Credit where it is due

After few weeks of jostling, Selangor has finally put together a team to govern the state.

The selection of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as Menteri Besar was a difficult manouvre on it's own. If there is truth that Tuanku Sultan put his foot in the selection, it was a wise intervention.

If not, there are some wise and realistic people in the leadership of Pakatan Rakyat.

This could send some blood boiling among pro-BN readers and some MCE 3rd graders among them to suspect Anwar Ibrahim had bought us.

An unschooled remark is best responded with a stupid response. Actually, we had a tryst with Anwar at the most unlikely place to suspect.... Tivoli Villa.

Election is over and it is time to say things as it is. Hopefully UMNO will learn something. If they want to learn and change ....

Never learn

The reason being UMNO does not seem to want to learn and change.

They are still arrogant and audibly deaf to other views, feedback and criticism.

"Kau nak dengar aku cakap ke atau kau nak cakap?!!"

One group of bloggers was snubbed for questioning the choice of candidates for Parliments and State seats of Gombak and Ampang.

True enough.

If he had listened to the ground feedback from these bloggers, he would have saved himself the embarassment of being left with 12 state seats and substantially lesser Parliamentary seats.

And, UMNO members would have not known that he ignored all suggestions and single-handedly prepared and convinced us that his list can get 33 seats easy. At a brief moment during campaign, it is believed he privately claim BN can win 38 to 41 seats.  

Now, word is spreadinging among the bloggers of one UMNO Headquarter high official called a blogger on his handphone to yell at him on a "you don't know better" tone for highlighting a particular personality in his discussion of Tun Daim's criticism of PM Advisers. [Re-read here.]

These are just small people. Take their criticism and feedback in the proper light. How arrogant and insecure can one be?!

There are those so insecure of Daim's comments that they try to play the cheap character assassination argument without knowing he turned a 0-6 situation into a 5-1 win.  

We also faced several harassments and threat from Najib's Adviser and boys for expressing our independent opinion.

Engaging orang besar-besar kerajaan (big people in government) seemed fruitless because their intention toengage and have cordial relationship with us is curb our independence. They never wish to listen.

And, one paranoid cross-eyed m*therf^#&er instinctively accused us of conspiring to bring down Najib for having tea leisurely with a particular someone. It is as though we do not know who owns that black blog. Having tea and discussing the positive way forward is a conspiracy?  

Is speaking out still a crime in Najib's era of UMNO? Please do not give the proper channel mumbo jumbo argument.

Najib promised to engage us regularly but he never did for the next 4 years. Subsequently, Najib via his officers became more protective of the boss. There was nonsense request such as soalan bocor for vetting.

Increasingly, Najib via his Advisers showed an attitude contrary to his once often said sound bytes, "Government does not have all the answer. Government must learn to listen."

The learning curve seem slow. Made slow by Advisers and pengampus.

Sensible

When Azmin Ali was exerting his seniority in the PKR party to claim Menteri Besar-ship, we called upon our junior buddy in school. He is in Azmin's camp and recently lost running in one state seat.

We told him up-front.

"Bro .. Azmin tak boleh.... PKR would look foolish to put him as MB. For better or for worse, Khalid is seen as more trustworthy."

He listened on.

"Without me having to refer to Ummi Hafilda, let me tell you as a friend. Those in the know knows Azmin will fleece the state dry. If I know it, Sultan should know.

"No Sultan would want someone with a tainted personal life with pictures of himself being given a blowjob seen all over the net as MB. Furthermore, you know he is Singapore born."

The friend denied of victory due to split votes by PSM just said thank for the feedback. He is fully aware that we are a blogger and pro-UMNO.

"We know we know ... we will be sensible. I'm in an event and gotta to go. Regards to your brother."

Azmin gradually let off and Khalid sworn in.

In Terengganu, it would have taken the next general election and lots of disappearance drama to settle the dispute.

As far as Azmin's tantrum, it is just the quarrel of an old couple. They will make up.  

Line up

Khalid has announced his new line-up and today, all sworn in.

Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh of the DAP named Speaker of the Selangor State Assembly, making history as the first woman Speaker in the country.

Her deputy is Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad from PKR. This is a consolation to appease the Azmin faction.

Khalid himself as MB will take charge of finance, land development and natural resources management, state economic action council, publicity, Malay custom committee. He kept the strategic areas within his control.

His politics may sometime be clownish but as former PLC CEO, he knows he has to know by hard his own portfolio and be clear on the critical factor in all aspect of governance.   

