KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed regret over Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) failure to institute due reforms when it held federal power, leading to dismay due to unfulfilled promises.
The opposition leader and PH chairman said if given another chance the coalition would be more committed to delivering promised and much-needed reforms to the public.
“The 14th general election was a culmination of decades of struggle to rectify failed policies in areas of healthcare and education, tackle issues of poverty and corruption, strengthen the democratic space and unify the country.
“However, the structural reforms which could have set the tone for the administration never materialised,” he said.
Over time, the euphoria expressed in May 2018 turned into dismay due to unfulfilled promises.”
“When PH came into power it had strong support from the majority of Malaysians,” he added, referring to the coalition’s rule in Putrajaya from May 2018 to February 2021.
“With approval ratings above 60%, expectations were high that some of the significant reforms could be achieved quickly through force of will and momentum. Unfortunately, this did not happen.”
The PH administration was headed by then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad whose party at the time, Bersatu, quit the coalition in what has been dubbed as the “Sheraton Move” to force a change in government.
Anwar lamented that the leadership did not represent the aspirations for reform.
“As has been mentioned about those who were administering the country, they did not represent reform views. Hence some of the decisions made went against the spirit of reform that we were fighting for,” he said at a seminar titled “Pathway to a better future for Malaysia” at Grand Dorsett Subang yesterday.
He stressed that PH did achieve some noteworthy successes, particularly in exposing scandals and bringing to justice the perpetrators of corruption.
In defence of PH, nothing short of a systemic overhaul is required to fix the problems plaguing Malaysia.”
“This far-reaching transformation of a system cannot be achieved in a few years alone. The architecture of ‘authoritarian neoliberalism’, which is how one researcher has described the period of Barisan Nasional rule from 1980-2018, is firmly entrenched,” he said.
Create new framework to weed out tainted system
Anwar said the graft-tainted political system in Malaysia cannot be dealt with by simply winning an election or putting a few corrupt officials behind bars.
“I do not believe we can break that system by winning elections alone. We cannot break that system simply by capturing and imprisoning a few corrupt officials.
“We have learned that political manifestos and campaign promises alone are not enough to overcome the resilience of that deeply corrupt system,” he added.
The Port Dickson MP said that it is now PH’s mission to prevent such a system from returning to Malaysia’s political scene and to introduce new ones that will guide the country towards becoming a peaceful, multiracial democracy that is economically vibrant and respectful of the public.
Anwar then recommended the SCRIPT framework of governance – for “Sustainable, Caring and Compassionate, Respect, Innovation, Prosperity and Trust.”
Its six components do not function in isolation; they are interconnected and interdependent, and enhance each other through feedback.
“Collectively, they will lay the foundations for a thriving, dynamic and inclusive society. Their implementation will likewise require and inspire collaboration across government ministries and agencies, and between the public and private sector,” said Anwar.
Meanwhile, the opposition leader was also asked to comment on the changes made to PH’s logo.
Anwar claimed that it is aimed at erasing “old stories” in view of the looming 15th general election, which is due by September next year but widely anticipated to be held this year.
He also said the consensus to use a single logo is to counter perceptions among certain quarters that the coalition is “not united” following the recent series of by-elections.
At present, PH consists of PKR, of which Anwar is president, along with DAP, Amanah and Upko. – The Vibes, August 26, 2022
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