THE dust of the general election frenzy finally settled. A stable grand coalition government is now in sight.
As the formation of the new government is in progress, there are some strong voices of objection to including those entangled in court cases in the cabinet.
Without beating around the bush, we know that the finger is pointing towards Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. On this topic, I will risk being very unpopular.
The following are my arguments:
Pakatan Harapan (PH) has chosen to be in coalition with Barisan Nasional (BN). When in partnership, the two blocs must accord each other with respect and accept parity. If BN parties were to nominate their chairman into the cabinet, it is not proper for PH to pick and choose who they want. That will be against the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust.
Zahid played a pivotal role in pulling the grand coalition together. Not forgetting there was strong rejection within BN for the coalition with PH at the initial stage. BN MPs were split over the choice of ruling partners. Zahid’s firm leadership swiftly ended the stalemate.
In order to govern effectively, PH and BN leaders have to build trust and confidence in each other. Undeniably, there is still lots of scepticism within BN, especially Umno. Zahid has demonstrated his ability to consolidate BN into a unified stance to cooperate with PH.
Furthermore, Zahid’s experience in government is a plus and he could complement the largely inexperienced PH ministers. He could also mediate between PH and the civil services and the conservative segments of the government. He could play a key role in stabilising the new coalition government.
Zahid could also be useful in linking up other component parties in the grand coalition, eg. GPS, GRS, etc.
What about the counter arguments on Zahid’s appointment?
The strongest argument seems to suggest that including Zahid in the cabinet would jeopardise the new government’s anti-graft efforts.
Firstly, there is no immunity from prosecution for any cabinet members. The trial proceedings should continue and Zahid must prove his innocence in court.
If Zahid is nominated to join the cabinet as the chairman of BN, it is not up to PH to reject. This is simply the principles of cooperation and collective responsibility. However, later when Umno elects another person as president and hence as BN chairman, the government should also duly comply with the new nominee.
The previous government barred court clusters from the cabinet, yet it continued the practice of direct negotiation, favouritism in procurement, etc. There were no effective reforms yet created a protracted tension between coalition parties.
Keeping those leaders with court cases out of the government doesn’t automatically bring about a cleaner government. If we want to be serious about corruption, we need genuine reforms to systematically overhaul our governing institutions. Unless words can be translated into action, no point trying to moralise the leadership.
To create a corruption-free society, it is not merely about government leaders upholding high moral standards or having a thrifty lifestyle. For me, the most important work for the new government is to embark on actual reforms to build transparent and efficient delivery by government functionaries.
This requires courage from the new coalition leaders. The exclusion of the so-called “court cluster” is a rather superficial public relations exercise. The new grand coalition should be brave enough to bite the bullet even if there might be some negative coverage. Take on the result-based anti-corruption work. The government must focus on real and hard reforms.
On this point, I wish to digress to the pledge of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim not receiving salary. Such an act is nothing but a self-projection of a moral image. However, a non-salaried prime minister does not translate into a clean government, nor does it boost investors’ confidence. On the contrary, the government by right should study how to commensurate ministers to avoid bribery.
In short, to undertake comprehensive reforms, we need a strong and effective government. Fortunately, PH enjoyed a good start. However, PH cannot afford a divergence with BN at this early stage. Cooperation of Anwar and Zahid is absolutely crucial. – The Vibes, November 29, 2022
The writer is a former PKR vice-president who stood as an independent for the Batu parliamentary seat in the recent general election
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