AS communication gaffe goes, nothing can go as wrong as the recent announcement by the National Action Council for Cost of Living (NACCOL) about a single category of white rice, only to be rebuffed by the Agriculture and Food Security Minister later.
NACCOL chairman Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Syed Abdul Fasal had earlier last week announced with much fanfare that there would only be one category of white rice – the Malaysia Madani white rice – which is priced at RM30 for a 10kg sack starting March 1.
Currently, Malaysians are paying only RM26 for a 10kg sack which is lower than what Syed Abu Husin announced. Not surprisingly, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu quickly distanced himself from the announcement and said that no decision on the matter has been made.
The public relations blunder has raised troubling questions. If the government could not even manage a simple announcement that involves the main staple of over 30 million Malaysians, how is it going to handle more pressing matters such as the country missing its GDP (gross domestic product) target last year as announced by Bank Negara Malaysia on Friday (Feb 16)?
Couldn’t there have been clearer communications between agencies like NACCOL, the Agriculture and Food Security and the Domestic Trade and Costs of Living Ministry before key announcements were made?
Another question that comes to mind from the “blunder” is by conspiracy theorists on whether or not ‘turncoat’ Syed Abu Husin had deliberately engineered the public relations disaster.
After all, Syed Abu Husin is the Bukit Gantang MP from Bersatu who recently defected and pledged support for the MADANI government, culminating in his appointment to NACCOL.
While there is no evidence that he’s a saboteur whose real allegiance remains with Perikatan Nasional (PN), the optics have certainly badly damaged the reputation of the unity government.
For now, it’s only fair to give him the benefit of the doubt but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should from now be more discerning when appointing opposition MPs to government posts.
Incidentally, Syed Abu Husin late last month told the media to expect more Bersatu MPs jumping ship. If a political deserter like Syed Abu Husin can cause so much damage to the unity government, imagine what more of them can do, especially if it involves a quid pro quo arrangement. – Feb 19, 2024
Main pic credit: Berita Harian
