Sunday 13 April 2014

Azmin Ali or Khalid Ibrahim- Concluding Part.



As promised, here is the second article on the contest between Azmin and Khalid. I will write in street style.
True or not? For a person like Khalid Ibrahim to do what he can do as a business savvy person, political power must be won and consolidated. If PR loses Selangor, then Khalid or a person of Khalid’s calibre has no place to apply his skills.
Therefore what is needed more is a political leader. Now that PR has won Selangor, it needs a leader schooled in politics above all. Since PKR’s man is the MB its leader must be a political man.
Many people out there find it objectionable if Azmin were to continue to be deputy president and maybe later as MB. This seems to be the sole reason behind the stop Azmin movement. Azmin must not win- otherwise he will demand to become MB. Of course if Azmin wins, people should expect him to ask to become MB.
So they come out with the disingenuous argument- Wan Azizah is the president and therefore should take precedence as MB.  It seems to me that people already expect Azmin to be the next MB should he defeat Khalid. So the circumventing argument is put forward. If there is a person superseding Azmin in rank, that person should take precedence. Meaning even if Azmin were to win, he cannot become MB as he is only deputy president.
This argument is put forward only when Azmin is involved. Look- if this man deserves to become MB of Selangor, then he must be supported. He is the head of Selangor PKR already. Not giving his due place in the state administration is already an abuse of reasonableness and propriety. I am surprised than Anwar hasn’t corrected this anomaly. A party that does not observe discipline will crumble.
This argument forgets that even though there is a person outranking Khalid in party hierarchy, people find it not odd to have Khalid as MB and Wan Aizah as ADUN or later exco. This is clearly wrong. The person higher in rank should be the boss. Wan Azizah should become MB after this party election.
If people insist on having pre-election status quo, i.e. letting someone lower in rank to become MB, then no one should find it objectionable to accept Azmin as MB if he wins the deputy president’s post. People should be consistent in their conduct and behaviour. Why is it not odd for someone lower in party rank to be MB but it becomes odd only when that someone lower in rank is Azmin?
This means, the choice for deputy president has nothing to do with the candidate’s credentials. It has more to do with personal preference and personal comfort.
So what do people have against Azmin? Reading the comments I got so far, PKR and the pubic have reservations about Azmin.  They insist he has UMNO DNA. This is unfair I think- Azmin has proven his PKR credentials and his loyalty above all. As far as I remember, Azmin did not hold any posts in UMNO nor did he contest for any posts. His link with UMNO was his service with an UMNO leader and that leader happens to be Anwar Ibrahim.
Khalid Ibrahim has more UMNO DNA. He contested for a post in an UMNO branch in Kuala Selangor and lost. He was then appointed to be in the Biro ekonomi UMNO. Saifudin Nasution too was an active UMNO member. If I am not mistaken Saifudin even served as executive secretary for Pemuda UMNO. He has also served as political secretary to Syed Hamid Albar. His links with UMNO is even stronger. His brother, Sahlan Nasution was the political secretary to PM Najib. Sahlan contested in the last general elections and lost. He now serves as PM Najib’s special officer or something. 
The second objection is the belief that if Azmin were to become MB, he will practise cronyism and nepotism and will fritter away the cash reserves. This is an unwinnable objection as it is indefensible because the wrongs mentioned have not taken place. We have already prejudged Azmin.
Unless PKR members know that Azmin has a bad record in this aspect or Azmin has shown he has already done these things before, then they are entitled to that judgment. If they don’t, then it is all prejudice.
This is what we need at the moment. A political leader above all. We have regretted the day we put in business centric persons in political positions. We had Dr Mahathir for instance. He is a businessman first and foremost. Read what Rais Yatim had to say about Mahathir before Mahathir took Rais Yatim in of course. Rais Yatim went on to become the greatest bootlicker since our independence.
Mahathir, he said, would spend a great deal of time during his overseas trips closing business deals. We all cheered Mahathir on because we thought he was doing a great service to the nation. Lee Kuan Yew would have approved of this explicit application of entrepreneurship on the political stage. He forgets that Singapore could turn out triumphant because he was there and the quality of people in white on his team was different.
