ALHAJ MOHAMMED SIDIK MIA: CAN HE BE EASILY FORGOTTEN?
I start this write up with special prayers asking the Almighty Allah to forgive his servant late Mohammed Sidik Mia and I ask Allah to grant him one of the highest Paradise (Jannatul Firdaus). As the topic suggest, I will not dwell much in this piece of article explaining about his bio- data; rather will take great part of this note describing who this man was while attempting to respond to this question;Can Sidik Mia be easily forgotten by Malawians? I don’t think so!
Just a small touch on his biography to prepare the mind of readers to easily understand this giant. Sidik Mia, born in 1965 in Chikwawa was son to Abdul Wahab Sidik Mia who hailed from Marka in Nsanje. Mia established a number of businesses within Malawi. He is known as a very successful business tycoon and philanthropist who followed footsteps of his father Abdul Wahab who was also influential in politics.
Besides being a politician, Sidik Mia is also known as a man who loved being with people from all walks of life. Mia paid for educational fees for many underprivileged and poor students and also assisted a lot of vulnerable citizens through his charity organization. He was a religious person, a devout Muslim who helped the development of Islam in this country.
Until his death, Mia was the Deputy President of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Minister of Transport and Public Works. Late Mia is known to all Malawians as a generous politician who willingly shared unstintingly to others his fortune. Not simply because he was an affluent man; but he possessed a kind giving heart. If I start describing him as a politician, this will take us back to the time when Malawians fought for multiparty democracy in 1994 specifically.
Though late Sidik Mia was not practicing front politics that time but his soul was at front line. Those who followed politics closely then can bear witness that Mia’s family contributed a lot to the coming of multiparty democracy in Malawi.
His late father Abdul Wahab Mia was among the few rich people and business tycoons who handsomely funded the movement to fight against one party regime of Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Specifically, United Democratic Front – UDF had late Mia Senior as one of great sons of Malawi who contributed to the success of that party.
He commanded the support in the lower shire region not as a front politics runner but by his generosity to say goodbye to one party regime of Malawi Congress Party. Consequently, the late Sidik Mia showed up into front politics when his late father one day met one of the gurus of UDF then Dr. Cassim Chilumpha.
The agenda of the meeting was specifically to inform Dr. Chilumpha that his son whom he proudly called “Junior” want to join front Politics hence needs political support from him since he was already in front politics. The response was positive. Few days later after this meeting Sidik Mia’s father organized a political rally in the lower shire which was addressed by Dr. Cassim Chilumpha alongside other UDF officials introducing UDF in the area.
The same rally brought Mia junior to set his first foot into front politics. In 2004 Mia won a parliamentary sit for Chikwawa-Nkombedzi Constituency. Since then he has been in politics holding various influential political and cabinet positions which all Malawians can appreciate his professionalism. People are known in their portfolios by what they do. So too Sidik Mia was known to all officials under his control at the Ministry and positions he went through as a “humble, generous man of the people.” Indeed, Malawians will not easily forget late Mia due to his giving hand.
In his life time Mia managed to establish Sidik Mia Foundation whose purpose is solely to help the needy and unprivileged poor Malawians regardless of their faith and/ or political affiliations. Many Malawians across all the regions of Malawi tasted the fruits of his kindness. Muslims specifically benefited quite significantly from Mia’s generosity! During the fasting month of Ramadhan Mia could distribute food staff to hundreds of Muslims in Malawi.
Not only that; Mia also constructed a number of Mosques in different districts and areas in Malawi. Some may say he was doing all that to Muslims only because he was a Muslim. This is not true! Records have it that Mia foundation also helps the construction of a number of praying houses for Christians in some parts of Malawi. All this shows how princely and important this man was to Malawians.
We all know that it’s not easy to give what you have. Not all rich folks are generous. Generosity is deep rooted in the heart and not amount of wealth a person holds. I personally know late Sidik Mia as a smiling man all times, a man who could not keep antipathies with people who could wish him bad luck! This is the man who put his country first in expense of his own personal ego. No one can simply deny this fact.
Seriously speaking, how many of our politicians can sacrifice a political position just to pave way for the will of the people and change to prevail? Now, it is exactly one complete year from the day the constitutional court nullified May 19, 2020 presidential election and subsequently ordered for fresh presidential elections.
Malawians of different political parties put their eyes on late Mia just to see what would be his reactions when Reverend Dr. Chakwera announces that his party will go to polls on electoral alliance. Late Mia surprised the nation when he said ‘let Malawi be big than me and change should take its cause.” Indeed this is the man not to be easily forgotten! His tremendous contributions towards national development of this country are This is one of the biggest lessons he left numerous indeed. I believe that his life for Malawi. Indeed by all measurements, and demise left us with lots of lessons Sidik Mia was the giant not to be easily which we are to learn. Many Malawians will forgotten. May Allah grant him highest remember him by his kind giving heart. Paradise of Firdaus!
