By Rohani Ibrahim
KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- Spain’s Ambassador to Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, José Luis Pardo, who is concluding his tour of duty here, said he will miss his “makan-makan” (eating out) moments in Malaysia, especially the country’s popular breakfast, the roti canai.
A big fan of the all-time Malaysian favourite, Pardo said he loves to have roti canai during his breakfast, and if he missed it in the morning, he will make it up during tea time.
However, he said he takes the roti canai without the curry or dhall, unlike most Malaysians, and instead eats it with banana, eggs, mayonnaise and even cucumber.
“Roti canai gives me the freedom. I can take it with anything. I even keep the frozen roti canai at home and I will just heat it up during weekends.
“Besides roti canai, I also love Malaysian fruits such as mangosteen and the dragon fruit,” he told Bernama in an interview at his office, here, recently.
He has also confessed to gaining some weights since arriving in Malaysia in early August 2022.
Reflecting on his tenure here, Pardo, 59, has described the country as his “best posting”.
“Malaysia is my first posting in Asia and, as the tagline says, ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’, being here is wonderful. I enjoy it very much. So far, this is the best posting in my career.
“Malaysia will stay not only in my stomach, but more importantly in my heart. It is amazing — the people, the country. So interesting, so diverse: multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-geographical,” he said.
He also expressed fondness for Kuala Lumpur city especially the recreational spots such as the Titiwangsa Lake Garden, Botani Park and the Batu Caves.
An arts enthusiast and collector, Pardo said he will leave Malaysia with 32 paintings by the country’s young painters which he bought from various galleries throughout the country.
On the bilateral ties, the Ambassador noted that the relations between Spain and Malaysia have continued to grow significantly especially in recent years.
“Now, Spain and Malaysia has annual high level political dialogue that allows both countries to review the level of cooperation in security, education, agriculture, health and scientific research.
“Last year, the dialogue was held in Putrajaya and this year it will be held in Madrid on the second half of the year. The date will be announced later,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of the dialogue in steering the bilateral relations forward, all the more so as both nations will mark the 60th anniversary in diplomatic ties next year.
Pardo highlighted the time when he presented his credentials to the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, witnessed the historic installation ceremony of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim as the 17th King of Malaysia, and Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025 as some of his most unforgettable experiences here.
He also recalled watching school and university students in Malaysia learning Spanish cultures like the flamenco dance, calling it a testament to the strong friendship and multifaceted ties between the two countries.
“It is very rewarding to witness the people-to-people connection between Spain and Malaysia. I will definitely come back. Malaysia has been like my second home,” he said.
Pardo is leaving Malaysia for Amman on Monday, where he will assume the post of Ambassador of Spain to Jordan.
-- BERNAMA