But something must have gone wrong in Malaysia because we didn’t turn out to be the economic miracle thought possible as a result of the application of entrepreneurship on politics. Malaysia has oil but didn’t turn out to become the world’s refinery. We had rubber and other raw materials, but didn’t turn out world number one. We didn’t develop our manufacturing sector to compete with the best.
So, I can’t buy the argument we need to have businessmen at the head of politics for a change to do well. Daim was a businessman. He made deals for himself first and the country second. Put any businessman in political positions, he will think of his business.
The mistake by many people is to assume and to then believe that business skills will be put to good application once in political power. History has proven again and again, the skills were indeed put to good application- to entrench private business interests.
The most business-minded person to get into power was Dr Mahathir. He began with all the good intentions and good moves. As he grew more powerful, demolished detractors around him, the feeling of invincibility dulled the idealism which brought him into power. Every decision he made afterwards was underscored with business objectives. So, I am not going to place too high a premium on Khalid’s seemingly good business sense.
He has already begun some questionable moves. What kind of deal did Khalid alone conclude over the water supply in Selangor? Remember – Mahathir did the same thing. It was he alone who decided what was good or otherwise for the country.
We don’t know. This follows after Khalid’s own miraculous resolve of his personal loan with a bank. The bank got a judgement against him and the bank was willing to close the matter by agreeing to a huge haircut.
Most recently, he has entered into a deal selling of over 400 acres of land to Tropicana – already the preferred business partner of Barisan Nasional. The deal may be good as Khalid explained- but was the deal done through open market operations or was the proposal from Tropicana the only one considered and accepted?
We see that hidden forces are working hard to emasculate Khalid Ibrahim, soften him and others up, so that UMNO can stage a coup? Suddenly UMNO is supporting Khalid and MCA is hailing Khalid as the best. Are they afraid of Azmin replacing Khalid? With Azmin in a stronger position, all the behind the scene machinations and intrigues will be shattered? Remember what happened in Perak the last time. Or in a Kedah style indirect coup by allowing a weak leader governed the state?
Without political power over Selangor, Khalid Ibrahim is nothing. I said a person like Khalid- and that reveals what I think about the whole business of making out of business prowess as the trump card for election- is overrated. Khalid Ibrahim isn’t the only person who can achieve what he has achieved. He has been able to do that because PR has the political power. If he doesn’t have political power, what could he have done? Maybe trade privately over the counter and play with his stocks in Guthrie and elsewhere?
I want Azmin Ali to win because I want PKR to have a strong political leader. Before anyone rushes to some ill-judged conclusions, let me state that I know Azmin only a little.  I told a close PKR colleague that I am writing these articles purely based on observations of Azmin in parliament. Allow me to declare, I have no interests in an Azmin victory.
Now, political power is entrenched and secured with the correct political leadership. This is where Azmin’s leadership is needed. If I may say bluntly, PKR is not all about Anwar. If he goes in, and there is every indication that the federal court will uphold the conviction by the appeals court, Wan Azizah will lead PKR. You may argue that Wan Azizah is qualified to lead PKR, but she needs the support of a politically experienced deputy. The deputy will likely run the party on the day to day basis.
I am not buying the argument that only Khalid Ibrahim can run Selangor into what it is now. During the years that Anwar was finance minister, Azmin was also there. He is smart enough to manage a state. As it is, I sense, the only reason why people are against Azmin becoming the deputy president is their personal dislike or disapproval of him. Now, that is personal in nature and should not be used as reason, to not acknowledge him as a good political leader.
I read one comment in my earlier article- which says it is good to have a crook to deal with the UMNO crooks. How do you come to the conclusion that Azmin is a crook? If one comes to that inclusion, then by extension, Anwar is a bigger crook and yet we have no strong objections in accepting Anwar as a leader.

