A CLARIFICATION is in order with regard to my statement yesterday that newly minted Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should carry out as many institutional reforms in the early months of his unity government as he may not have five years.
I am aware that the naysayers are jumping on the statement as proof that Lim Kit Siang does not believe that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman will last five years as PM, hence fortifying their resolve to topple Anwar as PM ala-Sheraton Move political conspiracy as soon as possible.
But my statement said nothing about Anwar not lasting five years as PM of Malaysia.
In fact, I want the Anwar Ibrahim to last five years as PM of Malaysia to prepare the country for the 16th General Election (GE16) by 2027 by first ending Malaysia’s decline in six decades and begin the process to make Malaysia great again.
After more than a month as Malaysia’s 10th PM, Anwar has strengthened his chances of lasting five years as PM.
This is despite him and all the unity government ministers and leaders having to learn the most important lesson of the 22-month PH Government: that there are political forces trying to topple them from power as soon as possible before the completion of their five-year term.
Whether the Anwar unity government will last five years, only time will tell. This is one of the issues to be fought out in the political battlefield to decide whether the Anwar unity government can last five years.
For me, I am increasingly confident that the Anwar unity government will last five years, both from the vote of confidence in Parliament last week and the various commendable initiatives in the first month of the Anwar unity government.
But the Ministers and leaders of the Anwar unity government must always be conscious of the lesson of the 22-month PH government and carry out institutional reforms in the early months of the government.
Every minister should consider what are the institutional reforms that he or she can carry out in the seven-week Dewan Rakyat meeting from Feb 13 to March 30 next year to make it the most important and historic parliamentary meeting in Malaysia’s history.
Malaysia has a big chance under Anwar unity government to rebuild the country into a first-rate world-class plural nation – don’t spoil it! – Dec 29, 2022
Retired DAP supremo and veteran lawmaker Lim Kit Siang was the former MP for Iskandar Puteri.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main pic credit: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Facebook
