Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo has stoutly defended his reputation by saying that all corruption complaints made against him were 'baseless'.

He also refuted allegations that he had been dishing out land and government titles freely to a band of ‘cronies’ in the state ever since he assumed power in 2000.

The 42-year-old menteri besar told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview last week that all land approvals were done by his predecessors while he merely "speed up the process".

"Actually no land was given out under my time, no more land to be given when I become menteri besar. The land was given before me long time ago," he said at the 90-minute interview at his office.

What he did, according to him, was to expedite the previous applications for the projects.

"We need development, people need houses. That's why we speed up everything. Last time maybe there was a lot of red tape in the government departments (and when) we speed up the process, everything became easy," he added.

No 1 on ACA list

The central subject of the complaints against Mohd Khir was that he had allegedly abused his power to award land and government projects worth over hundred of millions ringgit to a group of cronies.

One example was that the politician was alleged to have granted 400 acres of land in Bukit Cerakah, Shah Alam - which was turned into the Bukit Cahaya Agricultural Park later - in 2001 to four companies headed by same four directors.

Among the top complainants against Mohd Khir was media activist Ahmad Lufti Othman, who had doggedly pursued cases against the menteri besar with relevant authorities and had filed so many corruption reports that himself could not remember the exact number.

Acknowledging that a spate of reports to the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) had been filed against him, Mohd Khir revealed that he topped an ACA investigations list involving BN Selangor candidates during the last general election in 2004.

"On the ACA list itself, the first was my name, number one… If I am not honest, I wouldn't have submitted the list (to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) but I followed the instruction," he said.

He added that the best defence to show that his name was cleared was when he was allowed to contest in the last election after the vetting process.

"Every case has been settled, there is no basis - that's how I cleared my name," he said.

He added that he was not sure whether there was any fresh ACA reports against him currently.

The Zakaria case

Meanwhile, on the case of Klang assemblyperson Zakarian Mohd Deros, the Selangor menteri besar said he has not made any decision whether to recommend the embattled politician to contest in the next election.

"We have to wait for the outcome of the (ACA and police) investigations. If we were to make a decision based on everyone's else views, then we will be in trouble," noted Mohd Khir.

Zakaria, who is also former Klang council member, earned notoriety last year when it was found that he had built a palatial house in Klang without the approval of the local authorities and had defaulted on assessment payments for more than 10 years.

He was fined RM24,000 by the Klang municipal council but subsequent investigations by the ACA were closed in May for lack of evidence.

In August, Zakaria was left off the hook from facing 37 charges under the Companies Act after a small sum of fine was paid.

On the prevalent problems besieging the state’s local authorities, especially graft related, Mohd Khir argued the proposal for local government elections was not feasible to push for better governance and choice of representatives.

He said the problems in the local authorities were caused by the attitude of the civil servants rather than the current structure of the appointment system.

"How to reform the local authority with the same attitude of staff? (The problem) is not because of the structure of the local authority but their attitude and mindset.

"We need to change and do something drastic, something like 'electrical shock'," he added.

The menteri besar further argued that local government elections would only cause "more problems" in a multi-racial country like Malaysia.

"We are multi-racial and multi-religious country and we are not matured yet to choose our representatives. We tend to choose (a leader) from our own community, (but) then the composition won't be balanced, that's the problem," Mohd Khir said.

'Aye' to expenditure declaration but…

On calls for the declaration of expenditures by elected representatives, Mohd Khir said he encouraged his state representative to declare their expenditures on the state’s website or as a report to the state.

When asked on whether he would take the lead to do so, he appeared slightly hesitant and said all their expenditures were audited.

"The figures may be contradictory if there are too many reports and then there will be problems, (such as) sometimes you quote the wrong figures, it is creating more problems. More importantly (for us) is the procedures must be strictly followed," he said.

Selangor BN state assemblypersons were reportedly entitled to an annual allocation from the state government of up to RM2 million. The oppositions are not eligible to claim for such allocation.

Highlights of the interview

On corruption

I told the public before I went for the second term in 2004 general election that every candidate is vetted thoroughly by the ACA and the police. Those who have cases which were not cleared, we were not going to put them as candidates, including me. On the ACA list, the first was my name, number one. People make accusations. But I was cleared.

On land approval

Actually no land was given out under my time, no more land to be given when I became MB. The land was given before, long time ago. The (concerned) companies submitted the (development) plan - everything were done in accordance to the law. I want to make it clear that there is no more land. The land was given long time before. We need development, people need houses. We speed up everything. Last time maybe there is a lot of red tape in the government departments (and when) we speed up the process, everything became easy. You can ask any developer - have you ever seen me with them? No, I sit at home only.

On Zakaria's candidacy in next election

We will see. We send every (candidate's) name to the ACA. I am very firm (over) those who have a case (against them) and we are not going to (field) them as candidate, that is for sure.

On mixed responses over the broom award

Nothing is wrong with the broom award actually, because we have discussed this thing about one-and-a-half years back and we agreed (on it). We are not giving the broom to the person (but) to the department. We hope the head of the department will take action to those in their divisions who are not performing well. We want our civil servants to know their salaries are paid by taxpayers, including those who ride a bicycle in the village, while we travel in car and can't do our job well. Is that fair?

On reforming the local authorities

How to reform the local authorities with the same attitude of staff? (The problem) is not because of the structure of the local authority but their (employees') attitude and mindset. We need to change and do something drastic, something like 'electrical shock', something must be done. Local elections will cause a lot more problems in Malaysia.

Tomorrow: 'I cried for the squatters too'

Khir Toyo: I want to continue as MB