22 comments:

  1. Dato, honestly to me it doesn't matter who leads Selangor, as long as it doesn't fall to UMNO/BN scumbags.

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  2. Dato,I have observed Azmin's actions for a very long time since he came into the PKR picture.He is to greedy to get into power and will go all out to get what he wants or his way.

    He was willing to sacrifice a parliamentary seat by sabotaging Zaid Ibrahim,although it has now turn out that Zaid and Azmin are in the same boat.Both sore losers and acting like women scorned.In Sabah,he tried to relegate the local warlords to foot soldiers.And Sabah PKR more or less imploded.

    The reason why Azmin cannot be MB is because only he and his boy Rafizi wants him to.The majority do not want him to be MB.But he and his cronies are fighting tooth and nail to get into that position.

    Put Azmin into any position of power,whether it is deputy president or president of PKR or MB and Umnoputras will be dancing crazily celebrating on the streets.It is much easier for Umno/BN to floored PR with Azmin in power than Khalid,Nurul or even the street brawler Rafizi.

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    1. I beg to differ. What do you mean by power greedy? If we use your logic, then everyone in politics is power greedy.

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  3. If you read my comments carefully,which is in very simple English you would have understood.

    Every politician wants to be an Adun or MP.And when they are elected and if they are in the ruling party of course they would have wanted to be an exco,minister or even PM.

    But not every Adun or MP can be an exco or minister as the positions are limited.

    To get into power by backstabbing,sabotaging and cheating and doing all dirty tricks on anyone deemed a threat to oneself,even to the extent of de-stabilising the party and grassroot supporters is not the one to lead the PR to Putrajaya.

    What I do expect if Azmin gets to be deputy president and later president,is more likely PKR will self implode before GE14.

    If the present PKR leadership cannot read what Warthamoorthy was up to months before he walzed across the causeway back into Malaysia,and get conned by Warthamoorthy and his Hindraf MOU,what more is there to say?Even a child can tell us that he has already done a deal with Umno.And did Anwar and Azmin played along with him like Umno did and kick him to the roadside when done?You want this type of leaders to kick out Umno/BN from utrajaya?

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  4. Hi Dato,
    Azmin as MB is ok to me but he has to let azwan ali lay off selangor.
    Just after the 13th election i noticed azwan commenting that azmin must be the MB. I got the impression he was eyeing selangor coffers and 'contracts'.
    Other than that Azmin is ok for MB.
    Ummi halfida is QUIET on azmin after dragging through the manure.He must keep them at family level nothing more.
    Khalid's recent moves are worrisome.He does things without consulting the state exco eg the water deal .

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  5. Why people so worry about the water deals? This has been explained so many times and now those who disagree have ageed. Go to theantdaily website....TSKI is a politician with principles. Do you want a leader who say nothing in the dewan and after that diasgree outside the dewan? Take the rise of adun selangor salary example.....azmin was in the dewan during the discussion and no objection,...but after anwar commented he star to comment as well. Ask azmin whether he accept the new salaryscheme or the old one? Those pkr adun who disagree with the new salary have been offered to cut some and put in one fund, but nobody have done that...what type of leader we want?

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  6. "Unless PKR members know that Azmin has a bad record in this aspect or Azmin has shown he has already done these things before, then they are entitled to that judgment. If they don’t, then it is all prejudice."

    Isn't this tantamount to saying that if you don't knock your head against a wall, how do you know it will be painful?

    Knowing a person's character is enough to know what he will do if he becomes a leader of any company, establishment, etc. Anyway, didn't that blue eyed boy make a hue and cry twice [I think] over the MB post?

    Won't it be too late if.despite knowing the person's character and yet vouching for him and insisting that there is no proof to his misdemeanor,he is given a very high position of authority and then realize it too late? A case of close the dorr after the horse has bolted?

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  7. Well said Dato. Khalid has the luck of the draw, so to speak, in heading Selangor. The state is very rich and anyone given the job would have done well provided one doesn't pocket the money for himself and his cronies like Toyo did. I sense that Khalid is someone like Zaid who give the impression that he's the man of the hour if given a high position but fall flat when he lost his power. I'm no fan of Azmin but between the two of them, I think Azmin would be better at the job.

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    1. Agree no less. We can't let businessman run a country, we'll end up become USA Inc. Between Azmin & Khalid, Selangor's PKR has spoken before & certainly speak the same, the richest state in Msia needs political leader not mere CEO

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  8. Bruno you are too cocksure of yourself. Your observations alone can qualify you to dismiss Azmin so confidently! I am not too sure if Khalid Ibrahim himself is as cocksure as you are.

    It is so easy now to dismiss the whole PKR leadership for not being able to "read what Warthamoorthy was up to months before ..."

    I think you should make your voice heard in PKR meetings and discussion sessions, if you are already a member, and if you are not you should apply to be one without delay.

    No one like Azmin who has stood tooth and nail with the party since its formation need to heed negative comments from people who confuse personal opinions and sentiments with 'facts', as if they will definitely happen. The one fact quoted had nothing to do with Azmin.

    Hindsight, we say is always sharper than foresight.

    The afternoon will know what the morning doesn't.

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  9. What the heck go ask upfront what azmin, the egocentric demanded and damaged in sarawak & sabah before the nation's loss in the recent election - so close yet so far... Also he has mama zuraidah to fan his ego and over - ambitiousness for the obvious reasons. It is not prejudice, it is called stupidity and condoning bad characteristics aka umno baru dna. When he did not want to assist MB Khalid in handling certain issues, purportedly he is perceived to be backing those goons in creating the endless harvoc, it only shows his own ambitiousness, his passive dominant bad leadership now hidden behind the sunglasses. Furthest from his mind is Selangor remains in Pakatan's collaborative leadership, the Selangorians' interests and stay true to fighting harder against the umno baru leaders. We cannot gamble our votes for such a shaddy politician - who has reigned in Anwar with ghost blackmailing aka demands and too many chidish sulkings.

