INTERVIEW A couple of weeks have passed since former Selangor state legislative assembly speaker Teng Chang Khim was appointed to the state cabinet, but he still occupies his old office.

"I'm moving out by June 21 - that is when the new speaker is moving in," Teng said, as Malaysiakini met with him there for an interview. Judging from the pictures still hanging on the walls, it seems like the packing up is yet to be completed.

NONE The move to the state secretariat building in Shah Alam, just next door to the state assembly complex, may not be too arduous a task for this man, who has earned respect as an independent and no-nonsense speaker. But it was not a choice easily made.

"I was doing the cleanest job before, as speaker. But as the exco (executive council) member in charge of local government, I have to deal with garbage and all these things. I'm doing the dirtiest job now," Teng quipped.

This is not the only difference. Termed by pundits as a "lone-ranger" or "maverick" - despite his protests - for his independent streak, Teng is now working in a team.

Armed with notes detailing his five-year plan for his portfolio, Teng proved during the interview last Thursday that he is a quick learner.

Asked about the areas the second-term Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government could improve on, he said: "Well, I try not to speak on behalf of my colleagues, especially on the areas they are taking care of.

"When I was speaker, it was easy for me. But this time, I have to take care of my colleagues in the exco. Their duties, I leave it to them. I just take care of my part."

Close to RM2 billion spent

As for Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim  who has been facing harsh criticism for his allegedly "stingy" ways, Teng was quick to rise to his new boss' defence.

"A lot of people thought we did not spend a lot but in fact we spent enough. In fact, we spent more than enough. Our budget for 2012 was RM1.4 billion but at the end of the year, we had spent more than that as we had a supplementary budget.

"We also took another RM300 million from Menteri Besar Incorporated to assist the state in building infrastructure.

"So, in fact, we allocated RM1.7 billion on paper... and we had a supplementary budget increase of RM200 to RM300 million. We spent about RM2 billion," Teng said.

In spite of the spending, Selangor recorded a financial surplus of over RM2.5 billion last year.

Criticism of the state government on this front, he said, were all "political" in nature, and made by those who were "jealous they cannot save that much".

Asked if this is true of Selangor PKR, which has been vocal in criticising stringent spending by the state, he said: "Yes, like I said, it is politics. If you look at the projects, the reports, no, this is not true (that Selangor is not spending). We spent more than enough."

Teng said the spending pattern was also dependent on the state's capacity to implement projects, as disbursing funds for projects that could later be abandoned would just be wastage.

'We should learn to trumpet like Pen a ng '

The furthest he would go, by way of criticism, was to say that Khalid should need to learn to publicise his efforts more, and to take a more "political" approach to issues.

"Everybody is saying that Penang is doing really good. But compare Penang and Selangor - you do a physical check and it might not be the case.

"We need to improve (on publicity). I'm not talking about spending. For example, we have a very good policy on reducing the premium to be paid on a 99-year land grant.

"That is a fantastic project. You pay RM1,000 and you get a 99-year lease. If this is done in Penang... [laughs] you understand what I mean. But this (information) is not widely spread," he said.

The way the Selangor government had handled controversies such as the Talam Corporation land row, sand mining and water issues, he said, were "a bit old fashioned and conservative".

"When we tabled the white paper(s)... the whole issues just died. If we had done this earlier, there would have been no issue," Teng said.

khalid ibrahim interview 190513 01 He hopes that the three new "political liaison officers of the MB" - PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and DAP central executive committee member Teresa Kok - could help out Khalid (right) on this front.

These political liaison positions, he said, would not be a duplication of the post of political secretary, who is to assist the MB in his constituency matters.

Asked if perhaps the appointment of Kok, who is from a rival faction in the DAP, is to check on him, Teng said: "So be it." But he was quick to deny it.

"No (Kok was not appointed for this purpose). It was started by PKR, and the first (other) party that responded was PAS. DAP was last," he said.

Political factions and political reality

Perhaps more pragmatic than magnanimous, he added that Kok was a "natural choice" because of her position in the party and her experience as a Selangor exco member in the last term.

"If not her, then who?" he asked.

Teng credits political pragmatism - or as he put it, "political reality" - for the fact that he was given a seat in the Selangor cabinet.

"I was offered the choice. The phrase two DAP leaders used was, 'You call the shots'," he said, without naming the two leaders.

NONE Teng said he "hesitated a few days" before coming to his decision. The offer did not come as a surprise because the Selangor DAP had "limited choices", for Kok and former exco member Ronnie Liu did not contest state assembly seats in GE13.

"Sometimes, political factions will have to come to terms with political realities."

Ultimately, he said, his desire to push through with the Selangor Legislative Assembly Service Commission Enactment Bill (Selesa), which he drafted with support of state assemblypersons, influenced him to take up the exco post.

Once enacted, the Bill, which was previously blocked by the state government, would provide more independence and power to the state assembly, allowing the House to, among others, hire its own staff.

"I feel I have a duty to clear the hurdle that I had before. If I remain (as speaker), I would not be able to clear the hurdle," he said, noting that he "doesn't have a clear picture" as to why the state had resisted the Bill.

Nervous about being on the right side

It is this reformist nature that Teng said would remain in him, despite his being in the mainstream now - sitting on the right side of the state assembly, as part of the Executive.

"If it is not right, it is not right," he said, but stressed that he has always been part of the mainstream, including in his party, DAP.

"Before this, yes, I did mind (being labelled 'maverick' or 'lone ranger'). After that, I said, look, if you want to continually make a mistake, so be it. It's your problem, not my problem...

"Among the younger leaders, those who have been elected (to the state assembly) since 1996 without break are Teresa (Kok) and myself. And for that reason, I say I am in the mainstream... My views have been tested and supported."

Kok, who is Selangor DAP chief, opted not to contest a state constituency in the 13th general election and only defended, and retained, her Seputeh parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur.

With DAP policy dictating that only elected representatives of a state can hold posts in the state DAP leadership, it looks like the path is open for Teng to go for the post of Selangor chief in the state DAP election at end of this year.

NONE While speculation of this is rife in political circles, the man himself claimed this has not even crossed his mind.

"I don't know why everybody is looking at this, at this juncture... I have totally left that part aside at the moment.

"The first test that comes to me (now) is to build up the team (in his state portfolio)... then, the second round is answering questions in the House.

"I have been on the left, once in the centre, but never on the right (in the state assembly).

"Talking about worries, I am more worried about this part. I have performed for 13 years on the left side of the speaker (as opposition member) and five years as speaker. This one now (as exco member) is new to me."

This interview was conducted by Aidila Razak and Lee Way Loon.

Part 1: Teng mulls curbs on vice with single-sex massage parlours

Part 2: Selangor local gov't elections by 'end of next year'