THE newly minted government, which upended Barisan Nasional’s six-decade grip on power, must prove one thing if it wants to avoid being a one-term wonder: it can govern.

Pakatan Harapan must not be distracted by its prosecution of those linked to the 1MDB scandal and forget its promise to make Malaysians’ lives better, according to an op-ed piece entitled “Advice for Malaysia’s former/current prime minister” in Bloomberg today.

“A culture of state cronyism grew up over six decades and won’t be reversed in six days or six weeks,” it said, warning that BN lost the popular vote in 2013 and GE14 despite the fact that many Malaysians have not even heard of 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s cabinet must prove it “can set and execute an administrative agenda that prioritises decisions affecting the daily lives of people”.

Citing Japan’s Democratic Party as an example, Bloomberg said, DPJ’s election in 2009 was heralded as a new era. The party was booted out in 2012 because of inexperience and unfulfilled expectations.

The new prime minister should resist the temptation to cling on to the Finance Ministry despite appointing Lim Guan Eng as minister, it said.

“Yet you haven’t quite given him the reins. Until Lim clears up some legal issues that he says were harassment from the former regime, you, Mahathir, will keep finance for yourself. Resist the temptation to make this indefinite,” the op-ed said.

Freeing Lim to do his jo will also dispel concerns about Dr Mahathir’s authoritarian instincts, it said. – May 16, 2018.