Anwar Ibrahim's Comeback And Malaysia's Good Fortune

 Anwar Ibrahim’s Comeback And Malaysia’s Good Fortune

 

M. Bakri Musa (www.bakrimusa.com)

 

 

What next week will bring to Malaysia politics-wise, Allahu A’alam! (Only Allah knows!) And He is not telling anyone. We all just have to wait.

 

Nonetheless it is not difficult to judge and surmise from the respective speeches and body languages of the two protagonists–current Prime Minister Muhyiddin and Reformasi Leader Anwar Ibrahim–who has the upper hand. In his press conference Anwar projected an image of a take-charge leader. He was poised, articulate and confident, at ease with reporters’ questions. Muhyiddin on the other had to remind everyone that he is still in charge.

 

Let us pray for the Agung to have a speedy recovery. He should afford Anwar the same reception he gave to Muhyiddin back in February 2020. That is, if Anwar could bring documented evidence of support by the majority of Members of Parliament, then he should be the Prime Minister.

 

Should the Agung be incapacitated and his Deputy, Perak Sultan Raja Nazrin, were to take over, he too should do likewise. For him there was also the additional precedent set by his father (with Raja Nazrin as Crown Prince) back in 2009 when he accepted the statutory declarations of the three political frogs, thus enabling the erstwhile opposition Barisan to take over the state government from Pakatan.

 

It would be the height of irresponsibility and serve the nation ill if the Agung were to take a different tack with Anwar and dissolve Parliament instead. That would forever destroy the precious neutrality of that institution. It would also be inexcusable to expose the public to unnecessary risks were there to be a general election during this Covid-19 pandemic. Yes, Singapore did it, but that state is known for doing many things right. Malaysians have yet to know and reckon with the possible public health and other consequences of the Sabah State election this Saturday, September 26, 2020, in the midst of this epidemic.

 

I expect Anwar to be Prime Minster next week. Malaysia is more than ready and in desperate need of a new leader and administration.

 

Anwar and his team should focus on only three objectives. Manage this Covid-19 pandemic, deal with corruption, and enhance education. Everything else including reviving the economy should be secondary. As one wise African leader pointed out, you can revive the economy but not a dead citizen. If Malaysia were free of corruption, investments would flow in; likewise if you have well trained and educated citizens.

 

There is no need for a ministry for sports, tourism, Islam, women’s issues, or entrepreneur development. Get rid of them and their massive bureaucracies.

For Covid-19, listen to your professionals. You have in Director-General of Health Dr. Hashim Abdullah an exceptionally capable man. Give him and his agency all the support. For education, increase the number of hours devoted to science, mathematics, and English in schools. Teach those subjects daily. Make that a condition for any school to receive state funding, including and especially religious schools. Beyond those four subjects and Malay, each school would be free to fill the rest of the school day.

 

As for tackling corruption, focus on three key personnel:  Chief of Police, Anti-Corruption Chief, and Attorney-General. While there are many competent Malaysians to occupy those positions, we must recognize that citizens are now deeply polarized. It would be difficult to get a local candidate who would be viewed as impartial. Former Attorney-General Tomas was competent. However being a non-Malay, he was the target of unjustified racist motives, what with most of his targets being longstanding corrupt Malay leaders. As for former MACC Chief Latheefa Koya, she too was effective but her being active in opposition party politics before the 2018 elections fueled her detractors.

 

Imagine the impact if all three were foreigners, professionals recruited from such agencies as the FBI or Scotland Yard. At the very least they would be viewed as impartial with respect to race and local politics. For those same reasons, I would not recruit from India, Singapore, or Hong Kong. The impact of such appointments would be immediate and dramatic.

 

Those appointments require the Council of Rulers’ consent. Lobby and educate them on the wisdom of the proposal. Those foreign chiefs would groom capable local subordinates and change the culture and integrity of those institutions. With time the scourge of racism and mistrust in those institutions would subside.

 

Anwar pointed out that his government would be Malay-majority. I understand his rationale for doing that, to reassure the restless natives. However, I would not emphasize that fact; it would be obvious soon enough. Besides, Malaysians are now more interested in a clean, competent and efficient government. There is no joy, much less reflected glory, in having a Malay government but made up of the corrupt and incompetent. In fact that would only bring shame to our race and culture.

 

Anwar aspires to have an inclusive cabinet. So co-opt a few competent non-Malays from the previous Pakatan Administration. Two names prop up, former Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Science Minister Yeo Bee Hin. Yeo would bring both racial and sexual inclusiveness. She would also raise the average IQ of the cabinet.

 

Both are from DAP, a party not in the proposed coalition. Anwar should learn from his good friend, former US State Secretary William Cohen, a Republican who was appointed by Democrat Bill Clinton.

 

A final piece of unsolicited advice for Anwar. Don’t bother giving interviews to BBC, and Al Jazeera, or address august foreign audiences. You have your work cut out at home. There would be plenty of time for that once you are successful. Besides, at our age those jet lags could be quite devastating, taking precious time away from attending pressing domestic issues.