INTERVIEW The agreement between the Selangor and federal governments on the restructuring of the water industry may not be affected by a change of menteri besar, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said.
Wan Azizah, whom Pakatan Rakyat has chosen to replace sitting MB Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, however said that PKR has not yet sighted the document.
“I think the deal has been signed, and we need to look at it because at the moment the deal is (under the) Official Secrets Act.
“We will have to look at it. If it is signed and it’s a done deal, you can’t do anything because you don’t want the taxpayers to have to pay for that (undoing the deal),” she said in an interview with Malaysiakini.
Fears of the unraveling of the water deal, which had taken years in the making, was cited by BN as one the reason why its 12 Selangor assemblypersons are backing Khalid to continue as MB.
The water deal – which includes agreement for the multibillion ringgit Langat 2 water treatment plant – was also a crucial part of PKR’s 91-page dossier on why they want to replace Khalid.
In the dossier, PKR argues that the agreement, the first part of which was signed by Khalid before the Kajang Move was initiated in February, is lopsided in favour of the federal government.
How Wan Azizah will deal with the water issue – exacerbated by a dry spell that caused water shortage in the state – if she does become the MB presently remains unclear, by her own admission.
The same can be said about the other issues plaguing the Khalid’s tenure, including the protest against the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) and the seizure of more than 300 copies of the Bible by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department.
'Khalid overprotective of funds'
Appearing even more diminutive than usual in her padded dark blazer as she speaks to Malaysiakini from her sparse office on the National Mourning Day, the soft-spoken Wan Azizah is certain of one thing.
That is, that the RM3 billion in Selangor’s coffers that she says Khalid is “overprotective” of will be spent on “services” for the people.
This, she said, will be with the help of a team of advisers in the Islamic management concept of ‘syura’ (consultative council).
The advisers, she said, will include her husband and de facto PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is the state’s economic adviser.
“For me, the first (thing) I would like to tackle is services because I think the garbage (situation) in Kajang is like, ‘urgh’. And water.
“Kidex and all that, the people who are affected are affected but some people are not really sensitive about that,” she said.
Although she did not name others in her future team of advisers, there is speculation that she will appoint party leaders like secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution and director of strategy Rafizi Ramli into key government-linked companies (GLC).
“We have to discuss all of this as we have had a bad experience before when we put political appointees…but let us see.
"These GLCs need to have direction and…capable people to lead them,” she said.
One likely scenario is that Khalid’s close adviser and former political secretary Faekah Husin will be sacked as chief executive officer of the crucial Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI).
Asked on who will head MBI, she smiled and said, “Oh, we have a decision to make (on MBI) but wait first.”
‘Give me a chance’
Before she reveals any of her plans, she said, the people of Selangor must first “give (her) a chance” to be the nation’s first female menteri besar.
Her being female, she said, has little to do with her competence or capability and she is keen to prove her worth.
“Give me a chance lah,” she said in a tone of voice most would find hard not to call endearing.
“I feel that if I am the first woman MB of the state, it’s a push, an impetus for women to come out, especially (in) Malaysia,” she said.
Her gender has been speculated as the bone of contention for Pakatan partner PAS, although the party has outright denied this.
Whatever PAS’ reasons, the party’s refusal to back PKR in solely nominating Wan Azizah as replacement MB has placed a strain on the two parties’ ties, sparking concerns of Pakatan’s survivability as a coalition.
Asked of this, Wan Azizah, clad in her trademark light-coloured headscarf, ominously recounts all the other political alliances in Malaysia’s history that have come to past.
“You see it (political alliances) come and go. PAS was part of Umno and they broke off. Then Berjasa…Then they have Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah, Apu, then (Semangat) 46.
“We are human, we make alliances, we see things. We can carry on (when) we see it is good for the nation, for ourselves, the ummah (Muslim brethren) and after that, people change, things change.”
'Worth the long haul'
Leaders of political parties too, she says, come and go and with that comes the challenge of finding ways to work together.
“It’s not the same when (now deceased) ustaz Fadhil Noor was president of PAS. He was a good friend, too. Ustaz Abdul Hadi Awang is a different type of leader with a different coterie of advisers.”
Challenging or not, working together with PAS is not something Wan Azizah would second guess, especially if it means the survival of a budding two-party system in Malaysia.
“We want to see a two-party system in our country and to have maturity in our political system.
"I’m a voter, too, and I would like to see if BN wins, there is a good opposition so BN could be put on its track for the good of the people.
“But if you have a monopoly for years and years and years like this; it's the same with Pakatan too.
“In reality, there are screws here and there (that need to be tightened). We are kind of close but not watertight.”
