The Man who would be King

"... I once came near to kinship with what might have been a veritable King ..." 

- Rudyard Kipling in The Man who would be King.

The title of this post is not what I had originally penned it, namely, The Man who would be Assistant to the King, but I consider it too long and thus cumbersome as a post heading. I decided to keep it short as per the Rudyard Kipling story, though you should bear in mind it's not about The Man who would be King but rather The Man who would be Assistant to the King, of course all these with apologies to Kipling, wakakaka.

In this post, kaytee will soon play Sigmund Freud* to Khalid Ibrahim (wakakaka), in order to analyse why he (Khalid, not Sigmund, wakakaka) is behaving or rather, misbehaving in a democratic sense in his refusal to vacate the Selangor MB's position when instructed by his party, yes, his own party PKR.

* Sigmund Freud had another side to his fame which most Jews wish to hide, wakakaka.  Freud was the probably the first man, the first Jew in modern times, to point out that the Jews' greatest prophet-hero, Moshe (Moses), he of the 10 Commandments and the Parting of the Red Sea, was NOT a Hebrew NOR an Israelite, BUT an Egyptian.

BTW, PAS should not get a hard-on at this stage (wakakaka) because Moshe though an Egyptian was NOT an Arab nor a Muslim like most of today's Egyptians.

Anyway, as I had written before I have never taken to Khalid Ibrahim as a Pakatan leader in the way I have to blokes like Nizar Jamaluddin and Mat Sabu. In my eyes, his only redeeming point has been that he was probably better than The Dwarf, wakakaka.

Actually, when I saw how he handled the Grand Saga road toll debacle just a mere 4 months after the tsunamic March 2008 general elections as MB Selangor I was disgusted by his bourgeois mentality, more so when Tony Pua (DAP) criticized his refusal or reluctance to act for those Cheras residents who voted for him (Khalid). Pua stated:

"It is critical that the new state government demonstrate political will and determination to stand for what is right and just, without fear or favour, instead of wavering in uncertainty or adopting a “we will look into it” or “we will have to discuss further” culture which is reminiscent of the previous Barisan Nasional government."

"It is of great concern that Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had qualified his statement on the “right of use” by saying that the state government must also take into consideration that the toll is the source of revenue for the company."

Yes, Khalid Ibrahim was more concerned about revenue for the toll company than the rights of the Cheras residents.

In an earlier post My 3 strikes out for Khalid Ibrahim I had incorrectly said (bold lines):

I didn't like Khalid Ibrahim from the beginning - sorry, correction to that, not from the very beginning when he was the PKR candidate for the Ijok by-election in 2007 but during the Grand Saga toll fracas just after he became MB Selangor.

After re-checking an earlier post about the Ijok by-election in 2007, specifically post Ijok – proxy war, paradox and predictability I realize dear olde socialist me had started to dislike him almost immediately (even before the Grand Saga toll debacle) because of PSM's aversion, antipathy and animosity towards him. In the mentioned post I had written:

Another difference to the typical Malaysian politics of David versus Goliath was that in Ijok the BN put up a Davidic candidate whilst PKR a comparative Godzilla.

But unlike the movie Godzilla, size didn't matter because Khalid Ibrahim’s high profile in fact turned out to be a liability. He has been unfortunately remembered by Indians with a decided lack of fondness or respect. An unhappy PSM had reminded most local Indians of Khalid as an unfriendly Guthrie towkay. This has been another departure from the typical opposition versus BN scenario, where the opposition candidate is usually the underdog hero.

Yup, Khalid Ibrahim was remembered by PSM as 'an unfriendly Guthrie towkay', so why should silly me expect him to act sympathetically towards the people of Cheras in the Grand Saga road toll debacle, when I should know by then a bourgeois like him would of course be more concerned about the road toll towkays, thus with him stating the state government must also take into consideration that the toll would be the source of revenue for the company.

Not quite playing Sigmund Freud yet, wakakaka, we can make an intelligent summation that Khalid Ibrahim is at heart a businessman, even a very good one, but in reality a bourgeois type big towkay who is not suitable as a politician because he (I guess) can't see himself as a people's representative (that's what a politician actually is) but in the main a businessman.

