Patriotism, Pragmatism, Plus Professionalism, Please, PMX

When Dr Mahathir Mohamad became the prime minister for the second time in May 2018 he had to grapple with the gravest issues of priority relating to pragmatism, the relevance and popularity of his hybrid government, professional management of the nation and the process of healing a nation torn asunder by a powerful plunderer-predecessor. It took some time but the plunderer-predecessor was handled properly, professionally through transparent and thorough investigations, prosecution processes and a prolonged trial. To prison he went eventually four years later.

After almost a year in office Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim who undeniably inherited a most difficult and daunting prime ministership must admit that his challenges cannot be compared to the delicate and devastating situation that Dr Mahathir faced. Dr Mahathir in his trademark cavalier, commanding and creative style got some things right but did not last beyond 22 months. He vastly overestimated his political prowess and underestimated his allies who went on to do deals with his antagonists.

Anwar’s problem today is that he is in a coalition with largely the same set of antagonists from UMNO primarily. UMNO’s tainted leader has become a big burden to his leadership of a clean, accountable and transparent government. After eleven months in office he is perceived as grasping for legitimacy and relevance and is not seen as governing with authority and conviction.

Slogans, speechmaking and stunning statements cannot a credible government make. Neither can revenge and rhetoric or the settlement of scores. It requires solid work, backroom deal making, sustainable governance and proven, sound leadership.

The Current Situation

It is currently a vastly different situation where the prime minister has to show that he has the skills to handle the situation and provide convincing explanations and effective confidence-building executive actions.

It would seem that he can’t have a frank and friendly powwow with the tainted UMNO leader, ask for his withdrawal and replace him with an untainted UMNO leader. That would help refurbish Anwar's image, reorient his government to his declared reformation credentials and restore somewhat the solemnity with which he is seeking to govern with full accountability and transparency.

This is not some novel solution. We will remember that Ismail Sabri Yaakob who was not the president of UMNO did become the prime minister, did contribute positively to the continuation of certain policies and introduced some good innovations.

Zahid, on his part, must be persuaded that it is a small sacrifice to make in the interest of patriotism and the well-being of the nation. It is a small sacrifice to make for his mate and mentor to succeed in his service to the nation.

The game is about effective, good governance. It calls for sacrifice, courage, creativity, austerity, some generosity, great honesty and integrity in order to serve the country as a proactive patriot. It involves hard work, undivided commitment and dedication to enable the nation to achieve greater unity, recovery, progress and prosperity. The country cannot continue in the state of limbo it is in....adrift, aimless, with constant references to the follies of the past, blaming predecessors for every shortcoming and being exercised over inconsequential issues. Just concentrate on central, core issues.

Sacrifice, more sacrifice is what the nation needs desperately. PMX has to state it clearly, faithfully and frequently and administer such sacrifices by exemplary conduct. He must be fearless and fervent in his fight against corruption and forceful in impressing upon Malaysians the need to realise that they are all equal and equally and completely together in the noble endeavour to uplift our nation and its economy.

PMX must be Exemplary

As a start, on his part, PMX has to give up his finance portfolio. He has to appoint a credible person familiar with sound financial sense. Many conversations and difficult consultations are needed on managing an unsustainable debt servicing challenge. We have to draw on the understanding of the people and our own pool of qualified people with IMF/ World Bank experience and exposure.The nation’s revenue base has to be expanded, even if it involves unpopular measures such as bumping up the personal taxes on those making more than a million ringgit a year, sales taxes on luxury vehicles of above a million ringgit, property transactions above five million, crimping the GLCs'perks and perquisites and closing down those that are lossmaking perpetually.

The immigration authorities must be brought to understand that tourism and trade are important sources of employment and revenue for the country. It is no use advertising Malaysia as an investment and tourist destination and then holding up arriving visitors in long queues at checkpoints. At the same time the relevant authorities have a responsibility to track down illegal immigrants who seem to control some business and retail operations. Parts of our inner cities seem to reflect more poor Myanmar, Bangladeshi and Nepali culture than our own culture.

Foreign Policy

The Foreign Ministry has several attractive and valuable properties overseas. Those that do not generate revenue but cost a lot for maintenance and upkeep for the government should be considered for sale. We have to face the reality that Malaysia is no longer a credible aspirant for first world status in the short or medium term. The country is bogged down by pervasive corruption, unusually high operational costs and debt servicing costs and leakages that are hindering the growth of per capita incomes.The country was on a false trajectory of such possibilities and much money was splurged on high rentals and inflated expectations and expenditure.

There are several European and Latin American countries that run embassies on modest budgets, with small staff establishments and reliance on locally hired staff. Specifically if an ambassador was enjoying a rental subsidy of USD16000 monthly in a distant, peripheral and dismally administered capital with Dutch disease long ago there should be cause for concern even today, some twenty five years later.

Malaysia’s foreign policy’s primary focus should be on the ASEAN region, Chindia , the rest of Asia, BRICs and Australasia. Protocol, reciprocity, pragmatism and personnel considerations would require the government to maintain other diplomatic and consular missions but there should be proper administration and auditing of these missions. Diplomacy is about obtaining the maximum benefit from the minimal outlay of assets such as personnel, finances, diplomatic initiatives, travel expenses and resident representation. It can be done smartly and superbly. Representation in international organisations is unavoidable in order to protect our sovereignty, status and issues relating to peace, security, the environment, global warming, airline operations, shipping, trading privileges etc.

Yes, there was indeed a time when Malaysia stood on the threshold of a trajectory of great promise and prospective preeminence. We then had honourable, high minded humble leaders who spoke politely but slogged silently for the nation. Those were memorable years of magnificent statesmen, leaders and technocrats.

Partying Is Over

Now few would remember that Harold Macmillan, the then prime minister of the U.K. had proposed the toast on behalf of his government when the inaugural Malaysia Day diplomatic reception was held in mid- September 1963. That grand party at Grosvenor House was graciously hosted by the Cambridge-educated Tunku Yaacob, the then Malaysian high commissioner, an older brother of the then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. That kind of an elegant bubbly party effectively ended for us decades ago.

PMX has to build not from scratch but from a mutilated base, a maligned manpower establishment, a vastly vitiated asset base and a dispiriting debt problem.

He has to get on to doing the prime minister’s job with dedication, delegation, design and diplomacy.

M Santhananaban

November 9, 2023