IN the second part of the interview, the Malay Consultative Council (MPM) speaks about how second Prime Minister Tun Razak Hussein’s untimely demise set the stage of disempowering the civil service, effectively making progress less reachable to the rural masses.
Speaking to FocusM, its secretary general Datuk Hasan Mad said that third Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn dismantled the Bilik Gerakan (Operations Room), a place where officials used at the district level to discuss a project’s progress and others.
“In those days, the Bilik Gerakan was the place where they discussed important matters on projects and all. If politicians wanted information on such matters, they have to go there to get it themselves, unlike now where the officers have to go meet the politicians.
“Unfortunately, Hussein abolished it. His argument was that he had empowered his ministers to monitor progress, so there is no need to go down to check on things,” he noted.
The disempowered of the civil service accelerated when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad took office in 1981, when the latter dismantled the Social Economic Research Unit (SERU), a key agency under the then Prime Minister’s Department (PMD).
“He replaced it with the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) but this agency is all about manpower for Government agencies.
“And I’m not sure whether it does research on the effectiveness of Government policies like what SERU used to do,” Hasan stated.
As for the Implementation and Coordination Unit (ICU), he said Dr Mahathir took away its wide powers and transferred them to Umno division chiefs instead.
“Under Dr Mahathir, ICU was no longer mandated to perform its original functions. That is why right now, nobody knows about ICU or state development officers (SDO). In my time, they were very powerful.
“Not only were they empowered, they were also effective in ensuring development projects happens at the micro-level, which are the districts,” Hasan stressed.
On why Dr Mahathir handed ICU powers to Umno division chief, the MPM leader opined that it could be the former premier’s way of providing funds to his party leaders.
“You see, Dr Mahathir doesn’t give political funds directly. He does it indirectly using projects. That is why none of the Umno division chiefs in Kelantan and Selangor are gung-ho about winning back the states.
“As long as they keep their post as division chiefs, they are fine with it,” Hasan added.
Moving forward
As the economy needs new ideas following the devastation caused by COVID-19, Hasan said the Government should empower ICU back to its original function, to ensure all economic projects and aid reach the specific target areas.
“Right now, we have too many agencies doing the same thing. During former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s administration, he created various Government incorporated agencies.
“The reason being is that such bodies don’t need to have Parliamentary approval. For example, the Malaysia’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU). It has no locus standi, legally speaking.
“And now, we have Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz establishing the National Economic Implementation and Strategic Coordination (LAKSANA).
“In essence, we have too many bodies being established with no locus standi under the Parliament, unlike the ICU which was enacted under a Parliamentary Act,” he said.
Despite all the bodies established, Hasan said that no one knows the effectiveness of the various stimulus packages announced by the Government, or whether it reached the right target group due to lack of proper evaluation.
With that, he urged the Government to just use and empower the already existing agencies to the job and get hands on data at the same time.
“And the Government should upgrade and empower the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) to be on par with the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and ICU.
“The reason is simple. In this era, data is very important. Those who have access to strategic data holds the key to economic success and security.
“You want to know the effectiveness of the Pemerkasa stimulus packages? DOSM can provide you with the information needed,” Hasan remarked. – July 29, 2021.
