese New Year in February, and then Ramadan following soon after, and Hari Raya, of course, and then by May we have another big event planned… it just had to happen now. And anyway, the mind was already brewing and things needed to get out!"
He discussed with the chairman to do something on a small scale, persuading him that because it was going to be a rushed job, they should consider organising a more "contained" event, a mini festival, and then bring in master festival organiser, Joe Sidek.
"He was a big saviour for us," admits Fazil, before adding: "I know Joe organises the George Town Festival etc. so I'm aware of his skills with turning things around in quick time. And when approached, he told me he could."
He acknowledges that there were a lot of shortcomings, for example, in the selection of food. "We could've done it better. We knew there were stuff that even your normal pasar malam carried. So, the curation wasn't that great. It was lack of time."
Expression earnest, he shares that their wish list was to focus on promoting traditional as well as heritage food. "Food that will be forgotten and hard to find these days," elaborates Fazil, adding: "That was the idea. Those we did approach to come onboard with this idea found it challenging due to the limited time."
But he's optimistic that things can only get better. "Now that many more people 'up there' are on board with the idea that this is the sort of stuff we need for Penang, especially with regards to the Malay agenda, I'm confident we can improve."
BEAUTY OF THE MALAY WORLD
Asked to elaborate on what he means by "the Malay agenda", Fazil, whose father hails from Terengganu and mother is a Melaka-Peranakan, pauses to contemplate the question, before replying: "I think there's no real inclusive Malay platform or a festival that can showcase Malay culture without it being exclusive. It can be an inclusive thing where people get to see and enjoy the beauty that is the Malay world."
Expression earnest, he continues: "We want to carve a space that says Malays are incredible too and that the culture is also beautiful. And perhaps from there, people will understand more about the Malays — their wants, desires, and aspirations."
And on the Malay side, he adds, they'll have more confidence and greater connectivity to the outside world. "I think this is what they've been deprived off because of those extremist tendencies that just end up cutting people off from the Malay narrative. But not all Malays are like that."
Passionately, Fazil, who has a background in economics and international studies from Warwick University, England continues: "The Malays are also fun-loving and want to express themselves through culture. Of course, there's religion so this part we have to tread carefully. But if we can find that sweet spot, it's going to be a beautiful world, not only for Penang, but also for the rest of the country."
Referencing the activities and performances showcased throughout the festival weekend, he says: "We had performances of zapin, boria etc. These are dying arts. Of course, as we go more towards the religious path, we forget these things. But they're expressions of humanity that every human society needs. If we lose this, what do we have?"
Dismay etched all over his face, the British Chevening scholar continues passionately: "Religion is an enhancement of the culture that we already have. But without the culture in the first place, what are we? This is what we're trying to bring back — that corpus of identity for the Malays. We need to carve that space where we can bring back that identity or platform for the Malays to have ownership of something."
And funnily enough, the result-driven strategist who also hosts his own podcast, Future Things Media, a media platform that discusses perspectives on the future that shape our lives, is embracing his present role, viewing the challenges as "exciting".
Beaming, Fazil, founder of a creative arts festival, MOCA (Market Place of Creative Arts) confides: "I have a lot of support here. When it comes to work, I get depressed if I can't create. When I see my creation translate itself into reality, that's the biggest satisfaction!"
He admits it's still early days, but he's happy, despite having to commute from Penang to Kuala Lumpur on weekends to see his wife and children. "I'm a sucker for heritage," he says, beaming, adding: "One of my ideas is to connect Malaysia with Spain and Morocco. I have a lot of connections with those countries."
Continuing, he shares: "One of the things we want to do is to have city partnerships — between Penang and Cordoba (a city in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia). Because the latter is a world heritage city, and their halal trade and Muslim-friendly tourism community are very strong. I met the deputy mayor of Cordoba three weeks ago. So, we're looking at cultural exchange, halal trade and tourism… so business and culture. That's all coming up."
MAN OF MANY TALENTS
That he's passionate about his work goes without saying. But what about downtime? "Oooh, I'm a sucker for languages and can muster some Italian, French and Spanish! I also love sociology and humanities," declares Fazil, who's also the founder of an award-winning beach house in the east coast.
He shares: "I know Spanish because one of my good friends is Spanish. Let me tell you a story. One of the rejuvenations of my pride and understanding of my own religion started in Spain — Andalusia to be precise."
Noting my confusion, he elaborates: "Being in this country (Malaysia), I see all the bad stuff. Halal, haram… boom! It was while I was in the UK that I met my friend, a Spanish Christian who was a historian in Andalusia. He told me everything. I also read a lot and learnt things which I didn't know before."
Continuing, Fazil says: "Islamic civilisation was in Spain for more than 700 years. That's a long time for any civilisation. The cultural climate of Spain in the era of Muslim rule (711—1492) brought about a prospering of different aspects of science and culture."
Excitedly, he asks: "Did you know that the flamenco existed during that period? It began in southern Spain — in Andalusia and Murcia, a culture brought by the gypsies. People think it's a Christian thing. It wasn't. And then there was Algebra. We were cool! We have to bring all this back. And forcefully so, because we're sliding down a dangerous slope if we don't save this part. We have to carve this space. Time's ticking."
Time's definitely ticking as I notice Joe signalling for us to come and join the rest for drinks. Okay, last question, then. What's the one super hero power you'd love to have? I ask, as I down the last of my fruit juice.
His sudden laughter causes heads to turn in our direction. Fazil beams before replying happily: "Changing people's minds and getting them to do things for you! Actually, this is what I do. Because my base is copywriting. I write to persuade. These festival things are my persuasion, isn't it? Look at what's happening. This is all the persuasion of writing!"
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