Nor Hisham unable to forget broom award incident when with MDHS in 2007

KUALA LUMPUR: The new Mayor of Kuala Lumpur Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan, was choked with sadness when recalling the infamous broom award from the Selangor state government in 2007 while he was serving the Hulu Selangor District Council (MDHS).
"When I was called to receive the broom from the then Selangor Mentri Besar (Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo), I had just been promoted from the Federal Territories Ministry to the district as the Hulu Selangor M52 district officer in September 2007.
"The award was given in December 2007 on the grounds of unsatisfactory tax collection of less than 40% in 2006. Receiving the broom was the MDHS president at that time Tukiman Nail.
"Although it was not during my tenure, I was determined to accept the broom to take full responsibility. It has become part of the history of Barisan Nasional's defeat in Selangor," he said in response to reporters questions on that episode after the handing over of duties ceremony for the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur here today.
Nor Hisham said after the episode, he tried to improve the tax collection and within two years the hard work finally paid off with an award of excellence and a RM100,000 gift from former Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim in 2009.
"We (at MDHS) had succeeded in achieving more than 92% of tax collection within two years which was the reason we received the recognition from the State Government," he added.
In the meantime, Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said the incident has been an encouragement to Nor Hisham to prove his worth with the Local Authorities.
"As the head, even though he accepted the broom on behalf of others, it was a bitter experience and yet encouraged the local authorities to prove their ability and 'proof them wrong' in a short period of time," he said.
Mohamad Khir was reported to have explained that the broom award was not done to humiliate local authorities but with a symbolic motive for the local authorities to clean up poor attitudes and negative practices in the local authorities as to gain the maximum level of service quality.
Following the incident, Mohamad Khir was criticised by various quarters including the Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services Malaysia (Cuepacs) as the action was seen as humiliating civil servants. — Bernama