POLITICS should take a back seat during times of national crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

This message was carried by the prime minister in his last few addresses calling for the country to stand united in the face of adversity. But somehow, the message seems to have been lost, with some leaders moving swiftly to replace political appointees, in most cases, when there was no urgent need to.

It is understandable to reward your allies with largesse, including top appointments, and common sense would require that partners be put in places of strategic importance. However, these appointments could have been made later, with little difference.

Pakatan Harapan won Putrajaya in May 2018, and most announcements on the replacement of the previous government’s appointees happened months later. Some were only replaced shortly before the PH administration’s collapse earlier this year.

Most PH ministers, among them Anthony Loke, chose to let Barisan Nasional appointees finish what they were working on and leave gracefully.

In contrast, Perikatan Nasional’s replacements appear hasty, especially when done during the movement-control order (MCO).

Many capable, non-political appointees have been removed, starting with a well-known social activist from a foundation under the purview of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

The qualifications, experience and capabilities of these fresh picks aside, how much good can they do with the MCO still in place? How will they help with administrative or policy matters when most company secretaries and officials involved in change-of-authority assignments are affected by the government directive?

A senior member of the ruling pact also announced that all government MPs will be assigned a government-linked company (GLC) to lead.

Although it is unclear which agencies these are, congratulatory messages are already circulating on social media, some directed at individuals who have been implicated in scandals.

This suggests that most GLC heads, many of whom are experienced and highly qualified, and whose appointments were not political, will have to step down. A majority of PH’s picks were those who returned home, or came out of retirement, or gave up high-paying jobs to serve the country as part of the reform agenda they believed in.

PN’s move sends the message that the reform agenda may be halted. Or, continued by politicians, which would run counter to the notion of revamping government agencies in the first place.

To give each government lawmaker a GLC to head also sends the signal that political position is a dominant determinant, and that the post needs to be tailored to the person rather than the other way around.

While political appointments did happen under BN and PH, merit played a part. For example, Leo Moggie was energy minister before he served as Tenaga Nasional Bhd chairman. And, Charles Santiago spent years leading a coalition of civil society groups whose causes included water issues before he became National Water Services Commission chairman.

Communications and instructions related to political appointments take up much time and energy, when these resources would be better spent on analysing, reporting and disseminating data – medical, social, economic, enforcement – to see to it that the country emerges from the coronavirus crisis intact and healthy.

Playing politics with aid for the people and cooperation between PH-run states and the federal government should not happen.

Cheap propaganda, such as the since-removed politically charged post on the Health Ministry’s Facebook page or the potshots taken at our director-general of health, who is the face of the fight against Covid-19, is unwelcome.

Nothing short of full cooperation between all parties is needed. For that to happen, the politicking needs to stop for a while. – April 15, 2020.

* Emmanuel Joseph firmly believes that Klang is the best place on Earth, and that motivated people can do far more good than any leader with motive.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.