From The Malaysian Insider
By Shannon Teoh
SHAH ALAM, Feb 22 – Just shy of a year into his tenure as mentri besar of Selangor, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is promising that his administration will soon begin to “walk the talk” despite facing fierce political adversity.
In an exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider this week, Khalid said he was confident that the best efforts of his political opponents would serve only to sweeten the final victory.
The latest scandal to afflict the state executive council – the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) allegations of abuse of state funds in the purchase of cattle and maintenance of his private vehicle, has followed hot on the heels of semi-naked pictures of Elizabeth Wong surfacing.
These are just the most recent in a series of political blows that include last year’s Internal Security Act (ISA) arrest of Teresa Kok and accusations of abuse of power and khalwat against Ronnie Liu and Dr Halimah Ali respectively.
“There is always a concern but we must have the strength and confidence to go through this,” he said of attempts to destabilise his government.
For Khalid, it is a challenge to manage the state in the most effective and efficient manner.
“Success is now a challenge and comes as sweet victory despite the best efforts of your enemies,” he said.
His replies reveal his previous experience in the corporate world but Khalid says the past year has been an exercise in adapting to being a political chief executive.
“The job is alright, but the politics is fierce,” he admits.
The former chief executive officer of Permodalan Nasional explained that in the corporate world, a strategy could be implemented as directed but in politics, the acceptance of both your customer and those in your party was crucial.
“When you say this is my bottomline, it is self-explanatory to corporates. But if you say that to party members, they will say, ‘What bottom?’” he quipped.
“I have seen millions and managed billions. But now, for RM500, discussions can run two hours,” he said but insisted that the satisfaction now was far superior to that of his time as a corporate chief.
“When you have commercial concerns, nobody questions your greed – ‘greed is your skin and profit your motivator.’
“But as mentri besar, when you shake the hands of the public, they feel very proud to meet you. In the corporate world, you shake hundreds of hands but nobody is proud of each other,” he added.
The Bandar Tun Razak MP believes that while his first year in office since the 12th general elections allowed him to sample the opportunities, it is now time to harness resources and translate them into real targets.
“Now that you know your strength and limitations, the challenge is to walk the talk.
“To translate development and welfare straight to the people, giving all citizens a better quality of life,” is his goal but he warns that there will be “no free lunch, people have to work for and earn it.”
It was a thinly-veiled reference to the pressure by grassroot leaders over appointments to positions in the state and state-linked bodies.
He described how a mob of over 50 people had stormed into his residence and shouted at him for not giving them the advantages that “Umno goons received before.”
But he insists that it is necessary if “you want to change 50 years of one style of political activity and cronyism.”
“Sometimes, it is painful to implement. You want to stop smoking, you understand it is bad but it is very tough but you can smile after you are successful.
“The mentri besar is the mentri besatr to the rakyat, not of PKR. It was worse before because Umno was of a higher caste and PKR were pariahs. Now you have moved up to an equal status, so it is better,” he said.
But his corporate background has been useful as well. The Ijok assemblyman cites the ongoing water restructuring saga as an example.
For him, it is an important benchmark in deprivatisation, claiming that it was a case study for how other concession agreements such as those regarding tolls and independent power producers could be unwound.
“This discussion is very new and unprecedented. And if you do not have economic fundamentals, you become an accountant,” he quipped.
Outside of the demands by the concessionaires to be compensated for future profits, he maintained that the state had no issues in completing the statutory transfer of water assets to the federal government.
He insisted that the state had a proposal to complete the transfer in two weeks after all parties had agreed to terms.
“Tomorrow you can see a row of bankers and accountants outside, and it is done. We have done it in three hours before. Nothing magical about that,” he added, referring to the famous “dawn raid” of the London Stock Exchange he led in 1981 where PNB gained a controlling stake in British plantation concern Guthrie in less than two hours.
Given the doom and gloom surrounding the economy, Khalid understands that as a prominent manufacturing state, his task for this year is to “enhance income opportunities via skills and networking.”
According to the MB, no major factories in the state have closed yet but one or two are expected in coming months. So far, manufacturers have chosen to cut working hours instead of shutting down plants.
But he insists that a safety net must be created to allow those who have been hit a chance to “recover and compete again, giving the community a first chance, a second and even third chance.”