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  10. If Azmin or Khalid ended to be the President PK will be history.

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  11. Anonymous 14 April 19:26

    It is not a matter of cocksure or not.I am not an expert on politics but I can say that I was among the crowd at several of Kit Siang's first few screaming sessions when he was running first time.That was way way and a very long time ago.And I have been following local politics since.

    I am not a member of any political party and have no ambition of becoming a politician,at least not in my later years.But that doesn't mean that I do not understand local politics.

    Azmin has created a lot of problems for Khalid when he was bypassed for the MB'ship.He made sure Zaid lost in Hulu Selangor.He screwed up in Sabah and sarawak,making PKR,especially PKR Sabah which once was looking good with the locals imploded or rather almost imploded.That is the reason PKR did so badly in East Malaysia.

    What was a winnable GE 13 became a total failure because of his greed for power,or rather stupidity and cocksure confidence of a victory.And when the fight was finally over,it was not even close.Up to just days before the nomination,Azmin as PKR election director was still fighting with PAS,DAP and the very small party on this planet called PSM over the allocation of seats.

    Instead of concentrating all the firepower of the PR as a party on the main enemy Umno/BN,he set his sights on his own coalition partners.And the problem with the leadership of PKR,wanting to have the most candidates running,with no good 'generals' leading the troops into battle was humilated by Umno.

    PKR is the weakest link in the PR,yet it is the 'taikor' of the coalition.It is so weak in East Malaysia and cannot win a single kampong seat in the Peninsular.That is the reason that the Umno/BN is sitting so comfortably in Putrajaya.

    If you think that the present leadership in PKR can lead the PR into Putrajaya,keep on dreaming.I have no personal interest in whoever wins or eventually lead the country.But I do want a better Malaysia with the Umno/BN sitting on the hard wooden benches on the opposition side.

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  12. ? Giving azmin the votes and gamble Selangor's ongoing and future endeavors under Pakatan Rakyat's governance,

    whereby Selangorians' taste of some form of integrity and good governance which has taken place under the very capable transparent leadership of MB Khalid is disrupted by him. TS Khalid and his wife, both are very pleasant, well - educated, humble and lead a simple lifestyle as good Muslims with integrity and they pursue good relationships with fellow Selangorians exponentially. What have azmin and his mama done to show their sincerity and truthfulness in this area?

    Many remember Azmin and Zuraidah showcasing themselves on a huge signboard - the early sign of extravagance, wastage and arrogance, open to the insatiable lust of the hearts and minds - corruptions once they ascend to power.

    And the best is Khalid's wife plays her supportive role as only allowed, not stripping him off his pants, defocusing him and making him and Selangorians a laughing stock.

    Kak Azizah is likewise, stoic and rather focused, had it not the azmin boy whines incessantly for the pacifier - MB post. In this unknown writer's thoughts is azmin will shift being a thorn in Izzah next, because he is not kicked out to where he belongs - UMNO Baru.

    Entahlah sampai bila kita kena buang : masa, logistik, peluang kemajuan, duit rakyat and waste multi- talented young leaders with good character?

    Rafizi and Nurul Izzah etc could well learn what it takes in preparation to receive the batons when Selangorians can measure their unblemished integrity, sincerity, exemplary team work to sustain Selangorians under Pakatan Rakyat governance.

    YB Sak, as someone elderly and more experienced, an economist, it is flabbergasting that you sided azmin.

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  13. An war Ibrahim and Khalid Ibrahim - a bang aduk kot?

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  14. Bruno, you claim you are no expert on politics but in the same breath you made that charge against the PKR leadership with regard to Warthamoorthy with such strength of conviction as only an expert can. And you also quite unabashedly use words like "...get into power by backstabbing,sabotaging and cheating and doing all dirty tricks on anyone...even to the extent of de-stabilising the party and grassroot supporters ..., and the latest, "If you think that the present leadership in PKR can lead the PR into Putrajaya,keep on dreaming".

    These are strong words reflecting very strong opinions of an expert, but more importantly for beneficial discourse,and in particular, how much of "backstabbing,sabotaging and cheating and doing all dirty tricks..." represent facts which could be proved, or is this mere repetition of speculations and hearsay by ambitious rivals who have scores to settle with Azmin?

