COMMENT Khalid Ibrahim again? Never seems to get old.

Today’s approach: let’s examine two broad hypotheses, each representing one end of the spectrum. First hypothesis: Khalid is a bad leader. Second hypothesis: Khalid is a good leader.

Let’s start by testing the first hypothesis.

If Khalid is a bad leader, then a number of things need to be explained.

First of all, unless Khalid went through a massive change before and after the 13th general election (GE13), then we must assume that Khalid is the same leader before and after.

Only three incumbent state governments increased their seats in GE13: Negri Sembilan (by one), Penang (by one), and Selangor (by eight).

If Khalid is a bad leader, then how did this resounding approval of his government come about?

If we say this change is due to Pakatan Rakyat’s national policies and appeal, then why was this success not replicated in other Pakatan states or translated into a major increase in seats nationally?

Method in madness

If Khalid is a bad leader, why have so many Pakatan leaders over the years - including the very top ones - praised him so much? Were they lying? Or have they all changed their mind? If the latter, why?

Has Khalid done something so different in the last year of his career compared to the years before?

Has anyone besides politicians (or even politicians for that matter) come up with a comprehensive list of specific things that Khalid has done badly? If they haven’t, they really should, instead of repeating empty rhetoric.

I have written about why I think Khalid’s approach to the Bible issue is not wrong, and one of the best articles I have read regarding Khalid and Kidex can be found here .

The latter article is an excellent analysis of Khalid’s overall style as well, noting how in the Kampung Sungai Terentang issue, he appeared to be going around in circles, but eventually produced the result the rakyat wanted, and all by the book. There has always been method to Khalid’s madness.

It is said Khalid’s not much of a team player. I agree there’s definitely room for improvement there; but if my team kept wanting me to do morally wrong things, I wouldn’t be much of a team player either.

Why the anti-Khalid venom?

If Khalid is a good leader, then there are still questions that need to be answered.

The biggest one of all is: why do all his colleagues seem to want him out?

If there are plausible answers to this question, then perhaps the hypothesis can still be valid. If not, then perhaps the hypothesis is wrong.

I am not in a position to say one thing is definitely true or the other. I can only present a number of potential answers to this question which the public will have to evaluate themselves.

First: Could anti-Khalid sentiment be grounded in attempts to control Selangor’s massive financial resources?

It’s a hard life as an opposition politician. Money is always scarce, and patrons are hard to come by if you don’t have any contracts to give out.

Some may say that what I imply here is very unkind to some politicians. I can only say that if you make moves against the menteri besar without clear reasons that are grounded systematically in credible evidence, you open yourself to all sorts of speculation.

Punching bag

Second: Is Khalid a punching bag because he doesn’t punch back?

I have never before seen anyone take so much political heat without ever responding in kind. People often mistake this for a sign of weakness, which encourages them to attack Khalid with impunity, and rile up the less aware among the public against him.

If it’s hard for some of us to watch, I can only imagine what it feels like for him. Yet, he stays the course, firm in his resolve to be a gentleman, no matter what is happening around him. A fine example to all of us who would seek to deal with trolls.

A related question is: why doesn’t Khalid seem to have any major political supporters? Could the answer be because there is no political ‘benefit’ in supporting Khalid? No contracts, no positions of power to expect as gifts, and so on?

Third: Is everyone going after Khalid simply because there is nothing better to do?

I recently wrote about power vacuums , and how in a situation of aimlessness and lack of leadership from the general, the colonels and majors start making up wars to wage in a desperate attempt to stay relevant.

If this is true, that would explain why it is always politicians (and occasionally their cybertroopers perhaps) who lead the charge against Khalid, not normal citizens.

When there’s little of profit to be gained from fighting Barisan Nasional, why not fight over the spoils of the last war?

By their fruits you shall know them

It is not only politicians who gain little from supporting Khalid. I sometimes feel like a fool talking to himself.

Nevertheless, until the day comes where compelling evidence comes to light to make me change my position, I will stand by my analysis that the facts suggest the veracity of the second hypothesis over the first one.

As to the Pakatan landscape as a whole, having brought up Bibles earlier, I cannot help but think of the verse: “By their fruits you shall know them.”

NATHANIEL TAN has been thinking about land deals in Tropicana. He finds brickbats boring, generally.

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