Postscript: Malaysia’s Triple Crisis & Post-Covidean Solutions
Who will be the next Prime Minister (PM) following the resignation of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his appointment as caretaker PM by the Yang di-Pertuan Agung (King)?
We are faced with the same dilemma as before the collapse of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government. In any contest (be it a General Election or vote of confidence in Parliament), Malaysia is, ultimately, heading for a three-corner alliance contest with none having a stable majority given the dynamics.
In my personal opinion, none of the old guards should be given the
chance to lead the nation after 60 years of being trapped in a zero sum game of
partisan & race-based politics. They have run out of solutions and are totally out
of touch with the new global dynamics (debt problems, crypto currencies vs fiat
currencies, China-US geopolitics, big pharma agendas etc).
The window of opportunity is a caretaker unity government (hopefully comprising bipartisan technocrats) to be requested by the King as an emergency solution to handle the triple economic, health and information crisis.
Smart policies (executed by trustworthy and smart policymakers) should be replicated from what other nations like Singapore is doing. We have to live with Covid and also diversify our vaccines away from one "popular" vaccine which seems to prove ineffective with 20k daily cases and climbing.
So here is my suggestion to all concerned (politicians, Rakyat and the King):
1. Propose to the King a caretaker unity cabinet: The lack of public trust and confidence in governments is at an all time low with the mishandling of this pandemic (especially with the Sabah elections cluster, the slow vaccines rollout and the two week MCO trials by error strategy).
Based on the proportion of the parliamentary seats, a cabinet of 30 is to be formed comprising technocrats with no political party positions (you can call it coalition government or minority government with bills passed under confidence & supply agreements).
Ideally fill these positions with young and experienced people who have proven their mettle and are willing to give up every partisan bias. This caretaker government will not only examine all options but offer a nation-wide strategy to rebuild the economy and restore business confidence to Malaysia.
2. Make new alliances by discussing sincerely with all heads of the major parties for the sake of forming a unity government: Discuss with all party heads on the urgency of forming a caretaker government to contain the pandemic crisis and protect and revive the economy.
3. Delay a General Election until end 2022 or mid-2023: An unprecedented crisis demands unprecedented solutions. Holding a GE, even if it is safe to do so in six months time, will see a three-corner contest (Pakatan Harapan, UMNO and UMNO-Bersatu-PAS alliances) and very likely result in another unstable government with a thin majority.
A widely
agreed deadline, set in stone, has to be in place (Malaysians
have all kinds of excuses to undermine deadlines just like the former PM who
kept on promising the handover to Anwar). It is not so much that the health
crisis will take more than a year to be resolved. The productive capacity and
psyche of the economy and the SME have been shattered. It is like a middle
aged man who has a stroke. He needs time to heal and recuperate and find his
feet again, physically and psychologically.
4. Offer a smart strategy and original
plan: Bring along all reform-minded politicians and technocrats and seek a
joint proposal to save the nation with not only one-size-fits-all fixes
(vaccinations and MCOs) but a smart strategy of prevention and balance.
5. Geopolitical alertness as to the origins of the pandemic
and the subsequent agendas: All global citizens, especially in ASEAN,
should first ask this question: How and why the virus originated and which
country is aggressive in promoting its vaccines, which apparently does not seem
to be effective (alright, they claim 50% effectiveness but this means at least
50% will still be infected).
Unbeknownst to many except a few,
there is a great powerful nation waiting to come to rescue Malaysia and
ASEAN nations by lending its funds and vaccines. Dont take it and read the fine
line of any agreement. That nation is known for debt diplomacy which did more
harm than good for many African nations.
6. Be extra suspicious of big
pharma and the advice of experts: The war on covid cannot be taken to
extremes by mass testing. Be smart and follow Singapore's example. We have to
live with it and build our own immunity with holistic medicines and
supplements. The big pharma companies and health experts (especially the flip-flopping
celebrity Dr Fauci) cannot be totally trusted after their exclusion of Ivermectin
and the frequency of breakthrough cases.
So should we all just sit by and watch politicians play the old game of musical chairs before Parliament reconvenes for a vote of confidence on 6th September ? Being passive without a serious rethinking among the parties and replaying the numbers game (who has the majority support?) is letting the nation go back to square one i.e. a country without a stable majority in Parliament.
A Few
Good Men
This is why, in my opinion, the King, the politicians and members of the Rakyat (via social media platforms) need to take the joint initiative with this unique opportunity to save and transform Malaysia from a failed state (of narrow-minded partisan, race-based divisiveness) to reach its full potential as a beacon of light to the world.
Singapore has done it with the able
leadership of one man. Malaysia can do it with the able leadership of a few
good men and women. This window of opportunity is like a time warp that opens up a portal for us to step out of the wheels of fate. Otherwise, it is just another day in the tropical sun.
