Bad news for Mr KPI

By Anil Netto

Whichever way you look at it, Idris Jala’s appointment as “KPI” minister must be bad news for the other “KPI” minister, Koh Tsu Koon. A friend sent me a text message, with a pointed observation: “looks like ktk is surplus to requirements”, never mind that Idris is supposed to “report” to Tsu Koon on “KPI” issues.

The news comes as the Kg Buah Pala villagers stand on the brink of losing their village. No thanks to Mr KPI for allowing the land to be sold under his watch – and then remaining largely silent about what actually transpired back then while the villagers agonise ahead of demolition day.

So now we have two “KPI” ministers as the Cabinet bloats up again. “Performance now”, huh?

Perhaps one of the first “KPIs” Idris should look at is the 30 per cent target. (No, I’m not referring to the NEP.) To find out which 30 per cent I mean, read this piece I wrote after the Permatang Pasir by-election. Perhaps our country wouldn’t be in such a mess if this particular group achieves parity.

PENANG, Malaysia, Aug 26 (IPS) – Yet another by-election is over in Malaysia.

Tuesday night, a candidate from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (People’s Alliance or PR) defeated a candidate from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in a semi-rural constituency on mainland Penang. That brought the by-election tally to 7-1 in favour of the PR since the last general election in March 2008.

These by-elections are important barometres of public opinion. The opposition Alliance is hoping the by-election momentum will catapult it to victory in the next general election after it deprived the BN, which has ruled the country for 52 years, of its coveted two-thirds majority in Parliament last year.

But there is one glaring statistic… Full article here.