Khairi Haleem

Pehin Sri Khairi Haleem
Image of Khairi Haleem, taken 2022
Federation Minister
Incumbent
Assuming office 2016
President	Dumadi Kepli
Deputy	Mulia Leman
Succeeding	Teruna Elyas
Minister Of Economic Affairs
In office 2011–2016
Preceded by	Puspa Atan
Succeeded by	Daniel Budiarto
Personal details
Born	(1972-01-03) January 3, 1972 Bandar Sungai Berkembar
Nationality	Murut
Political party	Party Rakyat Popular Kebangsaan
Residence	Bandar Sungai Berkembar
Awards	Award of The Federation Minister
Nickname	KH

Khairi Haleem, also known as KH, is a politician, former miner, and former mine supervisor who is currently serving as the Federation Minister of the Republik Bebas Ketiga. A notable populist and member of the modernist wing of the PRPK, he would win the 2016 PRPK Leadership Elections with the support of Dumadi Kepli and his own popularity among the base due to his reformist promises. Having served in a major economic cabinet position during the Teruna FMship, his victory in the overall 2016 elections was bolstered by this perceived experience. He has suffered notable criticism due to his failure to enact his ambitious reform plans, and it is believed that even if the PRPK does win the 2024 elections, it is unlikely he will remain Federation Minister. He is the youngest Federation Minister, having taken the role at the age of 44, and also the only one to not have graduated from a university.

Khairi spent much of his life as a miner, starting at the age of 16 and ascending to a role as an overseer by the age of 29, where he was noted for his good sense of where cobalt could generally be found. He would leave this position in his early 30's, and become a grassroots campaigner for the PRPK in the wake of the first round of elections to occur since the Second Murut Civil War- his populist messaging style and the acclaim he gained amongst the population through such propelling him rapidly above the ranks of the PRPK, although never in an elected position. In recognition of his popularity amongst the modernist wing, he would be appointed as the Minister of Economic Affairs in 2011- a role he proved surprisingly successful in, leveraging his knowledge of interpersonal management, a large-scale network of patronage amongst the cobalt families he was a member of, and the study of numerous works of economics to successfully create genuine growth in the cobalt industries, opening several trade deals during this period.

This success would continue his rise amongst the party, and at the urging of Dumadi Kepli he would gather the support of his predecessor Teruna Elyas to clinch the nomination for Federation Minister in 2016, allowing him to win a landslide victory in the overall elections later that year. His campaigning during this period was primarily focused upon his image of economic success, independence from a perceived cabal of entrenched politicians, and self-proclaimed connection to the average man, exemplified by his self-proclaimed "horrendous tie".

He has dropped rapidly in popularity throughout his career as FM, as his continued failure to pass the Khairi Plan has caused him to lose his reformist perception, and it has often been wondered if he is to be replaced in the 2024 RBK Elections, although no definitive word has been given on the manner, and he retains some popularity amongst the modernist wing for his actually successful reforms.

Early Life

Khairi was born in the Bandar Sungai Berkembar, to a large family. He was the fifth son out of seven, and he was often unwatched in his daily life owing to the necessity of all those older than him to work, himself going to begin labor in the cobalt mines near the outskirts of the city at the young age of 16. He would be injured several times throughout this career, although none would be severe enough to permanently disable him. He would eventually, after several years working at the mine, be appointed as a supervisors in his late 20s, a role he would work in until the end of the Second Murut Civil War, when he would be fired due to the surplus of demobilized soldiers entering the cobalt extraction industry, and instead become a grassroot organizer for the PRPK.

Political Career

Early Career (2002-2009)

In the aftermath of his firing, Khairi would begin organizing amongst the poorer districts of the Bandar, finding that he has a surprising talent for public speech despite his lack of direct experience in such beforehand. He would contribute to a notable increase in supporters amongst the city's poorer districts, and would be recognized for this role with an official position in the PRPK's Organization Bureau within the city. Within the Bureau, he would establish himself as a firm modernist, isolating and expelling certain members of the military wing as he climbed throughout the ranks. This focus on modernism would lead to his initial relationship with Dumadi Kepli, the two having a chance meeting during a fundraising event and finding each other distinctly agreeable in policy.