Thus he would have difficulty understanding that as a member of a political party (PKR), which also is a member of a political coalition (Pakatan), he has to govern the state of Selangor together with his Pakatan ADUNs and in accordance with political dictates and objectives.

But I suspect he thinks that as MB he's still the CEO of a big conglomerate, like PNB or Guthrie, where he is not beholden to his co-managers but only to his stakeholders, where I suspect he doesn't consider the conglomerate's stakeholders are the people of Selangor. I'll come to his "stakeholders" in a while.

But from here we may begin to understand why he had made big decisions on the state water issue, Kidex etc all by his lonesome self, while his exco (ADUNs from DAP and PAS and even PKR) have complained they weren't consulted. Now, why the f**k would a CEO consult lowly managers when he's confident of his decisions, wakakaka.

To this bloke, ADUNs would be inconvenient individuals, managers at best, and not the people's representatives, while he as the State CEO runs the state and thus, indirectly represents all the rakyat of Selangor, not that I suspect he cares much about the last issue.

It's just the way I suspect he has been, a pure business CEO and not so much of a people's representative. That's his professional DNA and upbringing.

Khalid's pathetic pseudo-presidential declaration, when criticized by his Pakatan ADUNs for not listening to them on state issues, that he 'listened to criticisms from the people more than from party leaders and politicians', so riled DAP's Gobind Singh Deo that he 'urged' (a polite euphemism for 'f**king demand', wakakaka) the Selangor MB to bloody well clarify that statement.

Gobind went as far as to say Khalid had made a "very serious statement, which may have serious consequences", meaning Khalid either knew f**k all about democracy (parliamentary process) or had deliberately ignored the democratic process!

Gobind said: "Khalid must not take things for granted. I ask him to respond and clarify matters."

In fact I suspect Khalid might not be even conscious of the fact that he has been nominated to be MB by Pakatan (not just the mere elected ADUNs) but by the parties' top leadership. Thus, in his (I suspect) lack of understanding of the party process or democratic process, he doesn't see his obligation to step down when told by his party to do so.

When DAP leaders went bonkers and tore off what little patches of hair they had left because of this politically bizarre and obdurate man, and condemned him as dishonourable in insisting on staying as MB despite losing the confidence of his party and the majority of the Pakatan pact, they were just pissing in the wind.

Yes, they were because Khalid Ibrahim does not see himself as a politician who has to abide by the rules of democratic politics. He doesn't understand that because, as mentioned, he doesn't see himself being nominated by Pakatan to be MB of Selangor. His conviction of his right to continue in his CEO position has most unfortunately been further strengthened by PAS' Pak Haji Hadi Awang's naughty support of him.

As I've joked about it before, he, without support from his own political party or as a renegade to his own political party, by insisting on remaining on as MB in a Pakatan ruled state, has become a rare avis, not unlike a unicorn or a chimera.

But then who would be his "stakeholders"?

This is where I put on my beard to become Sigmund Freud, wakakaka.

In my earlier observations of Khalid Ibrahim, perhaps in 2007 when he was parachuted into Ijok as Anwar Ibrahim's personal choice to stand in that state by-election, much against the wishes and advice of many Pakatan and pro Pakatan Indians, I recall in one media interview he was asked about Dr Mahathir, perhaps even measured against AAB though I have to admit I can't recollect the latter bit well.

Anyway, when he talked about Dr Mahathir I sensed he was very much in admiration of the former PM, in fact I would say, rather over effusively, wakakaka.

In one particular topic he mentioned how well and how fast Dr Mahathir could read a thick file and grasp the issues within, and with just that quick scan, could then even recommend the structure and layout of the contents, like, moving this 'part' to there and that 'part' to here to make it read better. If you don't believe me, either check this bit out in one of the media archives or even ask Khalid himself, wakakaka.

It has to be said that Khalid Ibrahim would have been one of the better performing Malay executives that Dr Mahathir had groomed and wished for. Both rose to prominence around the same time, in the early 80's. Dr Mahathir would have been immensely proud of this Towering Malay who in his capacity as CEO PNB succeeded in his dawn raid for the majority of Guthrie holdings. They would have been on close professional if not personal terms.

