2023 will be a make-or-break year for Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government and Malaysia to be a great again.
The Anwar unity government has started on the right footing in its first month office, vindicating what the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman promised after he was appointed Malaysia’s 10th PM by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Nov 24.
Anwar has vowed not to compromise on good governance, the anti-corruption drive, judicial independence, and the welfare of ordinary Malaysians.
While Malaysians must learn from the lesson of the 22-month PH administration not to expect a miracle overnight, and to undo the excesses and abuses of misgovernance of the nation in the past six decades, the Anwar unity government must demonstrate its bona fides in two great tasks.
They are to make Malaysia great again and to start achieving the national unity from the diversity of ethnicities, languages, religions, cultures and civilisations that meet in confluence in Malaysia.
Firstly, by the first year in office of the Anwar unity government, the following features should be promoted:
Good governance: The ministers and deputy ministers must place national interests above their self-interests and are prepared to make sacrifices for the country to form a good, clean, honest and efficient government.
Anti-Corruption drive: The launching of a new Malaysian National Anti-Corruption Plan to place Malaysia among the top 30 countries in the world in public integrity.
Judicial independence: Legislation to remove all executive influence on judicial appointments as amendment to the Judicial Appointments Committee Act to remove any executive influence on the appointment and promotion of judges in Malaysia.
People’s welfare: This is about Malaysia achieving its ambition to be a tiger economy (which it nearly achieved previously) with jobs and high wages for Malaysians, minimum wage for workers, and world class education and health system together with a policy to discourage talents emigration.
National unity: Malaysia becomes a world example of a plural nation achieving unity in diversity, harmony and understanding among diverse ethnicities, languages, religions and cultures.
Happy New Year, my fellow Malaysians. Let us make Malaysia great again. Let us unite to show the world how to stop the toxic politics of lies, fear, hate, race and religion from destroying Malaysia and the world. – Dec 31, 2022
Main pic credit: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Facebook
