CPI Wishlist for the newly installed Prime Minister
CPI Writings
Written by YL Chong, Editor, CPI
Sunday, 05 April 2009 12:54
Malaysians woke up last Friday to a new dawn and the promise of a new era as newly installed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak delivered several promises anchored on “One Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” in his maiden speech to the nation.
In his initial acts -- hopefully to preface a more open and democratic government? The Chief Executive of State ordered the release of 13 Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees and the restoration of the printing licenses of the recently banned PAS newsletter Harakah and PKR's organ Suara Keadilan.
What Najib proposed as a "great journey" he would like fellow Malaysians to partner with him in the quest for "One Malaysia", as reported by The Malaysian Insider, has among others, pledged:
That the Barisan Nasional will comprehensively review the Internal Security Act;
* A reform agenda, which seems to be the "flavour of the year" as it was also the keynote for change adopted by the Opposition parties, especially the PKR led by Anwar Ibrahim, during the March 2008 general elections;
* Najib's "People First" pledge stresses that "nobody in the country, regardless of ethnic background, should feel marginalised or left behind"; and
* quoting the new PM in his "Performance Now" promise, assures: “We must draw on talented people across our nation, regardless of their position or background, to re-energize a passion for public service. We must sow the seeds of goodwill and understanding in every corner of this land, so that we continue to harvest the fruits of progress and prosperity for all Malaysians.”
CPI To Do Wishlist for Prime Minister Najib:
While CPI welcomes Najib's promising start in his initial demonstrations of being more tolerant of political opponents and social activists netted by the ISA, and of dissent as channeled by the Opposition party organs, it is early days yet to be celebrating, as Malaysians' hopes had been raised by the political leaders, then dashed, many times before. Maybe the new PM has engaged a more media savvy team of financial, corporate and media and other specialists advisers to plan some people-friendly moves to break the ice with many skeptical parties -- political, social action and civil society groups -- to truly make "great" the Malaysian journey.
As Editor of CPI (the Centre for Policy Initiatives), I would certainly support the new government leaders if they are truly committed in walking the talk, and giving priority to "substance over form" -- which means less rhetoric and more substantive action! -- to reflect the "great journey" that like-minded Malaysians can embark on together. For a start, I urge for consideration that the Prime Minister, to adopt broad policy changes to move the nation towards developed nation status in the eleven-year span remaining as envisioned by Vision 2020, the following measures in principle:
* Do away with all race and religion-based policies anchored on quotas which promotes cronyism and divisiveness, especially in the award of government contracts and scholarships, and recruitment into the Civil Service, and instead, use the "needs principle", but incorporating certain advantages for the less-privileged groups of Malaysians who have lower education and income-earning capacities and/or handicapped health-wise at birth or by accident;
* Create an environment that is conducive to promoting freedom of speech, intellectual development and a liberal media -- by reviewing or/and abolishing draconian laws such as the ISA, Printing Presses and Publications Act, Universities and University Colleges Act and the Official Secrets Act;
* Make the national oil corporation, PETRONAS, accountable to the Rakyat, which mandates that it must report its financial performance to Parliament -- the Malaysian people on whose behalf Petronas is mandated to hold trust with respect to the nation's richest resource. Presently, it is regretted the citizens have not received the true benefits that should accrue to them, epitomised by the prices of goods and services having risen by some 30% to 50% when world oil prices hit the almost USD150 per barrel levels about 10 months ago, when logically, an oil-producing and a net oil-exporting country like Malaysia should see its citizens enjoy substantially higher benefits than those of non-oil-producing countries. But when world oil prices plunged -- back to USD50 per barrel levels -- The question that arises: why have the prices of goods and services then not come down in tandem with falling world oil prices? Where have all the revenues and profits of Petronas gone? Are the elected representatives to Parliament and the State Assemblies who are mandated to be the nation's gatekeepers of our resources such as petroleum, land and forestry, helping themselves to the nation's wealth and Petronas' largesse in the main, and sprinkling peanuts to the Rakyat who put them into office?
