Khir Toyo

Mohamad Khir bin Toyo (Jawi: محمد خير تويو‎; born 6 August 1965) is the former Chief Minister of the state of Selangor in Malaysia from 2000 to 2008.[1] His Barisan Nasional (BN) government was defeated in the 2008 general election, following which he served as the state's Opposition Leader until December 2010. He has been a member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly (MLA) since 1999, for the seat of Sungai Panjang. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition

In this Malay name, there is no family name. The name Toyo is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Mohamad Khir. The Arabic-derived word "bin" or "binti"/"binte", if used, means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Dr.
Khir Toyo
محمد خير تويو‎
13th Menteri Besar of Selangor
In office
18 August 2000 – 8 March 2008
MonarchsSalahuddin
Sharafuddin
Preceded byAbu Hassan Omar
Succeeded byAbdul Khalid Ibrahim
ConstituencySungai Panjang
Leader of the Opposition of Selangor
In office
8 March 2008 – 6 December 2010
Menteri BesarAbdul Khalid Ibrahim
Preceded byTeng Chang Khim
Succeeded byMohamad Satim Diman
Member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly
for Sungai Panjang
In office
29 November 1999 – 5 May 2013
Preceded byMohd Pauzi Abdul Murad
(BN—UMNO)
Succeeded byBudiman Mohd Zohdi
(BN—UMNO)
Majority165 (1999)
5,460 (2004)
5,828 (2008)
Personal details
Born
Mohamad Khir bin Toyo

(1965-08-06) 6 August 1965
Tanjung Karang, Selangor, Malaysia
CitizenshipMalaysian
Political partyUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
Other political
affiliations		Barisan Nasional (BN)
Perikatan Nasional (PN)
Muafakat Nasional (MN)
Spouses
  • Zahrah Kechik
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1990; divorced. 2022)​
  • Christine Zanitrah Abdullah
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2016)​
Children4 Sons and 3 Daughter’s
Alma materUniversity of Malaya (BDS)
OccupationPolitician, dentist
Websitewww.drkhir.com

Family

An ethnic Malay of half Javanese and half native Malay descent, Khir was born on 6 August 1965, at Tali Air 2, Bt 4, Sungai Burung, Tanjung Karang, Selangor, the fifth child of a total of nine siblings. His father, Toyo Erodikromo, was an immigrant from Java, Indonesia while his mother, Siti Aminah binti Mohd Taib, is of Malay ethnicity.[2][3][4]

He married his first wife Zahrah Kechik in 1990 and they divorced on 19 September 2022. Dr. Khir Toyo married his second wife Christine Zanitrah Abdullah in 2016. He has one son (born in 2019) from his second marriage.[5]

Before entering politics, Khir was a dentist by profession.[6]

Career

Khir was active in the youth wing of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), serving on its executive council. In 2000, at the age of 35, he became the Menteri Besar of Selangor at the insistence of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, following the resignation of Abu Hassan Omar.[7] His appointment as Menteri Besar came in his first term as a member of the Selangor State Assembly, having been elected as the member for Sungai Panjang in the 1999 election. His young age led to allegations, which he denied, that he had dyed his hair grey to give voters the impression that he was older.[8]

Khir subsequently served as a member of UMNO's Supreme Council and Chairman of Selangor Barisan Nasional from 2000 to 2008. In 2004, Dr. Mohamad Khir won UMNO Supreme Council with the highest votes. Other positions that he holds in UMNO include the Chairman of the Selangor UMNO Communications Board and UMNO Division Head of Sungai Besar. Khir contested for the UMO Youth Chief post in 2008, but eventually placed second in votes after Mukhriz Mahathir and lost the election to Khairy Jamaluddin.

He was the Menteri Besar of Selangor until the 12th General Election in March 2008. The state of Selangor fell to opposition hands following its worst defeat in Malaysian history. He was succeeded by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) secretary-general, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. However, he remains the state assemblyman of Sungai Panjang constituency and became Selangor opposition chief. After the election, he ran for the leadership of UMNO Youth, but was defeated by Khairy Jamaluddin.[9] He resigned as the opposition leader in December 2010, after he was charged with corruption over allegations that while he was the Menteri Besar, he was sold a lavish mansion for less than its market value.[10][11]

Khir Toyo was finally sentenced to a jail term of 12 months for this act and his properties was ordered to be confiscated.[12]

Khir Toyo's award of 'Darjah Kebesaran Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS) Kelas Pertama' with the title Dato' Seri which was conferred on him on 2001 was revoked by the Sultan of Selangor on 30 September 2015 after his conviction of corrupt practices was upheld by the Federal Court.[13]

Desire to contest in general election for Sungai Besar federal seat

On 29 May 2022, he expressed his desire to contest in the next Malaysian general election for the Sungai Besar federal seat representing BN and UMNO to help his party and coalition to regain the seat after it was won by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), then opposition coalition and party in the 2018 Malaysian general election. He also remarked that it was all up to the leadership of BN and UMNO to decide whether he or Minister of Finance Tengku Zafrul Aziz is nominated as candidate.[14] On 28 September 2022, he stated that he was prepared to make a political comeback by contesting for the seat and regaining it from the present Sungai Besar MP Muslimin Yahaya of BERSATU and PN, who was also the Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative. He also revealed that he had worked hard in the constituency for the last three years and he would carry on serving the people even if not being nominated as a candidate for the seat. He also highlighted that he was warmly received by the people while attending events there, which he interpreted as an indication from the people to elect him as the Sungai Besar MP. Moreover, he also remarked that BN was unable to get 100% of Malay votes due to the expected fierce contest for the seat to represent the community and BN must come up with a different manifesto to contest in the state as it owned different demographics and economic status compared to the country.[15]

