KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Chided by the reigning Selangor ruler, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib claimed today that he was responsible for driving the state’s industrialisation forward and enabling it to achieve developed status in 2005, ahead of the national dream.
The former Selangor mentri besar also claimed credit for turning the state capital Shah Alam into a modern “model city” for Malays, adding that his contributions were appreciated by the previous ruler the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, father to the current Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
“I had proposed that Shah Alam and Bangi become model cities where Malays could live and be involved in all kinds of lifestyle activities in a modern world. I’m pleased with what we have achieved so far.
“A part of this was achieved then I hope the current and future leaders will continue this,” he said in a statement sent to Malay Mail Online’s sister publication ProjekMMO.
Muhammad, also known by the moniker Mat Taib, said that modern Malay youths were now thriving in Shah Alam, and with now over 70 per cent Malay bumiputera residents, the same in Bangi.
He also said the target of creating a Bumiputera industrial and trading community was successfully implemented in Shah Alam and was among the first states to be given developed status was achieved in 2005.
“I can go on and on writing about the progress in Selangor since I took over the MB post in 1986. But of course it was done together with all the dedicated friends in the government servants and political leaders and supporters,” he said, adding that the civil service in the state was among the top in Malaysia then.
Muhammad said that he had often faced the sultan then to discuss matters and carry out any directives ordered by the royalty and any issues were resolved.
Sultan Sharafuddin, in an interview with Malay broadsheet Mingguan Malaysia last Sunday, criticised a number of Muhammad’s actions, including creating a deputy mentri besar post, calling it the “biggest mistake in Selangor’s history” which served no purpose other than to topple the existing mentri besar.
The reigning sultan also said that Muhammad had amassed wealth while in power in Umno before making the switch to PAS, until things got chaotic in the Islamist opposition party which prompted him to leap to PKR.
