'Khalid making things possible for Indians'

By B Nantha Kumar
SHAH ALAM: Selangor Pakatan Rakyat leaders are content with Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s style of administration despite contradictory rumours.
Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan said this when dismissing claims that several PKR Indian assemblymen and parliamentarians were involved in the purported recent attempts to topple Khalid.
“When you consider how the state Barisan Nasional government treated the Indians, Khalid has been doing his job.
“We must look at the situation in perspective. He took the post (as Selangor menteri besar) 24 months ago. He has made allocations for Tamil schools and temples.
"He has put in place an equal rights system for Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera and has created new opportunities with appointments in other agencies.
“It's something we never saw when BN ruled Selangor,” he said, adding that administrating Selangor is tougher than most other states because Umno was constantly scheming ways to undermine and oust Khalid.
Manoharan said Khalid had made sure that several Indian elected representatives were involved in the decision-making level in various state-linked agencies to ensure that the community was not overlooked.
Citing examples, he said DAP’s K Ganapathi Rao had been appointed a director in state-owned sand mining company Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB) and Subang MP R Sivarasah was on the board of Kumpulan Peransang.
He said he himself was a director at the Selangor State Library.
'Indians grateful to menteri besar'
Manoharan said there were speculations that Khalid was also considering an Indian to assume PKR vice-president Mohamed Azmin Ali’s position as director of Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).
Azmin had resigned from his post following the controversial appointment of Faekah Husin as Khalid's political secretary. Azmin was also linked to the “G-15’ group of parliamentarians who had allegedly tried to boot out Khalid as menteri besar because he had chosen to appoint Faekah.
Azmin has vehemently denied the allegation. Last Monday, Azmin assumed the role of Selangor PKR leader and has been left with the responsibility of consolidating PKR support among the grassroots.
Said Manoharan: “I heard Khalid is considering appointing an Indian to PKNS board to ensure Indians are not left out of the state’s continued growth.
"Such appointments never occurred when the state was ruled by Umno. It’s Khalid who is making equal opportunities possible.”
He said despite the hiccups and the slow delivery, “the fact remains that Pakatan’s style of administration was better than Umno in every aspect”.
Admitting to discontent among some Indian representatives, Manoharan said it was impossible to please everyone in any given situation.
“Yes, there are some PKR leaders who are not happy with his (Khalid's) leadership, but generally the whole Indian community supports him.
"He has done a lot of things for the Indians in a short period.”
"As state assemblyman, I'm always travelling to many places within Selangor and the general feeling is of gratitude to the menteri besar,” said Manoharan, adding that the Indian community too had matured tremendously since 2007 and were aware of the current political situation and their right to being treated fairly and equally.