EX-TREASURY SEC-GEN: BIPARTISAN MOU PAVES WAY FOR MALAYSIA'S SMOOTH RECOVERY

By Nurul Hanis Izmir

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16  -- The recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government and Pakatan Harapan (PH), signed close to Malaysia Day and just two weeks after the National Day celebration, has raised hopes for the country’s progress towards a smooth pandemic recovery with politicians pledging to stay united for the sake of the nation and the rakyat.

Tan Sri Mohd Sheriff Kassim, former secretary-general of the Treasury, is among those who are hopeful. He foresees improvements in terms of accountability and transparency among the government and PH.

“This means that all the government’s initiatives will be implemented in a more transparent and accountable manner, and there will be less opportunity for abuse of power and corruption.

“This is important as the country is in dire need for recovery, economically and socially,” he told Bernama after participating in a virtual roundtable on “The New Economic Policy (NEP): Reflections on the NEP after 50 Years” organised by KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific yesterday.

The former high-ranking civil servant stressed that he is now more confident for the country moving ahead compared to just a few days ago.

“I see light at the end of the tunnel... something new for the country,” he said.

In addition, Mohd Sheriff noted that although the country is facing the worst crisis in living memory, the people should feel grateful that there are signs of progress for Malaysia to recover from the pandemic and that people can slowly return to normal life.

On Monday, both the government and PH created history for the country with the signing of the MoU on political stability and transformation, paving the way for a new political landscape based on bipartisan cooperation.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the six-point MoU establishes bipartisan cooperation and upholds the spirit of the Malaysian Family.

The MoU covers the areas of strengthening the plan to fight COVID-19, transformation of the administration, Parliamentary reforms, ensuring judicial independence, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), and formation of a steering committee.

One of the details underlined in the MoU is for the Parliament not to be dissolved from now until July 31, 2022, which means the government has less than a year to get busy and deliver.

According to Mohd Sheriff, Malaysia is considered quite lucky, given that certain economic sectors are doing well, namely primary commodity (crude oil and crude palm oil), manufacturing, and medical equipment.

Meanwhile, during the roundtable discussion on the NEP, he opined that after 50 years of implementing the NEP with the vast expansion of education and training opportunities and the increasing number graduating from top universities, the Malays are now better able to find their own way to success in the modern industrial and commercial sectors of the economy.

 “So, the policy of preferential treatment for the Malays should be reviewed so that they will be encouraged to compete on their own merits. In fact, from what I can see, young Malays today don’t like to apply for office jobs anymore like in the old days. 

“They prefer the rough and tumble of doing their own thing. With the digital transformation in the country, I see them doing amazing things to earn a living in partnership with other races. So I believe the new generation can take care of their own lives,” Mohd Sheriff said.

He also believes that as the economy starts to open, there will be greater opportunities for the young people, who have acquired new skills during the lockdowns, to work independently using digital technology and  online communication to sell products or provide consulting and professional services to make a good living as self-employed gig workers.

“The pandemic has changed our working styles and lifestyles, and therefore we all must learn to adapt to the change. 

“We can be confident of a better Malaysia with the promised reforms to strengthen our institutions of government. We call upon our leaders to use our diversity as our greatest strength for national unity,” he said.

Nevertheless, Mohd Sheriff said, some areas like the government-linked companies (GLCs) still need an urgent reform.

“Some of the GLCs are important to the country because of their developmental role and their strategic importance to the economy. The top 20 GLCs are also a good training ground for the Malays to become corporate executives .

“These good GLCs should be retained, but those that are not essential and are non-performing should be closed down; and lately, some GLCs have become too politically connected in the appointments to board  positions,” he said.

The country’s reputation in good corporate practices will go down if the politicisation of GLCs is not  stopped, he argued.

He said the upcoming 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), scheduled for tabling in October, is a perfect opportunity for the country to change its course.

“Hopefully, when the 12MP is tabled, the government will announce the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 to do away with the negative aspects of social engineering and focus instead on inclusive policies based on needs instead of race,” he said.

-- BERNAMA