Azmin gets top marks for media savvy
The local papparazi seem happy to give him their stamp of confidence based only on his intentions.
Ishmael Lim, Free Malaysia Today
Azmin Ali has been in the Selangor Menteri Besar’s office for just over two weeks now.
His first action was to put together his Executive Council, which sports three new faces and seven old ones. He has also reinstated Anwar Ibrahim as the state’s Economic Adviser for an undisclosed sum. He has announced that a new department to foster better ethnic and religious ties would be set up. His plans include a re-look at the Kidex deal and a review of the allowances of the Exco and state assemblymen. Former MB Khalid Ibrahim’s access to state funds has been cut off. And we know he has been searching for the all important water deal documents.
Sixteen days is not a terribly long time to settle into such a top job. The constant media attention and hype have raised the public’s expectations unrealistically. In part the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his appointment have added to this mystique and the man’s stature.
In the absence of any concrete results while he is still getting accustomed to his new job, we are left wondering whether he prefers roti canai or nasi lemak for breakfast. Or if he puts on his left sock or right sock first in the morning. So these are Azmin’s preliminary sketches before he starts the real work of building. But the local papparazi seem happy to give him their stamp of confidence based only on his intentions. Does he really deserve this so early on in the day? Let’s not forget the saying about counting our chickens.
Fresh out off the bruising muddle that saw Pakatan Rakyat nearly fall apart, the citizens of Selangor were ready for a leader of messianic eminence to lead them out of the nine months of political blood-sport. Then along comes the well groomed, clean cut and well spoken Deputy President of PKR, whom the Sultan seemed willing to give a chance.
When the palace announced that the investiture ceremony would take place on September 23 without mentioning who would be the MB, it was clear that the Sultan had got into the driver’s seat. PKR had lost the wheel and would be left standing at the bus stop watching the bus speed away.
There are now differing accounts of whether PKR was an initiator or merely a responder to Azmin becoming the Sultan’s choice. But those who followed the events closely would know that Azmin was already seated in the bus when the Sultan ordered the bus to depart. PKR could do nothing else but wave when it recognised its deputy on the moving bus.
