TRIBUTE TO ALLAHYARHAM TAN SRI ABDUL KHALID IBRAHIM - by Nik Zafri & Family

Innaalillaahi wa-innaa ilaihi roo-ji'uun

Me and my family are deeply saddened on the loss of a great leader, Allahyarham Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim a figure of great merits to the nation.

There were too many good things I wish to say about him - simply naming a few that have left a deep proud impacts on me :

a) while I was in Form 3 - he became the CEO to Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) - longest serving CEO - where in 1981 he became famous for leading the "dawn raid" (together with Tun Dr. Mahathir - the premier at that time) on the London Stock Exchange, which resulted in PNB gaining a 51% share of Guthrie in less than two hours. This has also led to the Look East Policy and Malaysian Incorporated/Privatization. I remember reading them in Dewan Masyarakat and even used some of the salient points in my inter-class debate in Sultan Ismail College (SIC) when I was in Form 4.

b) In his first term becoming the Menteri Besar of Selangor, he helped implemented a policy of delivering to each Selangor household an initial 20 cubic metres of water each year free of charge. (my water bill during his administration was practically "negative" and "zero")

c) He has helped countless people and an extremely generous person via countless CSR works not only in terms of monetary but also great support in education and scholarships.

In 1993 when I was employed by a Risk Management company, my CEO had an audience with him and about 10 years later in 2003 in an economical convention, I managed to shake his hands at both occasions by saying the same thing - "Thank you for helping us" and he replied "it's my pleasure"

Despite various serious political challenges he has to face, he managed to remain calm till his resignation in 2014.

Thank you to HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah al-Haj, the Sultan of Selangor who has granted his body to be buried at the Royal Mausoleum. My deepest condolences to Puan Sri Salbiah and his whole family.

Al-Fatihah Allahyarham Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. May Allah SWT grant you eternal peace.