NEWLY-minted Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should ignore Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and learn the most important lesson from the short-lived, 22-month Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration by carrying out as many institutional reforms in the early months of his unity government as he may not have five years.
He should carry out the promise he made after he was appointed Malaysia’s 10th PM by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Nov 24 – that he would not compromise on good governance, the anti-corruption drive, judicial independence and the welfare of ordinary Malaysians.
He should be aware that there are political forces which are conspiring to end his premiership as early as possible.
Anwar has rightly submitted himself to a vote of confidence in the two-day meeting of Parliament last week. He should now make the February 2023 meeting of Parliament the most important and historic session of the Dewan Rakyat in the 66 years of Parliament by initiating a series of institutional reformasi.
This shall mark the beginning of the process to end Malaysia’s national decline over the past six decades while making Malaysia great again as a first-rate world-class plural Malaysian nation.
Dr Mahathir had missed the historic opportunity to make Malaysia great again and this is the mistake which Anwar should not repeat.
Although the Dr Mahathir-led PH Government was toppled unconstitutionally and illegally by the Sheraton Move political conspiracy, Dr Mahathir cannot fully absolve himself of responsibility for the Sheraton Move conspiracy.
Foresight
Anwar should consider how the February 2023 Parliament could be made the most important parliamentary meeting in the history of Malaysia.
Transparency International (TI) would release its 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) next month.
It is too late for the Anwar government to do anything to improve Malaysia’s TI 2022 CPI Report, but the Anwar government should do its utmost to ensure that the Malaysia’s TI 2023 CPI Report is the best for Malaysia, even better than the TI 2019 CPI Report which was the best in 25 years since TI started its annual CPI series in 1995.
In fact, Malaysians must be prepared for one the worst TI CPI reports in a month’s time.
It is one of the greatest regrets that the unconstitutional and illegal Sheraton Move political conspiracy in February 2020 which toppled the duly elected PH government after 22 months also ended Malaysia’s effort to become one of the world’s top 30 countries in public integrity by 2030.
Is there a new public integrity plan to make Malaysia one of the top 30 countries in the world in the annual TI CPIs in the 2030s and 2040s?
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as well as all interested Malaysian NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and NGIs (non-governmental individuals) should be invited within a month to submit proposals for a Malaysian National Anti-Corruption Plan.
This is in line with the quest to place Malaysia among the top 30 countries in the world in public integrity and such plan should be launched during the February 2023 Parliament session.
That will make a great start for Anwar’s unity government. – Dec 28, 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 photo credit: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Facebook