Khalid claims that a task force has already been set up to monitor the situation and to work closely with trade unions, the federal government and private sector.
“The challenge will be greater this year as it will take more than a year before we see an upturn so we had better brace for it. We are getting the support of the private sector, like Jobstreet,” he said, referring to the online job-matching provider.
“But it will need a lot of guiding. The technology is there but we will have to bring people to it,” he said.
Away from his responsibilities, life for the 62-year-old has changed for sure, even if he says that the number of hours he spends at work is the same.
He has stopped playing golf, he says, because it is too time-consuming. But when quizzed as to how some of his counterparts still manage to find time, he slyly responds, “they have different skills from me.”
Conversation at home, however, has surprisingly become better, he says.
“In the corporate world, I cannot discuss business with my wife because it is considered insider information.
“But now I must listen to my wife’s understanding of politics on why women are also important. As a politician, I have to listen to her.”
yes..you are the menteri besar of the people, we will wlk with you! Be strong and together we will resist MACC!
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Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim……
I salute you !!!
I am born & bred in Selangor. Staying in Shah Alam. I’ve never bothered much about politics till now. To me, politics was like, eerrrr….. full of shit ! (Sorry my language!)
That was before you became Selangor MB…!
Now that PKR has taken over certain States, I reliaze that BN & goons have woken up from their 52 years of slumber. Not only that..! BN has decided to come out with all their dirtiest tricks & ideas to wipe out PKR ! Not reliazing that their own doing will make the rakyat sit up & take note.
BN is doing all the wrong things at the right time……! Right ?????
For ‘cows & cars’, MACC has the time & fast enough to want to prosecute you. For ALL of that Toyol fella’s corruption, bribery, etc… MACC has not moved an inch…! Not forgetting other BN corrupter…!!!
Why does MACC practice ‘double standard’..? Is MACC UMNO’s..?
Toyol still have spies in your department. Every little “fart” you make he gets “wind” of it. How’s that???
Toyol’s only job now is watching & waiting for your mistakes…! He has never done much for Selangorians. Only “we have to study & look into it” talk. When approved, he gets richer by the day…!
Actually…, he should now try to win back our hearts by doing the things which he DIDN’T do when he was MB. Correct……????
But he’s NOT. He’s just too busy minding our ‘bedroom’ & finding faults of PKR.
Tan Sri, please push MACC of your report regarding the corruption on Toyol fella. Ask them why have it taken so long to throw him in jail.
I once met that Toyol fella & i was about 3-4 feet away. As usual he has his ‘dogs’ around him. Later in the evening I told my partner about it. My partner asked if I shaked his hands. I said no…! Becoz he’s NOT for the rakyat…! That’s what I told my partner.
For me, I love my Sultan of Selangor…! The current one & the one before him. My Sultan of Selangor, he is for the rakyat…! I’ve also seen him during occassions. And also you, Tan Sri. Never had the chance to shake yours & Sultan’s hands..! Would like to.
Of course being in your position comes with alot of hoo-haa ! What I’m trying to say is take all these BN nonsense constructively…! You have to coz you don’t have a choice. Alot of ‘shit’ will be thrown your way. Rakyat don’t want the Toyol fella anymore so he very, very “malu” & “dengki”….!!!!!!!!!
We support you & I for one do..!
Just hold on till next General Election yah…!
The rakyat now knows………………………………………!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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This Khalid’s scenario is like a newly married couple. The first year to familiarize with each other better. (the public and the govt) Second year, to bear a child and the third, you have a family!
They say, “Roman was not build a day”
If a govt is clean and hard working, there is nothing to fear…only your opponents fear you!
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Keep up the good work Tan Sri. Am born & breed of Selangor, loved the Sultans all the way. We need pragmatic leadership, not only talk about politics. PR will have our support.
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Inferior persons,
fearing difficulty,
venture nothing.
Ordinary persons,
though venturing to accomplish something,
give up when meeting with serious hardships.
Persons of superior character,
though repeatedly encountering obstacles and difficulties,
never abandon what they have out to accomplish.
YAB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, we are always with you.
We salute you!
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Inferior persons,
fearing difficulty,
venture nothing.
Ordinary persons,
though venturing to accomplish something,
give up when meeting with serious hardships.
