Dr Wan Azizah studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin from 1972 to 1978 and won the MacNaughton-Jones gold medal in obstetrics and gynaecology.
In her 1978 Year Book photograph, she is shown in a tudung, the head scarf worn by Malay women. This evidently caused some confusion as to her religious leanings. Laughing, she pointed out a comment about herself in the book: "She is well known on the Dublin buses as the gentle Chinese nun who wouldn't cross herself going past churches."
The symbolic leader of Malaysia's reform movement recalled that she lived the life of an impoverished medical student in a bedsitter in Lower Leeson Street during her six years in Dublin.
"I only could afford a radio and I listened to Gay Byrne and I would go on the CIE bus," she said. "We would walk to St Stephen's Green and down Grafton Street to Brown Thomas and Switzers - very posh! Of course, you only walked through and nobody paid attention. And Bewleys! I loved passing by Bewleys because the coffee aroma was enticing and its food was lovely. I have very fond memories of Ireland."
The wife of the former deputy prime minister of Malaysia keeps up with news from Dublin. She knew that Gay Byrne was retiring, she remarked. "I also had friends who came and told me the story of Charles Haughey and `Thanks big fella!'," she said delightedly, pronouncing the words in a passable Dublin accent.
The reunion of the College of Surgeons class of 1978 takes place next week but Dr Wan Azizah will not be attending - "Not with the downturn in the political situation".