Controversies and criticism

Zero Illegal Squatters Mission

It was a mission set by Khir Toyo himself to make Selangor 'zero squatters'[16] in line with national policy Wawasan 2020. The opposition criticised Khir Toyo for approving housing project in squatters' area and forcing the residents to move out from their illegal homes. They claimed some of the village claim to be illegal homes had been built before independence in 1957 and most squatters living in a prime area are left homeless and received low compensation. The majority of the squatters are forced to rent or live in low-cost flats.[17]

However report show most of the land is under private owner. "The (squatters) are occupying other people's land. The land will never be theirs as they are private land. They want the land but I can't give it to them" – Dr. Khir Toyo[18]

Despite heavy criticism from opposition before this, the new Menteri Besar from opposition party, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim reported said the effort to reduce the number of squatters and to free them from the clutches of poverty, should continue.[19]

In 2007, The state government had achieved 93.6 per cent success in addressing the squatter problem, having evicted 44,701 of the 47,756 squatter families to-date from all the local council areas in the state. The remaining squatters to be moved by August are 1,090 families from the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) and 257 families from the Klang Municipal Council (MPK), the media secretariat in the Menteri Besar's Office said in a statement. A total of 1,708 squatter families were shifted following court cases, resettled to the North Gombak Orang Asli settlement and planned villages, it said. However, four local authorities still had squatters. They are MPS (984), MPK (221), Shah Alam City Council (307) and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (196).[20]

Bukit Cahaya Reserve

Khir Toyo had been accused of corruption (classic UMNO-style) for approving a construction project which trespasses Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam in Shah Alam, a forest reserve. However this land was approved before Khir took over power. To prove his innocence, Khir had asked Anti-Corruption Agency of Malaysia to investigate the incident.. In 2004, Anti-Corruption Agency declared no case against Khir Toyo.

Selangor State Development Corporation

On 30 October, the current State government of Selangor began investigations into irregularities by the Selangor State Development Corporation when it was run by Khir Toyo. A special investigative team which was set up for the purpose would probe how certain senior officers of the corporation were holding 30% shares in a subsidiary. This included an investigation of RM100,000 gift to former Menteri Besar as a bonus. In 2007, the state government only collected RM17mil revenue from sand mining instead of the RM170mil which it was supposed to get.[21][22]

Election results
Selangor State Legislative Assembly[23][24]
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
1999 N04 Sungai Panjang Khir Toyo (UMNO) 4,243 49.21% Mohd Fadzlin Taslimin (PAS) 4,078 47.30% 8,622 165 71.77%
2004 N03 Sungai Panjang Khir Toyo (UMNO) 9,700 67.98% Saibini Ismail (PAS) 4,240 29.71% 14,269 5,460 79.04%
2008 Khir Toyo (UMNO) 11,181 66.14% Mohd Fadzlin Taslimin (PAS) 5,353 31.66% 16,906 5,828 82.47%

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

See also

References
  1. "Sejarah Menteri Besar : MANTAN DATO' MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR" (in Malay). Selangor: Laman Web Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Selangor. 2008. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  2. "Bapa MB Selangor Meninggal Dunia". Bernama.com. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  3. "Antara Pungut Sampah Dengan Mandi Darah". Pemantu.tripod.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  4. "Only Bangsa Malaysia can unite Malaysians to take on the world". Dapmalaysia.org. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  5. "Khir Toyo Kahwin Buat Kali Kedua". (Gambar) (in Malay). Kaki Share. 31 August 2016. Archived from the original on 1 September 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  6. Wong Chun Wai (18 November 2002). "Dr Khir: MB with a point to prove". The Star. Star Publications. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  7. "MACC hauls up Khir Toyo over Mickey Mouse, Bali house". mysinchew.com. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  8. Kent, Jonathan (7 March 2004). "Malaysia politician denies dyed-on gravitas". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  9. Hong, Carolyn (26 March 2009). "Khairy is Umno Youth head". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 28 March 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  10. "Top Malaysian politician charged with graft over mansion". asiaone. 6 December 2010. Archived from the original on 9 December 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  11. "Khir Toyo drops Opposition leader post". Bernama. 6 December 2010. Archived from the original on 8 December 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  12. "Khir Toyo gets 12 months, properties to be confiscated". The Borneo Post. 24 December 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  13. Mazlinda Mahmood (23 October 2015). "Khir Toyo's datukship revoked". New Straits Times. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  14. "Khir Toyo says wants to contest Sungai Besar parliamentary seat in GE15".
  15. "Dr Khir to make political comeback, eyes Sg Besar seat". The Star. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  16. "admin – Bitcoins und Ethereum – parti-sosialis.org". parti-sosialis.org. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  17. "Bolehland » Urban Poor". Archived from the original on 21 May 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2007.
  18. ":: Selangor Negeri Maju ::". Archived from the original on 23 August 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  19. ":: Selangor Negeri Maju ::". Archived from the original on 14 August 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  20. ":: Selangor Negeri Maju ::". Archived from the original on 23 August 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  21. "Selangor probing past 'irregularities'". Archived from the original on 14 August 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  22. "TheSun". Archived from the original on 13 August 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  23. "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 7 December 2010. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
  24. "Malaysia General Election". undiinfo Malaysian Election Data. Malaysiakini. Retrieved 4 February 2017. Results only available from the 2004 election.
  25. Mazlinda Mahmood (23 October 2015). "Khir Toyo's datukship revoked". New Straits Times. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
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