Khalid Ibrahim thrived under such relationship where he was a reliable executive under No 1, and perhaps even a close professional confidante. He would have have found strength in such a situation and saw the former PM as his "stakeholder" to whom he was responsible. Khalid Ibrahim was thus The Man who would be Assistant to the King (at least on corporate matters).

Look, Khalid wouldn't/didn't want to be King because (and that's where I become Sigmund Freud once more, wakakaka) he either didn't relish such a post or he must have felt he couldn't/shouldn't be in such a position.

Then, Anwar Ibrahim came on to the scene to became the powerful Finance Minister and also DPM, and at times even acting PM. Well, I needn't tell you that unless he was an UMNO man, he wouldn't be able to hold those posts. That's a reminder of where Anwar had been, for 16 years, and during those long years, had you even heard anything about reformasi from this then very powerful man? Wakakaka.

But let' return to Khalid Ibrahim, the subject of this post. Obviously Khalid in his high corporate position as a shining and Towering Malay corporate boss would have had close dealings and contact with Anwar, at least in the business of PNB if not personally. But we also know that Khalid joined PKR because Anwar asked him to, so their relationship must have been more than just official or professional, to wit, they were probably very close friends.

Again, Khalid Ibrahim would have thrived under such a relationship where he played his role, that of a reliable executive under No 1 (Anwar as Finance Minister, DPM and PM-designated would by then have been No 1 to him). They were, as mentioned, professionally and probably personally close confidantes. No doubt he must have have found strength in such a situation where he saw the former DPM/Finance Minister as his "stakeholder" to whom he was responsible. Khalid Ibrahim was thus The Man who would be Assistant to the King (at least on corporate matters).

Wakakaka, by now you would know where I am leading you to!

But wait, just a wee (and not totally unrelated) digression - remember when Zaid Ibrahim urged him to challenge Azmin Ali for the No 2 PKR position but he remained silent and very quai quai, because as mentioned, he was The Man who would be Assistant to the King, namely his dear de facto PKR Boss.

It has to be said that in recent times Anwar Ibrahim hasn't treated him as well as manmanlai could have. How can you humiliate a man like Khalid Ibrahim openly in the unilateral reinstatement of Azmin Ali as a director of PKNS, by Anwar who holds no executive position either in PKR or Selangor, and then followed that up by the so-called Kajang Move (openly declared as a move to get rid of Khalid as MB) and still expect him to play the submissive, obedient and cooperative subordinate or friend.

By then, as I had blogged on a number of occasions, Khalid Ibrahim has also found a new No 1, wakakaka.

Anwar by his rather cruel humiliation of Khalid Ibrahim was no longer seen by Khalid as his old No 1 as in their happier days in UMNO or under UMNO aegis, or even in earlier PKR days.

So can we now understand why Khalid had been reluctant to take action on those confiscated bibles? And why should he when according to his perception he should listen to only his No 1, the "stakeholder" of the Selangor State conglomerate - you know who, don't you? Wakakaka.

Mind, his job hadn't been made easy by the editor of the Catholic weekly Herald, Father Lawrence Andrew who declared that churches in Selangor would continue to use Allah in their Bahasa Malaysia services, this immediately after HRH passed a fatwa prohibiting the use of the 'Allah' word by non-Muslims in Selangor - Oh, those priesthood caste of Kassim Ahmad, wakakaka.

So, Khalid has already found his 'enlightenment', a new No 1 after Anwar Ibrahim had attempted to discard him.

And in this, hasn't Khalid only recently and very openly promised HRH he won't leave and will continue to serve as MB as long as his services are required?

Without getting into the sort of war-gaming as to who would be the one who needs his service, as discussed in a FMT article, shall we just say that once again, Khalid Ibrahim thrives under such a relationship where he can play being a reliable chief executive under No 1 (HRH).

No doubt he must have have found strength in such a situation where he sees HRH as his "stakeholder" of, most gnam gnam, the State of Selangor, to whom he is responsible. Royal MB Khalid Ibrahim is thus (again) The Man who would be Assistant to the King.