New Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been welcomed by many like a breath of fresh air. But can he cleanse the nation of the many ills it now suffers? It remains to be seen. MY retired brother called from Penang the other day. He had yet to get his pension and needed some cash. Why? I asked. “Anwar has won and I want to celebrate with my friends,” he cheered. He is just one of many who are anamoured of our new Prime Minister. There is also this man in Bukit Mertajam, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s hometown, who is buying everyone meals at restaurants around town. Elsewhere, a large non-Muslim crowd gathered outside a mosque as Anwar prayed inside. And they mobbed him when he came out. Everywhere he goes, the PM is being cheered. He’s probably the most welcomed Malaysian chief executive in living memory. It’s all quite exciting, but I think the celebrations are also a bit premature. Yes, it has been a long wait for him, his supporters and those who have been rooting for him all these years. He has been the underdog, facing failure after failure, falling every time he believed he had reached the pinnacle. It’s the kind of story that would touch any heart. But it’s only the beginning. Now is not the time to put him on a pedestal. He has much to prove, and he could fall off that high horse any time, just as the last three prime ministers did. The plotting is going on. Those who do not like the idea of him being PM will do their best to bring about his downfall. It happened before in 2020 with the Sheraton Move; and even days after Anwar’s appointment, there was talk of a Tropicana Move. That has been denied, but his performance will be under intense scrutiny. There will be little room for relaxation. His first task just got done. He has named his full Cabinet, obviously done with much juggling, putting together a unity government that will keep everyone happy and yet meet his promise of a small Cabinet. If that was hard, the really herculean task awaits now. There is so much wrong with our country now – an economy in the doldrums, a ringgit that’s floundering, an education system that’s well off the mark, and a population that’s deeply divided. There’s so much to do – or undo. I say undo because Anwar himself may be responsible for some of those maladies. He was once Education Minister – way back in 1986 – and started a revolution in the system. He is the man credited with Islamisation of our schools, and the growth of religious schools, while working with then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Those actions have come back to bite him, say analysts. Two weeks ago, his daughter lost the Permatang Pauh seat, held by members of his family since 1980, to a tahfiz teacher. Anwar, and his Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim), were the driving force behind such schools. The children in many of these schools are being taught to only vote for a certain party, and with Undi18 now law, there was a flood of such voters, the analysts say. With the mushrooming of religious schools, the days when children of all races laughed, played and mixed in schools seem to be long gone.
Now, schools are divisive. Even the syllabus has been questioned with Malays themselves asking why there are so many religious classes and too few teaching modern-day living skills like English, science and technology, computer know-how and things like that.
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Five years from now – if Anwar succeeds as a unifying PM – we can celebrate as a nation. For now, though, I am holding that champagne, or non-alcoholic beer as the case may be.
Rebooting the economy
Anwar says he took Finance Ministry to bring new policies
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who appointed himself Finance Minister in his new Cabinet, is hoping to restore economic confidence through new policy approaches.
“I was not inclined (to take on the post), but I want to embark on new policy approaches and restore economic confidence among local traders as well as foreign investors.
“I will be assisted by a strong team that isn’t only civil servants, but also a group of advisers who will not burden the government’s coffers,” he said in announcing his Cabinet at Perdana Putra here yesterday.
In the follow-up press conference, Anwar said the Finance Ministry will be assisted by several advisers led by former PETRONAS president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican.
Meanwhile, Anwar said the new Cabinet members will be sworn in at 3pm today.
“I will have a special meeting with the ministers so I can convey several matters to them, such as new rules, direction, and new methods,” he said.
Anwar said ministers should begin their duties soon and he advised them to avoid wastage, bribes and power abuse.
“I have made it clear to the Cabinet that the unity government prioritises good governance and the need to reduce the people’s burden, as well as stimulating the economy,” he said.
The Prime Minister said his Cabinet, which comprises 28 ministers, is a clear signal to the people that the unity government, together with the civil service, will ensure its promises to the people are fulfilled.
The last prime minister who also served as a finance minister was Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Anwar had served as finance minister and deputy prime minister to then premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad before being sacked in 1998.
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ReplyDeleteAbsolutely powers corrupt Absolutely !