* To give true meaning to the stated national goal of alleviating poverty, I would urge that the Government identify the Malaysian families with incomes below RM1,000 a month, and on a graduated scale, help them with monthly welfare payments e.g RM1,000 to those earning less than RM500, RM500 those earning RM500-1,000 to ensure the nation's wealth is distributed to those who need financial assistance most. The present Government has been trumpeting that it spends billions on "subsidies" in various forms, but the well-informed citizens, know, or the average person-in-the-street, suspects that a high percentage of these subsidy allocations are siphoned off into undeserving pockets. Yes, figures of government wastages and slippages are educated-estimated as ranging from 50% to 70%, and however the government leaders may wish to deny the truth of such suspicions, it requires a more responsible, transparent and accountable new leadership to begin to dispel the skeptics among us. And those "us" will demonstrate their researched or mere gut-feeling assessment of Najib's performance come the 13th General Elections in three to four years' time. I believe the Malaysians people in general are reasonable and fair-minded, and are prepared to give the new Prime Minister a chance. Can Najib be a gentleman whose word is his bond, and hence give substance to his word? -- Editor, CPI
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Related Story:
A Brand New Day for Malaysia
By Ahirudin Attan aka Rockybru
Saturday, April 04, 2009
A good start. I'm reproducing Najib Razak's maiden address as our 6th Prime Minister so that we can all judge him for ourselves and hold him by his word. I say it's a good start and I say that the more rational and reasonable among us Malaysian men and women should give him a fair chance to prove his worth as our leader.
If he fails to deliver, we'll know what to do.
Because we've done it before.
PRIME MINISTER’S ADDRESS ON ASSUMING OFFICE AS
6TH PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
3 APRIL 2009
-------------------------
1. On behalf of all Malaysians, I would like to thank YABhg. Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for his 31 years of exemplary public service to our country, his commitment to strengthening the institutions and fabric of our democracy and for his graceful example as our leader.
2. I am grateful to YABhg. Tun for his confidence in proposing my name as Prime Minister to Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and I am honoured that His Majesty has consented to my appointment with this morning’s swearing-in ceremony. I feel a deep sense of humility at the opportunity to serve as your Prime Minister at an important time in our nation's history.
My life has been dedicated to public service.
Growing up, I was inspired by the positive impact of public service in the example of my late father. Four decades on, I remain committed to the goals of tackling poverty; of restructuring our society; of expanding access to quality education for all; and of inspiring a new generation of young Malaysians to work on behalf of this great country.
My own service in government has always been about getting results: to ensure a better deal for teachers, to improve conditions for our brave soldiers, and to strengthen our economy in defence of the people of Malaysia, as we deal with the outbreak of a global recession.
3. In the coming weeks, I will be consulting with people around our country, as I begin to reshape the leadership and priorities of the Government. I am mindful that we should build on the successes and lessons of the past. It must be a government with new approaches for new times – a government that places a priority on performance, because the people must come first.
4. We must reach out to all parts of Malaysia…to all our diverse communities. In our national discourse and in pursuing our national agenda, we must never leave anyone behind. We must reach out to the many who may have been disaffected and left confused by political games, deceit and showmanship.
We must draw on talented people across our nation, regardless of their position or background, to re-energize a passion for public service. We must sow the seeds of goodwill and understanding in every corner of this land, so that we continue to harvest the fruits of progress and prosperity for all Malaysians.
We must seek to include and unlock the potential of our young people who will be the next generation of leaders, businesspeople, engineers, scientists, teachers and doctors. We must give them wings to fly.
5. And so today, I pledge that I will work tirelessly to serve all of you.
6. In this spirit, I would like to announce that the government has decided with immediate effect, to remove the temporary ban on TWO news publications, release 13 detainees from ISA detention, and conduct a comprehensive review of the Internal Security Act. Additional details will be announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs shortly.
7. These decisions are timely as we move to enhance the confidence of our citizens in those entrusted with maintaining peace, law and order, while recognizing the need to remain vigilant of the very real security threats we continue to face as a young nation.
8. I know that for every citizen, these are hard times and I remain focused in providing strong leadership to lead us out of this economic crisis and unleash our full potential as a nation. I will be steadfast in my commitment to meet the needs, aspirations and concerns of all Malaysians.
9. So today I ask you to join me in this task of renewing Malaysia. I urge us to rise to the challenge of building a One Malaysia. People First. Performance Now.
10. Let us begin this great journey together.
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