Breaking the Old Mindset: A Tale of Two CEOs

 

While it is true that we still encounter civil servants clinging to antiquated mindsets, I want to highlight two CEOs of a statutory body and another a Government-Linked Company (GLC) who are bucking that trend: Tuan Khalid Mohamed of SWCorp and Tuan Narendran Maniam of Indah Water Konsortium (IWK). In fact, my experience with senior government staff has always been positive except for one or two example the chief of the federal territories land and mine department which caused me to embark on a 3- to 4-year campaign to get the Hakmilik Sementara (privileged title) converted to Geran for Taman Kepong house owners. It was in the news the entire period. Soft approach did not work, and house owners were stuck with the privileged title for 40 years! Finally, after the campaign alongside with Dr Tan Seng Giaw, all the house owners were conferred the actual titles of ownership to their own homes. It was after this campaign that I discovered a precious gemstone from the pool of civil staff at the office - one Puan Khairiah bt. Awang Lah, who had unfortunately been transferred to Kelantan. Maybe one day I will find time to write about her dedication to the job, because it was she and her assistant who handled all the conversion of titles for some 4000 house owners. When I discovered it, I invited them to a lunch to show them our appreciation. She accepted it reluctantly only after I told her that the offer came from my mother, a senior citizen, who was grateful that her title was no longer “Sementara.”

Tuan Khalid Mohamed (CEO of SWCorp)

I always found Tuan Khalid Mohamed to be remarkably amiable and ever-ready to tackle issues like illegal dumping. In fact, I often wish Selangor would emulate the example set by SWCorp under his leadership. They take public cleanliness with the utmost seriousness; I have seen videos of SWCorp staff staking out locations at night to nab illegal dumpsters. If local council enforcement followed this lead, Selangor would be significantly cleaner. While some areas have improved under new local councillors, the same cannot be said for places under the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS).

The below message must have been given to Tuan Khalid as a brief report which provides us with a feedback of what transpired. 

 Translated, this is what it read: 

“For the previous case, we issued a compound under Construction Waste Regulations for failing to appoint a licensed collector, Tuan. This morning, the TCEO(T) and BSB will head to the site.”

By this evening, the issue was being addressed as I learnt from his feedback (see his post above). I told my friend that the credit belongs entirely to Tuan Khalid and his team; I am merely the "postman" saving my friend the hassle of bureaucratic red tape. A good leader is like a rare jewel—priceless. Whether it is Khalid, Datuk Zahri Samingon (Mayor of MBPJ), or certain ministers in the Madani government, these are real problem-solvers.

Tuan Narendran Maniam (CEO of Indah Water Konsortium)

The other leader deserving of credit is Tuan Narendran Maniam.

Recently, a senior citizen in her 70s told me regarding sewage overflowing from a manhole in her courtyard following a heavy downpour. I sent the photos and video to Tuan Narendran. Recognizing the distress this caused a senior citizen, he acted immediately. A truck was dispatched to siphon the overloaded manhole, solving a problem that would have otherwise left the resident suffering from a terrible stench.

In another instance, while discussing flood issues with an MPS staff member, I realised the progress we were seeing was likely due to the intervention of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusoff (who also oversees the DID). However, a neighbor reported that her toilet was flooding with effluent. In the confusion of translation, we initially thought it was a sewage backflow.

I provided the feedback to Narendran, and he immediately ordered an investigation into whether the pipes were broken or clogged by cooking oil. To ensure access for the IWK team, my neighbor and I spoke with the residents the next morning. It was then clarified that the backflow was actually rainwater from the backyard drains—not the IWK system.

I apologised profusely to Mr. Narendran for the confusion. His reply was simple: “Don’t worry about it. Keep in touch.” His readiness to help, even when the fault didn't lie with his agency, speaks volumes about his commitment to the community.

The Bigger Picture: Reform Takes Time

I share these experiences to show that there are good people in government and GLCs today. It is easy to claim "nothing has changed" if you are only dealing with the lower-level "old guard," but you have to understand that shifting a generation-old mindset takes time. 

This is why we see the present government phasing out the old guard in favour of younger, more dynamic leaders in the military and civil service.

I would be deeply disappointed if the current administration is not given a second mandate to complete these reforms. There are clear attempts to topple the Prime Minister—likely driven by those currently under investigation by the MACC for wealth accumulated in the past. A former prime minister and his family is currently on the radar under the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which has signed a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) with countries in Europe which includes the United Kingdom and Switzerland. It is a matter of time when the MACC under the leadership of Tan Sri Azam Baki will seize these assets just like what has happened to the Menara Ilham owned by the late Tun Daim Zainuddin. Now you understand why Azam is being targeted along with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.  

To conclude this piece, I want to say that, when I experience good leadership at a high level, I will speak it; when I don't, I won't hide it. You can browse through this blog to see what I have put together for the sake of your own assessment while in the cases of Khalid and Narendran, the results speak for themselves.