He can have advisers, officers and assistants but they do not mislead him astray. They are not his British adviser because he calls the shot. In the past, Khalid has refused the request of Selangor's RM1 worth Malay Studies Graduate disguising as Economic Adviser and political entertainer.

That is the management of power.

The rest of Selangor's exco are:

• Ahmad Yunus Hairi (Sijangkang, PAS) — youth and sports, infrastructure and public amenities;
• Dr Daroyah Alwi (Sementa, PKR)— health, entrepreneur development, science, technology and innovation;
• Ean Yong Hian Wah (Sri Kembangan, DAP) — investment, industrialisation and trade, development of new villages and of legalisation of illegal factories;
• Halimah Ali (Selat Klang, PAS) — education and higher education, human capital development;
• Iskandar Abdul Samad (Cempaka, PAS) — housing, building and urban settler management;
• Rodziah Ismail (Batu Tiga, PKR) — welfare, women affairs
• Sallehen Mukhyi (Sabak, PAS) — Islamic affairs, agriculture modernisation, rural development;
• Datuk Teng Chang Khim (Sungai Pinang, DAP) — local government, study and research;
• V. Ganabatirau (Kota Alam Shah, DAP) — estate workers, poverty, caring government; and
• Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan, PKR) — tourism, consumer affairs, environment.

Listen

As an opposition blogger for Selangor, there are areas to criticise of this line-up. But this is peace time and we will be frank.

Not that we are afraid and without material. We pride ourself as one of the earliest blogger that begin to pick on Khalid. This time it will not be any different.

Frankly, it is a well thought out line-up. It is not as complex and extensive a line-up to prepare as one by Najib for his cabinet but credit where it is due, Khalid listened.

He is aware of the Malay grouses on the ground against his government.

Thus far, he has the political will to attempt to move in and fortify their rural Malay support by willingly make the calculated move to go for a Malay majority line-up.

The previous one was Chinese controlled line-up and the inexperianced Chinese members in area of public administration messed it up big time. Listen up BN cause this time they have more experiance in governing.

Most of the tainted and controversial characters of the past - Theresa Kok, Ronnie Liu, Yaacob Sapari, Dr Xavier, etc. - are no more inside, except Elizabeth Wong. She is publicly acceptable because those photos are deemed as a personal infringement on her privacy. That is Khalid taking the difficult but necessary action.


The portfolio held by Iskandar and Sallehen seem a coordinated attempt to fortify their position with the Malay and rural, even if Selangor BN has a better coordinator than Dato Zin "Badak". If Iskandar had been MB, lagi pening BN.

All the portfolio take into account political consideration. Not like BN, who seemed to offend their power base to be generous with those that are sure not to vote us.

Women makes up 4 out of 10 exco members. They are acknowledged and appreciated. Dato Noriah Kasnon and Dato Halimah Sadique remains as Deputy despite being fairly senior.

Racial and party proportioning is balanced. Not like the case of 6 dayak MPs but none get to be Minister. While one winning Bidayuh and SUPP could be made full Minister. A well represented state like Johor could have only 2 full Ministers while 4 MP Terengganu could have 2 full Ministers.

Khalid chopped off the legacy of Ronnie Liu by giving the local authority portfolio to a better imaged Dato Teng Cham Kim. But, Najib kept and brought in many unnecessary legacies like Dato Wahid Omar as Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop legacy, Dato Nazri Aziz, Dato Shahidan, Dato Tengku Adnan, etc. 

Ganabatirau should understand the Indian problems better than the arrogant and scrupulous Xavier. Najib instead invited the most problematic of the Hindraf 6, the conman and uncontrollable Waythmoorthy.

Some Senior Adviser can try to hustle us to bring this posting down. Some paranoid can accuse us as a conspirer. Cybertroopers can attack us. But we will say it as it as.

Khalid listened but Najib did not. The reral listening is in the action and it's results.  

Khalid did not sacrifice the priority of good governance for political expediency but Najib did.

His cabinet and candidate list is being seen by many as to safeguard his position in UMNO and have his people than drastically present a winnable list and new positive face for the party.

Selangor to Pakatan looks increasingly to be like another Kelantan for PAS. BN have to dig really deep and CHANGE from bottom to the top especially the bevy of leaders. Can they CHANGE with some by-elections expected to come?

There is a lot of work to be done and it need to get started immediately. However, every other UMNO personalities seemed to be away on Cuti-Cuti Luar Negeri.

To Sayangi Selangor, how to Yakini BN?