Sunday December 9, 2007
Former tallest man of Holland visits Malaysia
By ANDREA FILMER
PENANG: Being different is never easy, but try being 2.21m (7ft 4in) tall.
Dutch native Rob Bruintjes, who once held the record for being the tallest man in Holland, towered above everyone else in the lobby of Golden Sands Resort in Batu Feringghi.
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Friendly giant: Bruintjes chatting with Golden Sands Resort trainee Siti Hartini, 21, during his visit to Penang. |
Some of these associations were more social-based for people to meet each other but they were not practical for finding solutions for important problems, he added.
“Conferences were held every year but little was being done. So eventually, the European Federation for Tall People (EFTP) was formed in 1995 to act as the spokesperson for tall people in Europe,” he said.
The federation conducted research into improving the environment for tall people and initiated discussions with politicians and corporate companies into ways of meeting their needs.
Twelve years after its formation and with 1,200 registered members all over Europe, Bruintjes, who is currently the federation chairman, said things have improved much.
“With the development of the Internet, it’s now not so difficult to find shoes and clothes. Shops have also sprung up and tall people are now visiting Holland to shop for things,” he said.
Malaysia has yet to form a similar society but Bruintjes encourages locals to put together an organisation to act as a representative of their needs.
“It’s very important to have a channel where people can share their problems and solutions,” he said.
Bruintjes is visiting the country for one-week as a guest of Tourism Malaysia in conjunction with the Malaysia Year End Sale.
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