LETTER | All eyes on cabinet's 100 days

LETTER | #KamiMalaysia is following closely the first 100 days of the new government led by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaacob and the appointment of his cabinet ministers on Aug 27.

#KamiMalaysia believes that the appointments made were essentially a rehash of old faces from the previous government. Almost 90 percent of the 69 ministers and their deputies are the same. 

This is not only a recycled cabinet (as pointed out by a section of the citizenry) but fails to fulfil the aspirations and demands of the citizens who desire a small cabinet consisting of credible and quality leadership. It is also far from a repudiation of narrow partisan politics via the formation of a government that is inclusive and united across political parties.

This cabinet also fails to manifest the desire for a new political culture as directed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, rather it is still very partisan, does not reflect political unity across parties and a focus on solving current issues. 

As emphasised by the Agong, “political turmoil and confusion” must be resolved immediately, and the people should not be burdened with the effects of this political turmoil. The king urged the new prime minister to ensure that the “winner will not win it all, and the loser does not lose it all.”

This cabinet is further seen as a repetition of the political failure that places political expediency above the interests of the people. It appears to be a political compromise or concession by the main leadership to manage the continuing internal fights for power and the desire above all else to remain in office. 

Most unfortunate is that these political games persist at a time when the nation continues to grapple with the critical and alarming fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impacts on health, the economy, small and medium entreprises, peace, prosperity and general well-being of the people. 

Additionally, the cabinet's inclusiveness is unsatisfactory. The cabinet line-up has one appointee aged 35 years and below, and only 10 percent are women. It is disappointing to note that only one minister is from the professional and technocratic community. 

The new leadership has essentially ignored the repeated demands of the people for new faces by continuing to insist on the appointment of old guards with their accumulated political baggage to run our nation. #KamiMalaysia is of the view that more dynamic and competent new leaders should lead the government.

The 100 days set by the PM must not be a time for renegotiating the alignment of political ideologies among the various factions within government but must be utilised towards the correction of errors in previous approaches to the pandemic and economic management. 

The time should also be used for the production of the desired turn around with policy clarity and credibility that are able to be defended transparently and openly.

If we were to compare with Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s 'kabinet Indonesia maju', that composition reflects a balance and an eclectic mix of young and seasoned politicians, career politicians and professionals. It also includes the appointment of members from opposition parties as ministers. 

This is a bold and progressive move and an excellent demonstration on the part of Indonesia’s political leadership that places the country on the right path towards its national development.

Current world trends indicate a clear tendency of most nations to appoint fresh and capable people and professionals to lead the government. In Canada for instance, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet has almost 70 percent of its ministers from non-partisan professionals. 

New Zealand is led by Jacinta Adern, a 41-year-old woman premier and is one of the most successful countries in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic. Both countries are said to have witnessed encouraging development since the beginning of their leadership.

According to several global pandemic surveys such as the Nikkei Covid-19 Recovery Index, the Economist's Global Normalcy Index, and CNBC's assessment of the Malaysian Stock Exchange, Malaysia appears to be declining and is starting to lag behind other countries including our neighbour Indonesia in some respects.

This new cabinet that is essentially the whole of the previous cabinet signals a lack of courage and is a step backwards at a time when other countries in our region are taking bold moves to change the dynamics of their governance.

Nevertheless, #KamiMalaysia firmly believes that the prime minister must still consider the proposed establishment of a National Recovery Council as previously mentioned by various quarters. This council must be made up of experts in their respective fields and be non-partisan professionals dedicated only towards assisting the cabinet to steer the country out of the pandemic within a short time so that the lives of the people can return to normal. 

In order to fulfil its duties in this regard, the council must be vested with the mandate and authority for pandemic management and must be free of political interference.

#KamiMalaysia is of the view that to achieve this goal, an inclusive leadership structure among various stakeholders whether from the government, local private sector, NGOs and academia, must be the new norm. 

#KamiMalaysia believes that previous administrations have failed precisely because of their detachment and lack of meaningful consultation especially with various expert groups and interest groups, indicating a general failure to observe healthy participatory democracy.

#KamiMalaysia is adamant and remains confident that the citizens are able to learn from, and put a stop to, the current unending episodes of political dramas unfolding within the pandemic crisis by working together to renew the national narrative and political culture.

This can be done by ensuring the appointment of leaders who are capable, dutiful, morally impeccable, possess integrity and are free from all corruption, scandals and abuse of power thereby safeguarding Malaysia as an economically strong nation able to achieve its true potential and ensure the welfare and prosperity of the people. 

The writer is a spokesperson for the #KamiMalaysia movement. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.