COMMENT Before he was even named for the Selangor menteri besar post, many had questioned PKR deputy president Azmin Ali's loyalty.

 

Would he remain loyal to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim after accepting the post? After all he had been chosen over party’s president and Anwar’s wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

 

Many had also asked if power would gp to Azmin's head when he is the menteri besar.

 

The problem with Azmin is his 'Mr Arrogant' style, the snobbish behaviour he tends to put on when he speaks to those who do not know him. Due to this, Azmin has never been much liked by those who meet him the first, second or third time.

 

He’s 'Mr Darcy' to some and for others, the snoot, with his always gelled hair and almost non-creased look.

 

Not to mention the fact that he was one of the main critics of Khalid Ibrahim, who was until yesterday, the menteri besar.

 

Khalid ( left ) had even removed him from the Selangor State Development Board (PKNS) and some even speculated and wondered if the two would call for a duel to sort out the matter of who would be the better menteri besar!

 

Azmin was a top maths and economics graduate in his university. Khalid was also a good student but the two are very much different.

 

While Khalid is seen as the man who does not care much for his looks, Azmin is seen as a vain person.

 

While Khalid seems to spew whatever that comes to mind, Azmin is very guarded.

 

While Khalid seems to be a man uncomfortable with the kampung people, Azmin lets down his guard with them, and gives those rare smiles, which explains his Gombak stronghold.

 

That is when you see the politician in him, rather than the Anwarista he is.

 

Man of few words

In the period he was Anwar's personal assistant and then his special officer, when Anwar was the deputy prime minister, many of those who dealt with him say he is not only a man of a few words, but one who is most stingy with them.

 

Some have also called him too calculative, to the extent he was often called Anwar's blue-eyed boy.

 

"He behaves more like how Anwar ( left ) behaves, but then again, Anwar is his teacher. If you do not see him, you might even think it is Anwar talking, for he is no doubt an Anwar clone.

 

“Another clone was Ezam Md Noor at the time Anwar was sacked by the then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed. But Ezam fell out with Anwar and Azmin remained the loyal clone," said a reporter who used to cover Anwar in the 90s.

 

In the aftermath of Anwar being sacked, charged and jailed, many had had to hurdle the difficult times with him.

 

But Azmin never missed the reformasi demonstrations, all the time still dressed to the nines.

 

He was one of the very few who stuck through it all and who remain loyal to Anwar, despite whatever people thought about him.

 

With the sodomy accusations hanging over Anwar, Azmin and his family were not spared the scandals.

 

Loyal to Anwar

In an interview the now defunct fz.com. not too long ago, when asked why he is so loyal to, and what is it that holds him to Anwar, Azmin explained:

 

"I served him (Anwar) officially for 15 years in the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance. And when he went to jail for seven years, I spent my time looking after his family and supporting the cause of PKR and Pakatan."

 

He said he had to choose Anwar over Mahathir, despite Mahathir having once considered him as an adopted son.

 

"I chose Anwar for his idealism, his courage and his conviction for the people," said Azmin.

 

"When (in 1998) the most senior leaders of PKR were asked to leave the country before the arrest of DSAI (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim). I was the only one who refused, and stayed put to defend the truth. Anwar was arrested on September 20th but I was arrested on September 16th.

 

"I was the first one to be arrested, questioned and forced to submit a written admission that he sodomised me and these are the things that I went through.

"I went through hell during that period, even then I was still loyal, even though I was assaulted, stripped naked. But it is my conviction that this man is clean, is a good man, that I had to defend.

 

"And you must remember my relationship with Mahathir. I was seen then as an adopted son to him. And I said in court that I was introduced to Anwar by Mahathir. We (Mahathir and I) were very close when I was a student. And when I came back, Mahathir said, 'Why don't you serve Anwar?'

"Just imagine, how difficult it was then to decide whether to support Mahathir or DSAI. These were the two great leaders of the country then – it was not an easy option for me.

 

“But I defended Anwar not because he was DSAI but because I had to defend the truth. I was in a reluctant position – I was never into politics but I was forced by Mahathir to join PKR and support 'reformasi'," Azmin was reported as saying in fz.com.

PAS offer turned down

No matter what loyalty he proclaimed, in the past few months, many had said that Azmin was sidelined by Anwar when others pushed for Wan Azizah to be the menteri besar.

 

Yet, Azmin did not waiver in his loyalty and even turned down an offer by PAS to be the menteri besar together with Umno. He even informed Anwar that PAS had offered him to join the party, which then unleashed a whole scandal on PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang for attempting to poach from a fellow party.

 

Now, that Anwar and Wan Azizah appear to have given their blessings to Azmin, it looks like Anwar has no doubt of Azmin's loyalty.

 

However, for Selangorians and the whole of Malaysia, it is another waiting game to see whether Azmin is indeed worthy of the post, even though many have stated that Azmin got the post at the expense of democracy.

 

This is because Wan Azizah ( right ) had the majority in the state assembly, including Azmin's support, when she was named for the post by PKR.

 

Daggers against him are already being unsheathed in the social media and there are some factions in his party itself who are not happy.

 

It remains to be seen if Azmin will be more with the people, and get himself dirty with the rakyat. The people will be watching whether Azmin can stand in style and smile and deliver to the rakyat at the same time. After all, he had criticised Khalid for not delivering to the people.

 

Now that he has the financial reserves that Khalid had made and the most developed state in the country in his hands now - one hopes he will not take too much time to act.

 

As time spoke for Khalid, time will decide for Azmin and Pakatan, if Selangor would indeed be the showcase reflecting the abilities of Azmin.

 ZAKIAH KOYA is a member of the Malaysiakini team.