Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah was appointed Kuala Lumpur mayor on Oct 1, 2020. He was then hailed as the “right man for the job”.
Fast-forward to today, it remains unclear if Mahadi will continue as mayor, when his tenure in the hot seat at Menara DBKL 1 ends tomorrow.
He enjoyed a six-month extension when his two-year contract was up last year.
Having served City Hall for four decades, Mahadi started his career as a town planner with the local council in 1983. He climbed up the ranks, and was appointed City Hall’s Urban Planning Department director, and later, Planning Executive Director, before retiring in 2019.
Mahadi left retirement to take up the offer as the 13th mayor of Kuala Lumpur in October, 2020.
His appointment was regarded as a match made in heaven, given he was answerable to the then Federal Territories Minister, Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who is also a town planner.
However, the partnership didn’t last, as a change in the Malaysian government in August 2021 saw Mahadi serving another FT minister, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
Annuar and Shahidan were later sacked by Umno, and Shahidan is now a part of the opposition pact.
After winning the Nov 19 general election and being sworn in as prime minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim decided to abolish the Federal Territories Ministry. With the ministry being reduced to a department, Mahadi answered directly to Anwar. This was similar to Tan Sri Elyas Omar’s time in office, when he enjoyed direct access to then prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Anwar was at the City Hall headquarters on Dec 22, meeting Mahadi formally for the first time. It was there that the prime minister handed the mayor several tasks, including coming up with a cleanliness and beautification action plan, and better management of hawkers in the federal capital.
Mahadi was given three months to complete the mission.
The deadline for the plan is up, but it remains unknown if Mahadi’s plans had been presented to Anwar.
A long-time City Hall staff said there has not been any news of Mahadi leaving office on Friday.
“Six months is too short of a time for him to deliver,” said the insider, referring to Mahadi’s six-month extension that was given to him last year.
“Given the current situation, he should be given at least another six months to lead City Hall.”
However, some believe Mahadi may face the exit after ruffling feathers during his stint.
There have been talks that he did not enjoy a rosy relationship with some of his key management members, with alleged shouting matches taking place during meetings.
“Besides having good legal and financial management skills, human relations is also key. Being a good town planner alone, may not be sufficient,” said the insider.
There are also whispers of another town planner, Datuk Sulaiman Mohamed, being the next candidate to helm City Hall.
Sulaiman is currently the council’s Planning Executive Director.
However, a retired City Hall senior officer said it was time for an outsider to be given the top post.
“There have been three appointments from within; Datuk Seri Ruslin Hasan (who served as mayor between 2003-2005), Tan Sri Mhd Amin Nordin (2015-2018) and Mahadi. It’s time for someone with fresh ideas to be brought in,” he said.
“There are still a lot of longstanding issues, including flood management, that have not been addressed. We need to tackle the low-hanging fruits. We also need to find new ways to work with the business community, especially investors.”
The retired officer said Kuala Lumpur is the gateway to the country, and that it was crucial for the new government to have someone who can fulfil its aspirations.
“There must be proper communication between the mayor and all levels at City Hall, not just those at the top.
“Besides residents, it is also crucial for the mayor to constantly engage with the media. There is no room for promises without delivery,” he added.
Image: Kuala Lumpur City Hall