    There is danger when early association with crowd-pullers especially the screamers, gives us the strength and confidence to use words like "backstabbing,sabotaging and cheating."

    Even experts cannot use those words too freely against any particular individual. Of the three words, the last is the most toxic.

    "But I do want a better Malaysia with .." sounds so much more honest and so much less divisive.

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  15. Anon April 14 23:51

    I have before many years ago commented on several blogs that I have worked pondoks and was in counting centers at age eighteen.As it is,one of my uncle's was asked by Chong Eu to run as his Gerakan candidate.I have known many politicians and party workers in BN and PR.But knowing people and having contacts with political workers do not qualified me as an expert on politics.

    I made my comments as I see events unfolding.Regarding Warthamoorthy,I cannot remember the exact date,but I did made comments in Dato Sak's blog a couple of times regarding this man having made a deal with Najib's boys and PR better be careful how to deal with this turncoat.You can get clarification from Dato Sak if you like.All you have to do is to ask him.And it was like 6-9 months before Warthamoorthy came home.I also commented about this Warthamoorthy about the same time in Kit Siang's,Zorro and KTEmoc's blogs.

    You are most likely a loyal follower of Anwar and his blue eyed boy.Blue eyed boy is referred to as "dwarf' by KTEmoc.

    For me,I like to call things as I see them.That is to place my money on a four legged horse and not one with three legs.Sleep easy and cheers.

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  16. for many moments, reflect on what it takes urbanite voters to discover that certain leaders in Pakatan Rakyat will not allow Voters the freedom to criticize constructively, might as well, these voters not get down from the fence to cast their votes in the coming election ?

    Yeah experts can't use these words freely ? "some" experts have failed far too long, spending time clarifying and pouring over definition over definition and the correctness of politics at seminars and world conferences - huge in narcissism. Maybe this writer is wrong to say these leaders are not independent and committed to people as thinkers and solutions providers within a time frame or their contact expires. It is always the norm, the wage earning employees and not shrewd leaders, executives and NOT " kaki bodek the board and the superiors who see the exit. However, there are exceptions of executives and leaders who will throw in the towel. Who are they out there in our nation and they have not become traitors or provocateurs but serving the Rakyat in a different capacity ?

    take a look at the many unresolved problems in the nation and globally, or more of the case whereby many unsung giants and activists among the ordinary, doing so much more in addressing social, economic injustice, and other damned lousiness etc within a short time and financial constraint. They hold convictions, integrity and are willing to answer to shareholders. Seasoned or newbie politicians resigning on their own if they waste time creating internal strife for too long ?

    Wouldn’t it highly irresponsible if Bruno just sits relaxing, see no injustice and discrepancies and say no truths in his rendezvous swanky cafĂ© where solutions and brainstorming can take place ? i do not know him personally but accord him the respect as i would to others, but only from the fraternity of Pakatan Rakyat. With exceptions for nyawa2 ikan bilis dlm umno baru.

    UMNO Baru elites would confer in their exclusive clubs, to create more tidak apa attitudeness, tutup lubang, gross incompetency where no one can question them ? But the world at large and at their best. What to do ? Dah policies race - religion and not good character, talents and integrity ?

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  17. Bruno, you have made your point, and I have made mine. But rest assured I am no fan of Anwar, in fact closer to a few in old UMNO and the present PAS. Cheers mate, just make sure we throw out the whole BN lot.

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  18. You are all crooks! Be it in UMNO or PKR and the biggest crooks are the DAP people. So whatever you say all come to naught cause once you becomes a politician, you are just simply crooks!!!

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  19. In my humble opinion, no! Azmin is not the best candidate and should not overtake Tan Sri Khalid. Khalid is an economist and has done his job well. Who is Azmin? Can he run the state economy? Can he bring up Selangor? No..not for me, I would rather spare my vote to a greedy dog compared to GREEDY AZMIN.

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  20. "Reading the comments I got so far, PKR and the pubic have reservations about Azmin."

    Sorry, whose "pubic"? Anwar's? LOL

    But back to seriousness, the truth is that Azmin has no executive credentials, plain and simple.

    Has he run a company before? Has he started any national initiative when he was in government/UMNO-days or even now in Selangor? What has he done in Selangor to show he is chief executive-material?

    This Azmin dude has been standing too long under Anwar's shadow, that now when he wants to stand out of it, he can't because it's too late.

    The ship has sailed.

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