(Photo credit: www.pbase.com/camera0bug/image/13107594)
In an interview with The Malaysian Insider, Selangor Opposition leader Khir Toyo expressed sentiments that seemed to have run counter to what he believed in all this while — to the point of looking like a resplendent reformist. Or, if you like, appearing like someone who has just acquired a political facelift.
But the following statement of his in the said interview should make you sit up:
He pointed out that the Indian community was especially in need of help.
“I realised this a bit too late, and only during my fifth year as mentri besar, because I was not told about how bad things were for them.”
He said he only knew something was seriously wrong when informed by the police that 40 per cent of crimes committed involved the Indian community.
He said he was shocked to learn that some estate workers earned between RM400 and RM500 a month only when he visited an estate in Kuala Selangor.
He claimed that he then set aside RM3 million annually for them.
He realised about the plight of the Indian community only in the fifth year of his tenure as menteri besar? Where had he been during all those years in office?
Was he trying to say that he was ill-informed or poorly advised by those who were supposed to serve him effectively and professionally? Weren’t they shortlisted for his infamous ‘broom award’?
Or had he been reading (and trusting) too much the reportage coming from the mainstream purveyors of Truth? It must have been quite difficult to extract Truth from the mass of words.
“I realised this a bit too late, and only during my fifth year as mentri besar, because I was not told about how bad things were for them.”
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That’s because things were too good for you. So much of taxpayers’ money to spend.
Allah won’t let you escape punishment.
No, it is not too late. It is only too late when you are on your death-bed.
It is true that leaders often find it hard to see the real picture on the ground. Not the least because of the layers of staff and yes-men surrounding them.
But it remains their responsibility to seek, and find, the truth.
I recall that Khir Toyo climbed out of a humble background. It is not as though he grew up cloistered in some high-class cocoon. That makes it hard for me to accept his statement that he only knew of that the Indian community is in need of help during his 5th year as MB.
The Americans have a rather obnoxious term – “plausible denial”, which was apparently the escape clause favoured by certain politicians. A term which implies that the denial is not truthful, but is considered plausible enough to be used as a defence.
I am reminded of reply from Khir Toyo which he was queried during an interview about his “zero opposition in Selangor” boast before the General Elections:
…as Mentri Besar and state Barisan Nasional chairman
if I say we are weak, all my people will be disheartened
and dispirited. As a general, even if you lose the war, you
must still say that you have not. That’s the way to handle
perception, feelings and the spirit of our ’soldiers’.
Psychologically everyone does that from Mussolin to
Sukarno. How can you lead and say we are going to lose.
We will not say that we are not going to lose even if we
think we are. It’s a strategy.
Source:
Khir has his say on allegations
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/19/focus/20090419074711&sec=focus
Shades of truth? The ends justifies the lies? Mussolin(i) & Sukarno… interesting choice of examples to follow?
Sorry, but what toyo says really make me puke. Count your days man, you are on your way OUT.
“He realised about the plight of the Indian community only in the fifth year of his tenure as menteri besar? Where had he been during all those years in office?”
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Too busy with his Disneyland travels, I suppose.
Khir seem to have missed the whole war. The war for him is to fight poverty and assist all malaysians in selangor. Not sitting on his as.. and waiting for his yes men and goons to bluff him. What is ” turun padang” as Pak Lah has advised? What lame excuse can he give? This is typical unno/bn mentality. Our pm chose to evade question in Indonesia. At least he doesn’t make a fool of himself. Please Khir don’t simply open your mouth and start giving rubbish. Today Malaysians are smarter and more informative. Good luck to you.
It’s too easy to say he was not ’shown’ the true picture. A good man would find out, not just listen to what he’s told by aides. Open his eyes, and see. That’s what makes a good leader, which he’d know nothing about, for sure.
But it’s not just the Indian community that’s dirt poor. I dislike it when we categorise and racial-ise things. We have poor Malaysians. Full stop. And they all need to be helped, not just the Indians.
As he drives past in his bullet-proofed, airconditioned, blackened window-ed car – does he not see fellow Malays, Chinese, Indians and those that have so little, it makes what he has obscene?!
So I don’t buy that he’s changed. He’s saying what he thinks the indian community wants to hear. Enough already lah. I’m tired of seeing the wasted space spent on him!
“He realised about the plight of the Indian community only in the fifth year of his tenure as menteri besar? Where had he been during all those years in office?”
He realised it becos he is not a MB anymore so he try to pinpoint to another person responsibility and can wash hand.If he still the MB I will say he will NEVER realised until now.You are out od the picture and will be hard for you to return.Come next GE you will also ousted to the seat.The time will tell and the MACC will be looking for you again.