TAN SRI IBRAHIM MENUDIN : WHY I JOIN PKR!

"to each his needs, from each his best"

Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin is the former treasurer of Sabah Umno.He announced his decision to join PKR on Sept 15,2012. He was chairman of Suria Capital Holdings Berhad, Deputy Chairman of Sabah Forestry Development Authority and the Chairman of Borneo Conversation Trust. He also sits on the board of oil firm SapuraKenchana Petroleum

SEPT 20 — The eve of Malaysia Day marked a major turning point in my life. After a career spent largely out of the political limelight, I decided to enter mainstream politics and join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

For some time now, I have felt a deep and growing sense of dissatisfaction with the way our country is run. We have achieved so much with what we have been given, and yet, 49 years after Malaysia was formed, and with eight years left until Wawasan 2020, many of us are still struggling with the basic necessities of life. Eighty per cent of our households still live on less than RM3,000 per month, and 40 per cent of our households live on RM1,500 per month. As the cost of living continues to increase, most of us will still struggle to make ends meet.

I joined PKR because I believe it is time for change. It is time that we took back the future, the future that is continually being promised to all of us, but is only being realised by so few.

In the shorter term, we have to tackle the economic mismanagement that is currently plaguing our country. The current administration's “solution” to spend our way out of our problems is not a solution; it is part of the problem. Our national debt stands at 53 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), more than Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, and at least one-third of our federal budget is funded by Petronas. We need to restructure the way our budget is funded and the way our budget is spent, and we need to re-think the way our government-linked companies (GLCs) operate.

In the longer term, we need to address our national standard of education. Our students are becoming less competitive because we have come to depend on a system of rote memorisation and indoctrination rather than on a system of building intellect and promoting lateral thinking. 

Thirty per cent of our students do not even complete SPM. Many private schools have been founded to address some concerns that our children are not getting the level of education they need. 

Our priority should be to raise the quality of education of all our national schools, so that if we want to send our children to private schools, it is because we want to, not because we feel we have to. Our overarching philosophy should be not just to educate our students, but to liberalise the minds of all Malaysians, young and old.

I am also entering PKR to help the people of Labuan. As a native of Labuan, I long to see a great and prosperous future for my homeland. I have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed immense opportunity. My goal now is to make these opportunities, and so many more, available to everyone, by allowing Labuan to realise its true potential. We need to lower the skyrocketing living costs that are burdening the average Labuanite, and properly position and promote Labuan as an international hub for oil and gas, education, and financial services.

Of course, there are many other reasons why I decided to take up this political challenge, but today, I have highlighted these three because I believe that on some level, these reasons resonate with everyone.

My hope is that Malaysians realise that while we as a country are fortunate to have what we have, we can be so much more. For too long, we have allowed ourselves to be dragged down by pessimism and frustration. 

With the people's support, PKR and Pakatan Rakyat will lead the wave of change and offer hope and excitement. 

The tables are now turning, and we as Malaysians are more aware than ever of the reforms that need to be made. 

Give us the chance to achieve more, not just more of the same. Our time in history has never been more important. 

Let’s do something great, and let’s do it together.

* Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin recently joined PKR.

Background*

Tan Sri. Ibrahim bin Menudin, BCom FCA, served as Corporate Representative in Malaysia of Hudson Resources Ltd. Tan Sri. Bin Menudin served as Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Mining Corporation Berhad (MMC) from March 1986 to 31 October 2001. He started his career in the Sabah State Civil Service where, he served as Accountant General, Sabah Government, Finance Ministry from 1976 to 1979. He resigned in 1980 and served as Chief Executive Officer of Bumiputra Investment Fund of Sabah until 1985. He served as the Special Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sabah since February 01, 2002 until March 2004. He was directly involved in the development and expansion of overseas marketing and export program for Attapulgite products of Sabah Forest Industry Sdn Bhd. Tan Sri Bin Menudin has been the Chairman of Suria Capital Holdings Berhad since May 20, 2002. He has been the Chairman of Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd since December 22, 2003 and Raffles Capital Limited since December 16, 2009. He serves as the Chairman of the Board of Maryborough Coal Limited. He serves as Non Executive Chairman of Tiaro Coal Ltd. He serves as the Chairman/Deputy Chairman of Sabah Forestry Development Authority (SAFODA). He was appointed as the Chairman of Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) since 30 November 2009. He served as Executive Chairman of Hudson Resources Ltd. from October 24, 2002 to June 30, 2004. He served as Chairman of Hudson Resources Ltd. from July 1, 2004 to August 4, 2005 and also served as Chairman of the Board Hudson MPA Sdn Bhd. He was the Chairman of Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad from October 1985 to October 2001. He served as the Chairman of Sabah Gas Industries Sdn Bhd, Deputy Chairman of Sabah Forest Industry Sdn Bhd. He served as the Chairman of the Companies like Gas Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Malakoff Berhad, Kulim Butterworth Highways Sdn Bhd, Tronoh Mines Malaysia Berhad and MMC Engineering Group Berhad. He has been an Independent Non-Executive Director of SapuraKencana Petroleum Berhad since March 9, 2012. He has been an Independent & Non Executive Director of Suria Capital Holdings Bhd since May 20, 2002. He has been a Non-Executive Director of Hudson Resources Ltd since June 6, 2007 and Tiaro Coal Ltd. since November 9, 2007. He has been a Director of Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd since December 22, 2003. He served as a Independent & Non Executive Director of Sapuracrest Petroleum Bhd from November 22, 2007 to May 15, 2012. He served as board member of other Sabah Government corporations ranging from finance, forestry, manufacturing, plantations, hotel and property development. He served as a Member of the Malaysia Australia Foundation. He serves as a board member of Malaysian Mining Corporation Berhad (MMC) since August, 1985. He served as a Director of Hudson Resources Limited from October 24, 2002 to August 4, 2005. He served as a Director of Komplek Kewangan, one of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB)'s financing subsidiaries. Following the impending take-over of MMC by a private group from PNB, he took early retirement on 31st October, 2001. He served as a board member of Ashton Mining Limited and Plutonic Resources Limited. He is a Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as the Malaysian Institute of Accountants. Tan Sri Bin Menudin obtained a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Western Australia.