Ex-Selangor MB Khalid dies at 76

Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who became the first menteri besar outside of Umno to rule Selangor, passed away tonight after a long illness. 

The 76-year-old former corporate leader had been hospitalised for a heart infection since April 23. He leaves behind his wife and four children.

Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has decreed that the former menteri besar be laid to rest at the royal mausoleum in Shah Alam.

Khalid joined PKR before being appointed as menteri besar soon after the 2008 election.

He led the state government for six years before being ousted in the so-called Kajang Move, a campaign by his own party to replace him.

Before his foray into politics, Khalid was best known for his involvement in the so-called Guthrie Dawn Raid in 1981, which resulted in then British-owned plantation giant Guthrie being taken out of British ownership when its shares were bought over just as the London Stock Exchange was waking up for the morning trade.

The move, orchestrated by the Malaysian government under then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, resulted in Permodalan Nasional taking the majority ownership of Guthrie.

Guthrie at that time owned more than 100,000ha in plantations and was listed as number 68 on the London Stock Exchange.