And this, she said, is worth hanging on to for the long run.
Wan Azizah, whom Pakatan Rakyat has chosen to replace sitting MB Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, however said that PKR has not yet sighted the document.
“I think the deal has been signed, and we need to look at it because at the moment the deal is (under the) Official Secrets Act.“We will have to look at it. If it is signed and it’s a done deal, you can’t do anything because you don’t want the taxpayers to have to pay for that (undoing the deal),” she said in an interview with Malaysiakini.
Fears of the unraveling of the water deal, which had taken years in the making, was cited by BN as one the reason why its 12 Selangor assemblypersons are backing Khalid to continue as MB.
The water deal – which includes agreement for the multibillion ringgit Langat 2 water treatment plant – was also a crucial part of PKR’s 91-page dossier on why they want to replace Khalid.
In the dossier, PKR argues that the agreement, the first part of which was signed by Khalid before the Kajang Move was initiated in February, is lopsided in favour of the federal government.
How Wan Azizah will deal with the water issue – exacerbated by a dry spell that caused water shortage in the state – if she does become the MB presently remains unclear, by her own admission.
The same can be said about the other issues plaguing the Khalid’s tenure, including the protest against the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) and the seizure of more than 300 copies of the Bible by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department.
'Khalid overprotective of funds'
Appearing even more diminutive than usual in her padded dark blazer as she speaks to Malaysiakini from her sparse office on the National Mourning Day, the soft-spoken Wan Azizah is certain of one thing.
That is, that the RM3 billion in Selangor’s coffers that she says Khalid is “overprotective” of will be spent on “services” for the people.
This, she said, will be with the help of a team of advisers in the Islamic management concept of ‘syura’ (consultative council).The advisers, she said, will include her husband and de facto PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is the state’s economic adviser.
“For me, the first (thing) I would like to tackle is services because I think the garbage (situation) in Kajang is like, ‘urgh’. And water.
“Kidex and all that, the people who are affected are affected but some people are not really sensitive about that,” she said.
Although she did not name others in her future team of advisers, there is speculation that she will appoint party leaders like secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution and director of strategy Rafizi Ramli into key government-linked companies (GLC).
“We have to discuss all of this as we have had a bad experience before when we put political appointees…but let us see.
"These GLCs need to have direction and…capable people to lead them,” she said.
One likely scenario is that Khalid’s close adviser and former political secretary Faekah Husin will be sacked as chief executive officer of the crucial Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI).
Asked on who will head MBI, she smiled and said, “Oh, we have a decision to make (on MBI) but wait first.”
‘Give me a chance’
Before she reveals any of her plans, she said, the people of Selangor must first “give (her) a chance” to be the nation’s first female menteri besar.
Her being female, she said, has little to do with her competence or capability and she is keen to prove her worth.
“Give me a chance lah,” she said in a tone of voice most would find hard not to call endearing.“I feel that if I am the first woman MB of the state, it’s a push, an impetus for women to come out, especially (in) Malaysia,” she said.
Her gender has been speculated as the bone of contention for Pakatan partner PAS, although the party has outright denied this.
Whatever PAS’ reasons, the party’s refusal to back PKR in solely nominating Wan Azizah as replacement MB has placed a strain on the two parties’ ties, sparking concerns of Pakatan’s survivability as a coalition.
Asked of this, Wan Azizah, clad in her trademark light-coloured headscarf, ominously recounts all the other political alliances in Malaysia’s history that have come to past.
“You see it (political alliances) come and go. PAS was part of Umno and they broke off. Then Berjasa…Then they have Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah, Apu, then (Semangat) 46.
“We are human, we make alliances, we see things. We can carry on (when) we see it is good for the nation, for ourselves, the ummah (Muslim brethren) and after that, people change, things change.”
'Worth the long haul'
Leaders of political parties too, she says, come and go and with that comes the challenge of finding ways to work together.
“It’s not the same when (now deceased) ustaz Fadhil Noor was president of PAS. He was a good friend, too. Ustaz Abdul Hadi Awang is a different type of leader with a different coterie of advisers.”
Challenging or not, working together with PAS is not something Wan Azizah would second guess, especially if it means the survival of a budding two-party system in Malaysia.
“We want to see a two-party system in our country and to have maturity in our political system.
"I’m a voter, too, and I would like to see if BN wins, there is a good opposition so BN could be put on its track for the good of the people.
“But if you have a monopoly for years and years and years like this; it's the same with Pakatan too.
“In reality, there are screws here and there (that need to be tightened). We are kind of close but not watertight.”
And this, she said, is worth hanging on to for the long run.
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