The PKR Elections are not yet Over.

The PKR elections have not yet ended. I have just realised it. I thought they are over. As I found out there are more than 30 cabangs mostly in Selangor that have to be carried out or have to be re-done.  So, the results are still open ended.

I have written some articles on the PKR elections. I wrote one on Fuziah Salleh because, like me she comes from Kuantan. I never knew her before- although she went to the same school as I did in our primary years. She went off to study in England and stayed there for some many years. Today she is one of the candidates for the Vice President’s post. She is trailing behind even though she is an incumbent.

I wrote one article on Tan Poh lai- the lawyer practising in JB. She is the daughter on the legendary Tan Chee Koon. She is going for one of the posts of vice president of Pakatan’s wanita wing. I knew her since several years back when she invited me to participate in a ceramah she organised in JB. Her brother Dr Tan Tee Kwong is MP for Wangsa Maju.

I wish Fuziah Salleh and Tan Poh Lai all the best. To Fuziah I wish her speedy recovery. I hear she has just undergone an operation.

Of course I wrote more articles on Azmin Ali. The articles were based purely on observations of Azmin in parliament and reading about him.  He has the steely determination about him and a not easily fazed persona. I thought these are good qualities of a leader. I also know that Azmin is skilled and nimble politician capable of deft political moves to secure his position. He is the incumbent deputy president of PKR and he covets the position of MB of Selangor.

If I am brutally frank about it- he is not yet the MB of Selangor because of the vacillations of Anwar Ibrahim.

About Azmin, I must admit the articles were also structured on some amateurish psychobabble analyses. The first two articles were rather well received by the Azmin camp; the 3^rd raised some protests. I was accused of backtracking on Azmin. Not so, because I wanted to present a balanced picture. Overall, I am still convinced that Azmin is what PKR needed when and if Anwar goes on a long sabbatical.

But I also thought, for good sports, Khalid ought to be given space.

Let’s talk about Khalid Ibrahim then. I seldom see him in parliament because he is the MB. Lim Guan Eng is also CM of Penang, but he can be seen often in parliament. Khalid has to take his position as MP more seriously.

I have been critical of Khalid Ibrahim in many of my writings before. His prowess as a manager of the state is undisputed. Perhaps his training as a corporate man, right from the days he served under Tun Ismail Ali for some 18 years, and latterly as chief executive of PNB and Guthrie has turned Khalid into a very able manager. In his own words- he is more like the technician, making sure the engine of the state functions properly and in good order.  One of his crowing achievements is to accumulate RM3 billion of cash reserves for Selangor.

If I may fast forward a bit- how do you compare yourself with Anwar I asked Khalid? (I actually interviewed the man asking his some penetrating questions). He was struggling for an analogy before coming out saying- well Anwar is like the salesman.

I am not sure that is a complimentary assessment. A salesman to me- especially a car salesman is one who bullshits his way around. A salesman is someone who is out to sell ice to eskimos. Is Anwar that kind of salesman?

Khalid may not be as skittish as he sounded. For the record- Khalid does not sound to me as a stutterer as his detractors made him out as- he is just not cool and collected. He is just jumpy perhaps because he has so many things to say at once.

While conceding these qualities, I am less impressed by his political acumen. I thought he hasn’t done enough to turn PKR and PR representatives into financially independent legislators. To me that is important, because the demands made of elected reps are often beyond the normal formal budgets provided. If you don’t make your frontliners and solders strong, one day, the BN will take over and the reserves you have accumulated will be whistled away in a jiffy.

So I decided to have a face to face meeting with the man Khalid Ibrahim. To evaluate him at close range and to read his body language.

 A friend and I drive to section 7 Shah Alam to meet Khalid Ibrahim at his official residence. I have never been there-and as we made our way there in a bit of drizzle- I mentioned to my friend, we are going to the place, where the dentist once lived. Khir Toyo the former MB is a dentist by training.

We were ushered into a large waiting room.as usual we were greeted by officious looking people who seem to evaluate you from head to toe. For God Sake people- I don’t carry a gun and my AK47 around.

This is the sakmongkol that I told you all about said a gentleman who appeared to be an important person in Khalid’s came. 
As to the officious looking people- it’s of no consequence to me. I have had my share and engagements with officious looking people before on many occasions. They eventually turned out to be paper tigers. So, if I may sound out to these officious looking people- do away with this kind of demeanour- I am never flustered with your kind.

 A few moments later, Khalid Ibrahim still in a suit walked in and seated himself in the main chair. I thought this was to be a very casual interview. It turned out to be something more formal with Khalid’s media man operating a camera. There were a few other assistants seated a formal distance away.

You are still suited Tan Sri? - Conscious of the fact that I am dressed very casually as I always do.

I came straight from work and after this I still have one meeting to attend too.

This was already almost 9 pm.

I went straight to asking about the PKR elections. How many more cabangs are to be holding meetings Tan Sri?

Tan Sri Khalid answered there are more than 30 more. I did some mental math- knowing that a Selangor has the biggest PKR membership; he is still able to catch up with Azmin, the leader for now.

Aha- still has time to catch up. Khalid appears confident about his prospects adding that a cabang in Selangor has a bigger membership than some cabangs in Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan combined.

I told Tan Sri Khalid that I see the PKR elections as being messy a bit.

Tan Sri- I hear so many stories about the elections turning out into a messy affair. I even her stories about ballot papers being printed and carried to voting centres. And what about this I hear in Kota Bharu- the results were actually changed so that the loser became the winner, and the actual winner didn’t get any votes.

So, to me the statements given by Anwar that there are some flaws in the PKR elections, is a major understatement. The PKR elections are a big mess.

It’s turning into a UMNO contests at the bahagian levels.

Yes- you know I am ashamed to admit that- but the ever civil and polite Khalid refused to be dragged into my leading questioning. I wanted him to say openly, the election in PKR has bombed.

We are improving and righting the wrongs.

Can I be frank with you Tan Sri?

The way I see it, there are some powerful forces in your party that are out to screw you out.

Is Anwar with you on this?

Alas, my dear readers- that will be in a following article. I am off to Raub this morning. 

Next- Khalid, the technician.