He was in the front passenger’s seat of a grey Proton X70 when he arrived at Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut at 9.15am today to report for duty as the 14th mayor of Kuala Lumpur.
As he alighted the vehicle, Datuk Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh was greeted by his top executive directors, with one even going out of his way to adjust the new boss’ nametag.
A City Hall officer for 32 years before being appointed mayor, many things must have gone through Kamarulzaman’s mind as he got down to the first order of the day – the parade inspection held at Dataran DBKL.
With the city welcoming the new “boss” this morning, parade officers and even journalists braved the early morning traffic, with many arriving some two hours before the slated 9am ‘handing over of duties’ ceremony.
Following the handover between Kamarulzaman and his predecessor, Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah, the new mayor was presented with the chain of office.
With a hall (Dewan Megapuri) full of City Hall directors and members of the press, Kamarulzaman however, saw fit not to address the crowd. He instead, accorded that honour to Federal Territories Department director-general, Datuk Seri Rosida Jaafar, who hoped that the new mayor will ensure the city prospered, in line with the Malaysia Madani concept.
After the beautiful cultural performance given to Kamarulzaman as he entered Menara DBKL 1 today, the media was told that he would not be meeting the press.
“No press conference,” said an officer. No reason was provided.
Kamarulzaman, 59, was formerly City Hall’s Executive Director (Project Management). A qualified surveyor, he will serve as mayor until Aug 14, next year. Strangely, Kamarulzaman has been given a rather short term to serve as mayor, compared to his predecessors, who were usually accorded a two-year term.
Those who have worked with Kamarulzaman describe him as polite, pleasant, quiet, and a workaholic.
Before leaving office, Mahadi delivered an 18-page long speech to City Hall staff, detailing his accomplishments, saying that “KL is no longer affected by flash floods or the problem of stagnant water that disrupts traffic”. Kamarulzaman has much to do, and perhaps, undo, in his next 14 months in office.
The federal capital is in dire need of a dynamic, visionary mayor that is not afraid to speak his mind. The city needs a leader who is not afraid to make unpopular, but good decisions that will benefit the masses. This leader must also learn that he cannot run away from the media, nor can he escape the wrath of unhappy KLites who continue to demand for greater transparency and accountability.
He must be willing to listen and learn from others. It is essential for him to talk to people from all walks of life, not just those at the top.
From addressing issues related to the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040, to finding new ways to increase City Hall’s income, finding solutions to long-standing hawker problems and addressing alleged disciplinary issues, Kamarulzaman must show that he is willing to take the bull by the horns.
Granted, some of these issues may be new to him, but, if whispers along the corridors of City Hall are true, Kamarulzaman, a fast learner, will have no problems hitting the ground running as he makes the switch to the driver’s seat to take the 51-year-old Kuala Lumpur to the next level.
