COMMENT After being at the helm for almost seven years, and trapped in a political quandary over the last few months, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim on Tuesday finally decided to call it a day.    

 

Khalid, 68, stood defiant against his own former party, PKR after he was sacked on Aug 9, on claims he was not toeing the party line.

Though he was left on his own, Khalid did not give in easily, without a fight, hence worsening the Selangor leadership crisis that has been hogging the limelight for months. 

 

During a meeting with Selangor's Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on Tuesday, Khalid tendered his resignation gracefully but His Riyal Highness (HRH) asked him to continue until a new menteri besar is appointed.    

 

The sultan also requested each party of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition - PKR, PAS and DAP - to nominate at least two names to be considered for the MB's post. Prior to that, the alliance nominated PKR President Dr Wan Azizah as the sole candidate.         

 

As for Khalid, a corporate figure turned accidental politician and MB, his emotion-choked voice at the press conference to announce his resignation was the clearest indication that he is leaving with a heavy heart.     

 

Good in admin, poor in politics  

 

This writer, Bernama 's Selangor Bureau chief, had crossed paths with Abdul Khalid numerous times and has learned a lot about him.     

 

Born in Jeram, Kuala Selangor, Khalid encompasses the true Selangor psyche and places emphasis on people's well-being.    

 

However, being an accidental politician, it is an open secret that he is not good at playing politics.   

 

When speaking of politics, this writer is well aware that most of his speeches and press conferences avoided the subject. Even if he does touch on the subject, it is only when asked, and that too only receives a cursory reply.    

 

And no one who knew of Khalid had heard him admonishing friends or foes in politics.    

 

As far as he is concerned, the responsibility of administrating Selangor comes first.

 

When this writer inquired with those who had worked under Khalid, they were all unanimous in their reply - the menteri besar is a man of integrity, firm and fair towards all.    

 

They pointed out that Khalid treated everyone the same, regardless of their political affiliation. He wanted to see the state civil servants deliver the benefits to the people of Selangor.        

 

"Don't you dare attempt to 'bribe' the menteri besar!" This is his stand when dealing with government projects and tenders.    

 

Khalid's prudence is at best legendary. The RM3.2 billion accumulated in the state coffers speaks for itself.    

 

However, his frugality is also a bone of contention within the party, for he kept a tight reign of the allocations for the elected representatives as well.

 

All for naught

The allegations that he made decisions without consulting the party put Khalid under tremendous pressure not only from within his own party but from other members of Pakatan.       

 

His decision to go on his own in signing the water restructuring agreement with the federal government was the straw that broke the camel's back. This started the move to unseat him.        

 

Thus emerged the "Kajang Move", that itself was thrown off track when Anwar Ibrahim, who was supposed to contest the Kajang seat and take over the menteri besar's post, was stopped on his tracks by the Court of Appeal decision on his SodomyII case.         

 

This brought Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, to centre stage as the new candidate for the MB's post.

 

It appears that Khalid's deeds and loyalty to the party that he joined in 2007 are now unappreciated.

His party compatriots have pointed fingers at him on issues like the allowance for menteri besar; the business licence fee hike; over how he settled his debts with Bank Islam and the proposed Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex).    

 

His fate and his frustration over his quandary is best described by the Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" that he recited last Monday, in his speech at the monthly gathering of the state government departments.    

 

Now, Khalid's stay as the menteri besar has come to a naught. With the appointment of the new menteri besar, he will bid adieu officially to the Selangor state government.    

 

However, the MB stint for the accidental politician has provided him valuable lessons in politics, including that in politics, there are no permanent friends or foes, and that nothing is contemptible.         

 

- Bernama

Selangor crisis today

9.17am:

PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli lauds PKR’s Seri Setia rep Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad for declining PAS Youth’s proposal of Nik Nazmi as MB, and urges PKR reps other than Wan Azizah to do so

 11.41am: Selangor PAS denies an Utusan Malaysia report that it had proposed four of its assemblypersons to the PAS central leadership as MB nominees

11.42am: The Star, quoting palace sources, says the sultan is not keen on Wan Azizah as she would be a ‘ remote controlled ’ by others

4.29pm: PKR’s Sri Muda rep Shuhaimi Shafie flays Rafizi for questioning PKR Selangor assemblyperson’s loyalty