‘Khir did not have people’s interest in mind’

This is why BN was voted out of power in 2008, says Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim's political secretary Faekah Husin.

PETALING JAYA: Former menteri besar Dr Khir Toyo would have remained in power if development plans had been carried out with the people’s best interest in mind.

Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary Faekah Husin said that “had he (Khir Toyo) worked in the interest of the people, his government would not have fallen in 2008,” she said, referring to the fall of the Barisan Nasional-led Selangor government in that year.

She said this in response to Khir’s claim that the Khalid administration had let the people down by not implementing social development programmes that Khir had spearheaded when he was the menteri besar.

In an interview with FMT last week, Khir criticised Khalid’s social development plans, namely, providing free water supply, housing for squatters, and allowing state-owned Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd to venture into sand mining.

Khir said also ticked off the Khalid’s administration for providing more budget allocations for management costs compared to development costs.

“The management cost ratio to development cost is 70:30. It is dangerous for the state,” he had said.

On the water issue, Faekah said that Khir did not understand the concept of privatisation and the role of the government.

“To whom did he (Khir) privatise the project to? The professionals or cronies?” asked Faekah in reference to Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd’s (PNSB) takeover of Selangor’s water management several years ago.

Puncak Niaga is led by Rozali Ismail.

“Rozali is a lawyer and junior to me. He has no experience. He got PNSB because he was Selangor Umno treasurer,” claimed Faekah.

She said that Khir’s water privatisation efforts lacked the spirit of privatisation – reducing the burden of the government and increasing efficiency.

“They don’t know how to manage and the federal government continues to bail them out. That is cronyism,” said Faekah.

No political will

On the state government building more flats instead of improving services for the flat dwellers, Faekah accused Khir of not completing his job to make Selangor a squatter-free state.

“He cleared the Sungai Jering forest land in Gombak in 2003 and placed 600 people there with temporary housing facilities… they received their housing certificate of fitness (CFs) after 11 years.”

She added that the present state government has provided free bus services to flat dwellers in Sri Perantau, Port Klang and Sri Mentari, Petaling Jaya via state-owed agency, PKNS.

She claimed that during Khir’s term as menteri besar, housing projects for squatters were given to cronies who had not been paying land premiums since 1999.

“Khir simply had no political will to resolve this issue,” she said.

On the budget issue, however, Faekah admitted that 70 percent of the allocation is for management costs.

“This is because we follow the federal government’s salary scale and we did not change the staff,” said Faekah.

On sand mining allegations, she said:

“Do you remember that during (former prime minister) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s helicopter flight around Selangor in 2007 he saw large craters as a result of excessive sand mining?

“Illegal sand mining has been going on for 10 to 15 years and the state profited only RM4 million,” said Faekah.

She added that with KSSB’s entrance into sand-mining activities, the current state government was able to monitor sand mining and bring in profits for the state amounting to RM35 million.