SINGAPORE: A Trump fan from across the Causeway forked out S$765 or RM2289.75 to put up at Shangri-La hotel for one night just so he could get a chance to meet the US president in person.
But after checking into his hotel room on Monday afternoon (June 11) and hanging around the hotel lobby for a glimpse of Mr Donald Trump, all Maharaj Mohan got for his trouble by Tuesday morning was a selfie with The Beast.
Showing off the photo he had taken with Trump's iconic state limousine — a nine-tonne bulletproof and bomb-proof Cadillac — the 25-year-old consultant said he knew he had a 1 per cent chance of pulling the feat off.
Staying in the hotel wing adjacent to Trump, Mohan had been stationed at the hotel lobby since 6.30am on Tuesday to track the president's movements. On Monday, he had stood in the lobby for five hours, in a vain attempt to get the president's signature on his number one bestseller Trump: The Art Of The Deal.
All he managed to catch was a glimpse of the man at about 8am on Tuesday when he left the hotel for the summit in Capella hotel on Sentosa.
But braving the two-hour Causeway jam and ponying up S$765 for the hotel room was still well worth it, Mr Mohan told TODAY.
"S$765 is a big sum, more than 2,000 in ringgit. But it is not too much to meet the president," he added.
He had called on some of his friends and family members to join him on his endeavour to chase down the President, but none were keen. "It is lonely being a Trump supporter in Malaysia," he said.
Still, he was stoked that during his stay, he had managed to run into US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Press Secretary Sandra Huckabee Sanders twice at the hotel lobby.
Speaking to TODAY, the consultant at his father's consultancy and training firm, said: "Everyone told me there is zero chance, 1 per cent chance (of catching Trump) even being within 20km radius of the president … But who knows? Sometimes the impossible can happen."
Explaining his admiration for Trump which got him "a lot of hate", Mohan said the American first caught his eye in 2007 when he won a "battle of the billionaires" in the World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) WrestleMania.
Later, he read up more about Trump's leadership style and respected him even more, especially "how he closes deals", he said, gesturing to the book in his hands.
"He does not waste time. He just goes in and out of meetings, phone calls, and goes straight to the point. He does not beat around the bush (like other politicians and world leaders). Trump goes straight to the point, solves it and closes the deal."
Tuesday's summit would be another demonstration of that, he said.
"I hope Trump closes his deal and brokers peace between the Koreas and the world basically, so Mr doesn't proliferate nuclear weapons and all," said Mohan, adding that Trump was able to get to this stage as he is a visionary who "sees things other people don't see".
Summing up his admiration for the American president, Mohan said Trump puts his country first.
"That's how leaders should be. He should not pander to anybody other than the citizens. Citizens come first. If our former prime minster Najib Razak looked out for his own citizens, Malaysia wouldn't be in such dire straits. Trump puts America first," concluded Mohan.
Article by Wong Pei Ting of TODAY Online
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