KUALA LUMPUR: Founder and chairman of AmBank Group Tan Sri Azman Hashim has pledged RM1bil to a foundation for the benefit of several charitable projects.

The foundation, named after him, will focus on education, welfare as well as projects to alleviate human suffering.

The foundation, among others, had contributed RM7mil for the construction of a building at the International Islamic University, RM25mil to University Malaya's Faculty of Business and Accountancy for the construction of its building and RM10mil to Universiti Sains Malaysia for the building of its sports arena.

The foundation was launched by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir in conjunction with Azman's 50th wedding anniversary with Puan Sri Tunku Arishah Tunku Maamor on Saturday night.

Recounting their 50 years of marriage, Azman said the night he first met Tunku Arishah at a new year's eve party in 1963, he made sure he had the first dance with her.

The song I Could Have Danced All Night by Andy Williams was playing in the background as the pair moved together on the dance floor. They danced until the sun came up the next day.

She was a lively lass with a decorative mole on her cheek and, although she did not smoke, was stylishly balancing a cigarette holder at the tip of her fingers, Azman said. “It was more of a fashion statement.”

Love is in the air: Azman and Tunku Arishah dancing at their 50th wedding anniversary.

Tunku Arishah, then 18, however, thought that the bespectacled Bank Negara accountant was “weird”.

“He was a tennis player, so his left arm was bigger than his right. I said to myself this guy is very unusual,” she said with a laugh.

Then came the courtship and proposal, which Azman, being the spontaneous man that he is, did in a public swimming pool.

“I just asked her. But then I went underwater because I was afraid to hear the answer.

“But then I popped up. How?' I asked. She said she had to think about it,” Azman recounted.

Tunku Arishah said she remembered everything of her life with Azman as if it was just yesterday.

“After 50 years, it was just like the day before. It passed by so fast, you hardly noticed it,” she added.

Azman said that respect for each other was what kept their romance alive.

“I don't think we have ever quarrelled or called each other names,” said Azman, who serenaded his wife with the song by Andy Williams at a small ceremony at the Grand Hyatt hotel here. Family and friends gathered to toast the couple.

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