Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo today downplayed Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Khalid Ibrahim's credentials as a corporate personality.

At a briefing at the Pekan Ijok MCA operations room, he said PKR has inaccurately portrayed him as a corporate success of his own making.

"He is a 'heavyweight' because of the government. It was the GLC's (government-linked companies) which gave him a place. He is jobless now more like a 'lightweight'" he added.

Khalid who hails from Jeram near Ijok - was formerly the chief executive of plantation giant Guthrie Group Bhd and group chief executive of the government-linked Permodalan Nasional Bhd.

The 61-year-old rookie politician will be taking on Barisan Nasional (BN)-MIC candidate K Parthiban in the April 28 Ijok by-election.

Meanwhile, the menteri besar said although Khalid was one of the highest-paid corporate figures, he did not channel the funds back to the local community.

"He gave nothing, not even to his former school. He did not give funds for a single surau, tokong (Chinese temple) or mosque," he told some 100 or so supporters.

Don't gamble

Khir, who is also the Selangor BN chief, said he would adopt Ijok as his constituency if the ruling coalition wins.

"But if PKR wins, I won't. Because I cannot work with the opposition who is trying to undermine the government," he added.

During the briefing, Khir also instructed party leaders to prepare three separate dossiers on voters BN, fence-sitters and opposition - in the area.

He said such a system would prevent opposition parties from abusing vehicles supplied by BN component parties during polling day.

"By 12 noon, make sure all BN voters are brought to the polling stations, then fence-sitters," he said, calling those in the 'BN voters' dossier as the ruling coalition's 'fixed deposit'.

Khir also told the supporters, who were predominantly Chinese, not to gamble on who will win in the election.


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