Persons of superior character,
though repeatedly encountering obstacles and difficulties,
never abandon what they have set out to accomplish.
YAB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, we are always with you.
We salute you!
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Salam Reformasi YAB Tan Sri MB..With All Due Respect To Your Wisdom..
Pak MB ingin menarikh sedikit perhatian YAB Tan Sri MB kepada beberapa isu yang (kepada Pak MB dan reformis veteran yang lain) lebih penting dari isu MACC ini. Pak MB berharap pandangan ini akan di bawa ke pengetahuan YAB.
Pak MB tidak pernah menyangkal malah yakin pendekatan YAB untuk mentadbir Kerajaan Negeri Selangor secara korporat akan berjaya. Namun begitu, YAB perlu mengambilkira beberapa perkara penting dalam memastikan usaha dan pendekatan YAB itu akan mendapat sokongan Parti.
Sebagai seorang tokoh korporat yang disegani, YAB Tan Sri sedia memahami bahawa ‘human dislike changes’. Di dalam dunia korporat, YAB tidak perlu mengambilkira pandangan anggota bawahan terhadap apajua pendekatan atau kaedah pengurusan/pentadbiran yang hendak dipraktikkan ‘as long as you able to justify such action(s) and/or decision(s) to your shareholoders’. Ini berbeza dengan kedudukan sebagai YAB MB Selangor yang perlantikannya ‘being made possible’ atas tiket politik iaitu hasil dari sokongan Parti, akar umbi dan pengundi yang membawa kemenangan YAB dalam PRU12 yang lalu.
Dalam tempoh hampir setahun menerajui pentadbiran Negeri Selangor, YAB Tan Sri telah membuat pelbagai keputusan yang (kepada Pak MB) jelas mencerminkan ketokohan YAB Tan Sri sebagai seorang ahli korporat. Namun begitu dan pada waktu yang sama, sebilangan besar ahli Parti (terutamanya di peringkat Bahagian dan akar umbi) berasa ‘amat kurang senang’ dengan apa yang sedang berlaku. Bukan kerana mereka tidak menyokong tetapi lebih kerana mereka ‘kurang memahami’ apa yang YAB Tan Sri cuba buktikan.
Parti adalah merupakan satu sistem yang telah dengan tersendirinya (..due to unwritten procedures or paractices or norms or whatever relevant terms we may thing of..) akan ‘mudah menolak’ sebarang percubaan (secara solo dan/atau individu) untuk memperkenal atau melaksanakan sesuatu ‘pendekatan’ dan/atau idealogi baru. Mungkin lebih elok jika YAB Tan Sri menggunakan tahun pertama pemerintahan sebagai ‘Tahun Transaksi Pendekatan Pemerintahan’ iaitu dengan terlebih dahulu menyerapkan kefahaman ‘pemerintahan secara korporat’ ini secara berperingkat dan terancang.
Kita perlu menyedari bahawa kekuatan sesuatu pokok itu bukannya terletak kepada besar batangnya, banyak rantingnya dan/atau lebat daunnya tetapi lebih kepada kepada keutuhan dan gabungan-rapat akarnya…
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No matter what the truth will prevail,we will together wither the storms.PR YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT AND ELLI PUT PAST BEHIND YOU,CONTINUE YOUR GOOD AND EXCELLANT WORK AND THIS TIME YOU MAKE THEM CRY.PLEASE PUT US BEFORE YOU.
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Tan Seri MB,
thanks for your assurances. been waiting to hear you on this line of subject matter.
i’m hoping to see many many positive outcome in the near future.
i was given assurance by your people that what they have now in selangor (particularly), and the rest of pr states, a group of abled and capabled team-players. so, i have high hopes in me.
my highest hope lies in selangor. coz, this is my state of tumpah darah.
all the best Tan Seri MB in your spring-cleaning programme.
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We are behind you and Pakatan Rakyat.
Don’t worry.
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Salam Tan Sri MB,
Kepimpinan Tan Sri dan rakan-rakan dalam PR akan sentiasa mendapat sokongan dari rakyat.
Marilah sama-sama kita bekerja untuk memajukan lagi negeri Selangor.
Lawan dan musuh ada di mana-mana. InsyaAllah kalau niat dan tujuan kita murni, Allah akan bantu kita.
Salam Reformasi
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