An agent of change

 

Have you ever been forced to take initiative?

I have. I have an entry about my ex-company titled German Tech firm Infineon Technologies Ag.I was based in Singapore and have worked there for 6 years until the retrenchment exercise. 

As described in that article, it was a company with calm appearance yet riddle with hidden power struggle between multiple parties and regions. I was hired as a business manager of a market segment but the restructuring within month migrated the marketing controlling power from Singapore to Taiwan. 

A person more familiar to the head of department replaced me for the role. I was then re-assigned to handle system level road map, reporting directly to Munich. Even so, a local director was assigned to supervised me on administrative level.

As a newcomer to the company, I was an outsider and managed to see the weakness of the organisation, I did not adhere to the norm as I deemed that it would only hinder the progress of my work. This is a typical trait of an agent of change, we are contrarians with urge to keep evolving.

I was despised for my position. I was challenged of my ability to handle the job technically and he compared me with a technical person. While I was officially in a market, my previous roles involved in management of design team and within depth knowledge of the market technically. Still, it took me much effort to stop his advancement to eliminate me from his team Nevertheless, my movement was greatly restricted as he attempted to make me incompetence by immobilising me.

Then came another round of restructuring, my boss from Munich was reassigned, I was no longer shielded from attack of my local boss and would be made redundant. The department was dealing with system roadmap would be headed by a new team. 

One of the first thing they did was to visit Singapore. I was aware at the time they might have another person to lead the roadmap of the market segment, it was not finalized. I knew that should I wanted to survive in the company, that was my only window.  

On my one-to-one meeting with my new director, I asked to take over my previous boss' role to be fully in charge of the roadmap. This was a monumental task as I would not only be collecting data from Asia region but engaged with an international team. My findings would have to go through rounds of scrutiny and eventually presented to the top management in Munich.

To my surprise, I was given the opportunity after I presented my view on the market requirement. This made me do the same role as my administrative director in Singapore, but on different market segment. As a result, all my effort was put in to produce a very compelling scenario of the market with details into requirement and direction of different sub-segments.  

 At the end of the presentation to multiple parties with different regions, my bosses in Munich were amazed with my work, much better than my administrative director, making him speechless.

Since then, I managed to further elaborate the market structure of my segment for 3 more years before another round of restructuring commenced and this time the top level was too far for me to reach, I was retrenched. 

Even so, I am proud of what I achieve started as an outsider to the company to a position that can influence the research direction of the organisation. The fact that I was a target of elimination only made me stronger and more powerful, shutting the mouth of those who look down on me.

Why do I share my story? Because I can feel for Khairy, we are of similar nature. I can't believe how similar our paths resemble each other.

He first rose to prominence as the son-in-law of the then prime minister Abdulah Ahmad Badawi, but was his progress was into limbo after the fall of his father-in-law in 2009. He was with little backing and have to fight on himself as his father-in-law was with very few allies in the party. 

His role within the party changed multiple times including being the head of UMNO youth, minister of youth and sports, and the most prominent role as acting minister of health.

I did not like this guy at the start, he was cocky and arrogant then. But what caught me by surprise was him being caught having alcohol intake while he was studying in UK. When the reporter revealed picture evidence, he brushed it aside ask, "so?"

This was not a typical answer by a politician as they view haram as taboo and will give every excuse to justify their action. He on the other hand, seemed to ignore the need to keep an appearance. That was when I understand that he would not adhere to standard norm.

This guy is also outspoken to what is right and what is wrong, like voicing his negative opinion on quota for university. 

While everyone rejoiced after the tsunami in 2018. I withheld my happiness, because there was nothing to be happy about, we have the guy who caused all these fiasco in Malaysia brought back as hero. In fact, I have an argument with my cousin during the Chinese New Year before the election that I would not be voting for anyone as I did not see a good outcome in any way. True to my words, I did no cast my vote that round.

While many of the UMNO leaders were in disbelief of their loss and making attempt to regain control. Khary was the only one who said, " Now that we are in the opposition, we have to make sure we perform our role properly." He believes in doing the right thing, not making it "right".

When came 2020 with the dissolution of Harapan government and the political arena of Malaysia in a mess, my father asked me who then might be the best choice. He was in disbelieve when I told him, "Khairy." This person has never crossed his mind at all.

While many were surprised and amazed at his work, including my father, I was not, because I know him. He will use every single opportunity to demonstrate his capability. My father even came to me and said, "Wow! You are right on this one."

Came PRU15, Khairy is in fact outcast by the UMNO leadership. While he is popular with the people, he is not aligned with the UMNO leadership, they view him as their threat. As such he was not being considered as a candidate of UMNO at all even though it would be quite certain he will win a seat for them in many constituencies.

However, if you think that he has no choice, you are wrong. He could decide to wait this round off, let the UMNO leadership hi the wall. He could jump. to another party like few others who were not happy that they were not assigned a constituency. 

He chose to stay with UMNO even though he knew that it would diminish his chance of winning, because it is the right thing to do. He chose to take action, if the leaders do not come to him, he goes to them. While the options were limited, Sungai Buloh was not the only available choice. 

IT WAS HIS DECISION.

What will happen next? 

It is about survival for him, he will fight with all his might to show case to those who despise him. He will even want to outdo their result, shutting their mouths. 

He knows it is an up-hill task as there were 26 thousand majority from his opponent during the last election. Yet, you have not seen any other candidates with such energy to push for a result.

Will he then disappear like most elected members of parliament? No, he will make sure Sungai Buloh is well taken care of, because it is the people of Sungai Buloh who has given him the chance, he will repay in kind.

My only words to Khairy then is, "Khiary, please proves me right one more time!"