TRANSPARENCY International Malaysia (TI-M) has urged all ministers in the unity government headed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to disclose their achievements after completing one year of service.
TI-M president Dr Muhammad Mohan said Malaysians deserve to know how these ministers are performing, as such transparency is necessary to send a clear message to the public and the international community that Malaysia is on the right track towards accountability and reforms.
He said the Madani government took over the helm at a time when the country’s economy was in tatters with the rising costs of living, weak ringgit against the greenback and continuous threats by the opposition of an impending government collapse.
“Thus, it is commendable that the unity government, with the support of the various parties, leaders and civil servants has survived thus far with minimal reports of in-fighting, friction or public drama,” said Muhammad in a statement today (Nov 24).
“Yet the question remains, are all the ministers performing well to give that support to the prime minister, and implementing projects to reform the laws and improve the people’s lives?”
Calling this a “true show of reform, accountability and transparency”, Muhammad said the report cards would not only convince the people of the stability and capabilities of the appointed Cabinet members but will serve as a basis for the prime minister to assess the performance of the various ministries.
“This will have a positive impact on the country’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in the long run as envisioned by [Anwar],” he added.
“Ministers do not need to worry even if their performances are short of the mark as the purpose of the report card is to clarify what has been done and to justify the challenges and complexities in the implementation. The rakyat deserves to know one way or another.”
Following the 15th general election (GE15) on Nov 19 last year, Anwar was sworn in as the 10th prime minister of Malaysia on Nov 24. Today marks the first anniversary of his appointment as prime minister.
Ministers in Anwar’s Cabinet were sworn in on Dec 3 last year. This means that their first year of service would be in slightly more than a week’s time. – Nov 24, 2023
Main pic credit: NST