This initial friendship would assist in his purges of the military wing the city to a distinct degree, although they would also impose limitations- in that he could not begin the removal of those who owed or were owed debts by Dumadi, despite his own desire to move past such issues.

Consideration for Cabinet Position (2009-2011)

Khairi would begin forming key connections to economic and military figures around this time, securing his position in the party alongside assisting the consolidation of the modernist wing as a whole, although he would remain a somewhat minor figure in that process- not emerging as a key leader until his appointment as a minister.

Owing to his friendship with Dumadi, Khairi would be considered several times for a position in the government of Teruna Elyas, with the appointment delayed until Dumadi could ensure that Khairi would not engage in any actions which could threaten the stability of the government or the PRPK as a party. Extracting this promise would take until 2011, a full year after Teruna's ascension to political power, but as it was reached Khairi would be appointed as the Minister of Economic Affairs.

Minister of Economic Affairs (2011-2016)

Khairi would become the Minister of Economic Affairs in 2011, and would prove surprisingly successful in the role despite his lack of direct economic policy knowledge, successfully leveraging the knowledge of his deputy and his own knowledge of interpersonal interaction (plus relations with key cobalt families) to increase the amount of cobalt being produced and traded. Around this period, he would also open discussions on coal liquefication and general increasing of economic independence with the Phansi_Uhlanga, these conversations opening the door for greater cooperation with the state.

During his tenure, the RBK would have a 1.5% yearly increase in GDP, an increase from the projected 1.3% increase which solidified his personal image of being a successful economic figure.

Federation Minister

Main Article: South Kembar Scandal

Policies, Views

Modernism

Khairi has been a notable and staunch supporter of the modernist wing of the PRPK, having proposed numerous economic and political reforms and implemented several notable ones, including increasing the power of the Bureau of Industrial Security, including giving it the capability to close certain mines which egregiously fail to meet health and safety standards (although the Bureau has been accused of severe corruption, including accepting bribes and covertly closing mines belonging to families opposed to the futurist wing or PRMK in general). He has additionally supported the Confederal Bill of Rights (in a more restrained fashion than Dumadi Kepli), and called for greater and exclusive utilization of the Murut Language, including in primarily minority areas or federation-wide political bodies.

Khairi's own Khairi Plan has called for the importation of foreign economic figures to assist in the fusion of capital-state relations into a Developmental mixed-economy, although he has refrained from supporting Phansi Uhlanga to the same extent as the Federative President, supporting planned coal-liquefication deals but refusing to make promises in regards to greater collaboration than such.

Populism

Khairi is a noted populist despite his own connections to notable political and economic figures, on-paper supporting greater planning in the economy, increases in worker's rights, and greater state control over economic affairs. Notable political scientists have disputed this perception, however, noting the performative nature of his populism and the failure to enact- or even begin to enact- several policies he had intially given support to, citing his increased "professionalism" in the role of Federation Minister as a sign that his initial persona was designed primarily to achieve office instead of as an actual reflection of his real beliefs. Despite this castigation, he has been notably supportive of several worker's movements in recent years, and has achieved limited increases in joint-provincial economic planning.

Personal Life

Khairi has notably never been in an official or unofficial romantic relationship, leading many notable media figures to question if he is asexual. He has made no response to these questions. Khairi has suffered several notable health incidents in recent years, including requiring a lung transplant in 2019. He has also required corrective care for severe injuries sustained to his back and spine during his career as a miner.

Scandals

Khairi has been a notable supporter of Murut political dominance, and has received severe push-back for several statements made and policies he has attempted to pass which were believed to discriminate against the minority populations of the RBK. The most notable of these scandals was in 2018, where, after leaving the Office of the Federation Minister early and going to a bar, he would engage in a violent tirade against a homeless member of the Katahan people, including threatening to have the man executed.