He was the first US president to set foot on Malaysian soil in close to half a century.

Internationally, Barack Obama is arguably the most famous of all his predecessors, given that he is the first non-white to become chief resident of the White House.

And his ascension to power had struck a chord with minority groups all over the world, who had followed his presidential campaigns with great interest.

And when local television stations beamed live images of Air Force One coming to a halt on the tarmac of the air force base in Subang, Malaysia was infected with Obamania and even Facebook and Twitter were abuzz with news about his brief visit.

On a superficial note, some believe it was due to the fanfare surrounding the US president as marketed by Hollywood in movies that have depicted the Air Force One, the fortress on wheels known as The Beast and the awe-inspiring presidential security details of the Secret Service.

On a deeper note, however, political analyst James Chin believes that Obama reflected the true essence of 1Malaysia, the slogan conceptualised by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"The reason we were starry-eyed is because Obama epitomises 1Malaysia.

"An American regardless of background or social class can rise up to become president," he told Malaysiakini .

According to Chin, 1Malaysia, however, had perished in Malaysia a long time ago.

"So we look at him (Obama) of how 1Malayisa should have been (where minorities are not marginalised on the basis of race and religion)," he added.

Greater racial, religious tension

Furthermore, Chin said Obama's personal achievements make a powerful tale, which speaks of overcoming adversities and conquering the odds.

Even Obama had mentioned it in his speech, stating that Malaysia would not succeed if non-Muslims are not given equal opportunities, which drew a rebuke from Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

When Najib took over the leadership reins, the 1Malaysia slogan had been his clarion call, with the aim of bridging the racial and religious divide in the nation.

However, it appears that Malaysia had been heading in the opposite direction since then with racial and religious tension on a higher note than before.

There are also observers who noted that Malaysians were enthralled by Obama due to the change in their diet, which prior to this consisted of mediocre local politicians stirring racial and religious sentiments for mileage.

A case in point being acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein , who surprised many when he started to handle the MH370 crisis in an admirable fashion.

Some joked that Hishammuddin must have surprised himself, concluding that all those years spent in Umno had dulled his senses and never allowed him to realise his true potential as a politician and leader.

Acknowledging that Obama had a certain infectious charisma about him, Chin said: “We never had leaders of this calibre and that is not important.”

"Most people know that we are a young country and cannot produce world class leaders... We just want a leader to walk the talk. And that is enough.

"As for Obama, like all great American leaders, he carries himself well and speaks well," he added.