AAB 4th Division football player?

Khalid Ibrahim was the former chief executive of Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd and former group chief executive of government-linked plantations company Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB). That means he was high up in the Malaysian scheme of things. Indeed, he had worked under Dr Mahathir, but since then has joined PKR mainly because of his friendship for Anwar Ibrahim.

Recently he startled the Malay world by saying what most people know but, except for the rare few, dare not voice out, that the NEP will destroy the Malays. The NEP has been cynically called the 'Never Ending Policy' because of the unaccountable and thus mysterious perpetually low equity for bumiputera.

Well, while Khalid may now be with PKR, he still gives recognition to Dr Mahathir’s intelligence and ability. He said that having worked under the Grand Ole Man, he considers Dr Mahathir as bloody smart, a person who knows facts faster than anyone else, and that no one could (in Khalid’s own words) ‘bullshit him’. Maybe that’s why AAB and SIL are having mucho problema with the former PM.

Khalid drew a comparison, or rather contrast between AAB and Mahathir by using a football analogy.

He assessed AAB as nothing more than a 3rd or 4th division player, while Mahathir is in the 1st division. He went further to emphasize that AAB would not even get a chance to play in the 2nd division. Ouch!

Of course we need to be aware of Khalid being a PKR man now, thus he would invariably speak with a political bias of some sort, no matter how objective he tried to be.

But I wonder how he would rate his own friend, Anwar Ibrahim, using the same football analogy.

Maybe we ought to take it one step further and say that Dr Mahathir may be perceived as an attacking centre forward, like the famous Mokthar Dahari, who was known to charge forward fearlessly.

And poor 3rd or 4th division AAB – perhaps just a left winger who, as one famous football coach once said of wingers, stands by the side picking his nose.

The SIL? I see him as a midfield general directing everyone including FIL around.

Now, do you see Anwar Ibrahim as a forward, midfielder or fullback, or perhaps a wannabe sports commentator?

Najib is part of the team of 16, but of which side? Mohd Nazri would make a good ferocious tackling fullback. Ku Li has been practising to be a referee of sorts.

The MCA are linesmen while the MIC and Penang CM would be great as cheerleaders - the 'kami sokong, kami sokong' type, all dressed up in sarong kebaya or baju kurong, with pom poms - ughhh, what a frightening sight. I am sure the other team would capitulate before the full 2 x 45 minutes.

Malaysia Boleh, where we celebrate the bizarre.