KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 ― As the new Kuala Lumpur mayor, Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan will finally exorcise the years of haunting that lingered from a humiliation inflicted upon him in 2007.

11 years ago, the former Hulu Selangor district officer (DO) was gifted a “broom award” by then Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo for failing to achieve a tax collection target.

Recounting the experience at a press conference here today held to announce his appointment, Nor Hisham said that embarrassment drove him to excel.

“When I was summoned to receive the award from Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo, I was just transferred from the Federal Territories Ministry and was promoted as the Hulu Selangor DO,” Bernama quoted him as saying.

“I was given the award in December 2007 because the tax collection for 2006 was below 40 per cent,” he added.

Nor Hisham received the broom award together with Majlis Daerah Hule Selangor (MDHS) chief Tukiman Nail at the time in front of an audience and the press.

It was a publicity event meant to show Barisan Nasional’s commitment to excellent services.

Nor Hisham maintained that the council’s KPI failure was not his fault, but he took collective responsibility.

“Even though when the poor performance happened, it was not under my tenure I took full responsibility and accepted the broom,” he said.

BN lost Selangor for the first time at the 12th general election the following year, and Nor Hisham said the event became symbolical of the coalition’s fall in the state.

Just a year after Pakatan Rakyat ruled Selangor, the former DO said he doubled MDHS’s tax collection rate.

PR, the predecessor to Pakatan Harapan, comprised PKR, DAP and PAS.

Nor Hisham said the new state government under then MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim gave his team due recognition, and he was awarded for his excellence in 2009.

“We managed to collect up to 92 per cent of tax in two years and eventually our work was praised by the Selangor government,” he said.

Nor Hisham’s appointment was widely speculated soon after Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said the present mayor’s term was ending soon.

Khalid, speaking at the press conference, hailed Nor Hisham’s diligence.

“Even though he took the award for the failure of others the incident was a bitter moment that helped drive the local council to work hard and prove them (BN) wrong,” Khalid was quoted as saying.

BN faced backlash over the public relations stunt, which upset civil servants who saw the “broom award” as a symbol of elitist arrogance.

The incident drove many otherwise pro-BN public workers to vote against the coalition in the historic 2008 polls, when the ruling coalition lost four states and its Parliamentary super-majority.