A MINISTRY for administrative reforms and policies to uplift low-income earners should be among the top priorities for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, which is expected to announce its full cabinet soon, analysts said.  

Near-term plans should also include reigning in government spending, tackling discrimination in the job market and in business, and getting rid of laws that curb freedom of expression.

Also important are parliamentary committees to monitor each ministry and the separation of the roles of public prosecutor from the Attorney-General. These steps will effectively check the government and ensure that not even the prime minister is above the law.

These measures would be a good start towards rebuilding and strengthening the country’s institutions and industries to promote rule of law and inclusive economic growth, they said.

PH was elected on promises that they would free up democratic space, reduce living costs, promote fair and inclusive economic growth and return the rights of Sabah and Sarawakians as per the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.  

“The thing about bureaucratic reforms is that a government will take two to three terms to actually see them bear fruit,” said political scientist Dr Faisal S Hazis of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

“A way to ensure that they are taken seriously and implemented throughout the civil service is by creating a ministry tasked specifically with it.”

This was Indonesia’s approach after the republic ousted its dictator general Suharto in 1998, said Faisal.

The country realised it needed a specific ministry to ensure that measures to rebuild the country and to end crony-capitalism in its economy were widely carried out.

It is also through such a ministry that other plans like depoliticising the civil service, plugging leakages in government spending and wiping out corruption can be effectively implemented, he said.

“Currently, we have a council of eminent persons who are looking into reforms, but they are not elected and they will only serve for 100 days,” said Faisal.

“Reforms should be overseen by a minister who was elected by the people.”

The new PH government is expected to announce about 15 new ministers this week to complete its cabinet before the first Dewan Rakyat sitting in mid-July.

Penang Institute’s Dr Wong Chin Huat said laws such as the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 should be abolished in order to free people to criticise the government.

This should also go hand-in-hand with a public prosecutor’s office that is separate from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) so as to end selective prosecution, Wong said.  

Besides parliamentary committees for each ministry, the Dewan Rakyat speaker should be a senior parliamentarian who can stay above the fray and be really impartial.

“Lastly, a Royal Commission to study and propose reforms to not just electoral process (rolls, campaign, administration) but most importantly electoral system,” said Wong.

“This is to determine what kind of party system and what model of democracy we should have.”

Creating inclusive growth

On the economic front, the country’s stock market has taken a battering. Foreign investors are leaving after the government’s announcement of Malaysia’s true debts while there are fears that a trade war between China and the United States could also hurt the country’s exports.

“The government needs to provide strong assurance to investors that the country’s fundamentals can withstand the external shocks,” said economist Dr Lee Heng Guie.   

“Also, the government needs to provide more clarity and certainty on policy directions to soothe investors’ concerns,” said Lee of the Socio-Economic Research Centre (SERC).

But Lee added that the administration should continue to reform and contain public spending in order to reduce the country’s huge debts, estimated to be close to RM1 trillion.  

“Efficiency in the use of public resources must be improved, leakages must be plugged, corruption weeded out and chronic rent-seeking and patronage must be curbed.”

Besides fiscal responsibility, the administration must also pay attention to two groups which were critical to PH’s electoral success – low-income earners and young job-seekers.

“These two voted for PH because it promised to help them with their cost of living and economic issues,” said analyst Ooi Heng of the think tank Political Studies for Change (KPRU).

“Better access to public education, transport and healthcare will help bring down the cost of living for the B40, as well as better-paying jobs.”

The administration must also end ethnic discrimination for both Malays and non-Malays in the private and public sectors respectively.

“For Malays and bumiputeras, they face discrimination while applying for private sector jobs while non-Malays worry they can’t get into the civil service or get government licences.

“This has to stop because it limits the options for youths to find good-paying jobs and it’s not good for social harmony.

“Ending discrimination contributes to the economic well-being of both Malays and non-Malays.” – June 20, 2018