Khir Toyo taunted Khalid Ibrahim

Poor Khalid Ibrahim is not having a good introductory run as the MB of Selangor.

Remember that Selangor is virtually the premier state in Malaysia by virtue of its located, political and administrative centrality, its history, host to the FT, industries, major airports, port, etc. It was where, and indeed because of it, May 13 occurred.

It’s a damn rich state and for obvious reasons every political party wants this luscious lucrative lolly, which means every UMNO bloke, chief of all Khir Toyo will be gunning for Khalid.

Khalid has, since becoming MB, not come across well on a number of issues the PKR had boasted about. My blogging mate Susan Loone has already blasted him for proposing to levy a RM9 fee per foreign worker on companies employing them – read her damn good post on this issue Selangor wants to exploit migrant workers?

Susan believes that the pathetic pissed poor policy will result in the poor worker suffering the loss of that RM9, and not those fat cats.

I do wonder whether Khalid as a former high riding CEO of a huge conglomerate actually understands the issues confronting poor workers or plantation workers? I recall in the Ijok by-election, the PSM was reluctant to endorse his candidature because the socialist party had perceived him as a CEO who had been less than friendly to workers.

Two other examples of Khalid's shaky start would be (1) the now-embarrassing topic of some State exco members not wanting to declare their assets and (2) the zero squatter policy.

Malaysiakini reported in Khir to MB, exco: Declare assets that former Selangor MB Khir Toyo has a field day in taunting Khalid.

Naturally Khir challenged Khalid and his state exco to declare their assets when he learnt that Khalid had voiced his having second thoughts on doing so.

I am not sure why, that after all the pre election boasts about transparency and accountability, Khalid revealed some exco members are having reservations on the matter. I am disappointed by Khalid's poor explanation and poor PR handling. He should have ordered those recalcitrant exco members to declare or resign.

Khir sniggered (well, if he didn’t he was certainly entitled to): "Before the elections, they (opposition parties) promised that they would declare their assets. I want them to declare now... if they cannot, that would be very unfortunate for the people of Selangor."

But when pushed against the wall, Khalid made a very wishy washy ‘would most likely compel ... exco members to declare their assets publicly’.

'Most likely ...' only? WTF!

… which of course led Khir Toyo into unbearable boasting, that he and his exco members had to declare their assets to the Chief Secretary to the Government once every two years.

He demanded: "All these opposition leaders should declare their assets and their debts. If they have settled their debts, tell us where the money came from."

Debts? Settled? Should it be something we ought to know?

Khir in fact targeted two particular blokes, Khalid Ibrahim and exco member Dr Hassan Ali.

I must ask Khalid to be more firm and instruct his exco members to declare their assets without fail, or get rid of them. He must do that to stop Khir Toyo from seizing the high moral grounds, which of course Khir Toyo has no right to be on, and wouldn’t have if Khalid has been more consistent and firm on his promise of transparency and accountability.

To be continued (squatter issue) …