Kampung boy fills CM’s shoes

Special place: Idris is sentimental about the picture of him back when he was singled out to read from his Jawi textbook by Dr Mahathir, who was then the Education Minister.

Datuk Seri Idris Haron’s journey from poor kampung boy to the office of the Chief Minister of Malacca is a story about overcoming tragedy and hardship to move up in life.

EVERYTHING looks the same in the plush official residence of the Malacca Chief Minister, from the cluster arrangement of the seating areas to the trays of cookies and crispy snacks laid out for visitors.

Well, everything except for the chief occupant and the pictures on the walls.

Datuk Seri Idris Haron, only seven months in the top job, has settled in going by the pictures of him hanging on the walls and placed on the side tables, all beautifully framed. They depict his political journey thus far. There are pictures of him with Umno leaders and he singled out the one with his predecessor and mentor Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam.

“Datuk Ali is like a father to me. He brought me into politics,” Idris said.

There are also the usual family photos. Idris’ wife Datin Seri Fadilah Abdullah, whom he married in 1992, is an attractive lady with a lovely smile and could easily pass off as the sister of their daughter Amira, 17, and son Hakim, 20.

But the most special picture of all where Idris, 47, is concerned is a reproduced black-and-white photo of a young Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, then the Education Minister, visiting a primary school in Malacca in 1975.

The Minister’s attention was on the boy in the front row of a class where a Jawi lesson was on. Dr Mahathir had asked the boy to read from the book and when the nervous boy stumbled on a line, Dr Mahathir read it out for him.

“I know what you are thinking. Dr Mahathir reads Jawi,” said Idris.

A good piece by Joceline Tan in The Star today.

;-)

Malacca revokes Idris' PGB

PGB is now BGP

Kenyataan Akbar  
Pejabat Ketua Menteri Melaka
12 disember 2013

Kerajaan negeri bersetuju menganugerahkan pingat Bintang Gagah Perkasa (BGP) kepada dua jurulatih dan 11 pelatih asas komando yang terselamat ketika bot mereka karam ketika menjalani latihan mendayung di perairan selat melaka, isnin lalu.


Penganugerahkan itu akan disempurnakan oleh yang dipertua negeri, tun mohd khalil yaakob dalam suatu istiadat yang akan ditetapkan kelak.

Pingat BGP dan bukannya  Pingat Gagah Berani (PGB) yang dilaporkan sebelum ini, dianugerahkan kepada mereka sebagai menghargai semangat berpasukan dan setiakawan yang ditunjukkan oleh anggota terbabit ketika berada di laut hampir 28 jam sebelum selamat mendarat dengan bot di pantai puteri.
    
Pingat BGP pernah dianugerahkan kepada jurukamera bernamatv noramfaizul mohd noor yang terkorban ketika menyertai misi kemanusiaan di somalia pada 2 september 2011. Ia dianugerahkan sempena sambutan Hari Jadi ke-73  Yang Dipertua Negeri Melaka.


Kerajaan negeri menghargai semangat juang yang ditunjukkan oleh jurulatih dan pelatih komondo terbabit ketika menghadapi cabaran dan dugaan yang patut dicontohi oleh generasi muda.

Pejabat Ketua Menteri Melaka

Take a pick. Is this a case of being misquoted, misreporting, misguided or mystery?

Previous posting on Idris' PGB - True heroes of Pingat Gagah Berani won't forgive you Idris 

True heroes of Pingat Gagah Berani won't forgive you Idris - UPDATED

UPDATE! 1430hrs 12/12/13

Was informed that the Malacca State Secretary's officers are currently preparing a brief statement to REVOKE Idris's statement about wanting to award the PGB.

Was told that even Malacca Governor Tun Khalil Yaakob was shocked by Idris statement. 

Who ordered the State Secretary to revoke the silly statement? Idris... oh Idris! Kenapa kau Idris?

Not sure if this newly minted magnanimous Chief Minister of Malacca did the necessary before making the announcement to award the prestigious medal of bravery to the 11 commando trainees and their trainers. (Idris is magnanimous coz he recently said something like 'I forgive the Chinese for not supporting BN)

Certainly this is not a clever decision. It is a populist decision that would have damaging repercussions. Idris appears like nothing but a desperate politician. I'm sure the real recipients of the prestigious PGB  would be shell shocked with yet another act of stupidity from the government.

CM Idris, please don't forget all those commando trainees who have lost their lives while undergoing training in Terendak since the camp was commissioned there a few decades ago. Going by your standards they surely deserve a PGB…don't they? 

When will such stupidity come to an end?  We had dummies with Pingat Kedaulatan Negara a few months ago. 

What next?