NOT all the ideas mooted by the previous administration are bad. Some are good ideas that only need to be tweaked to fulfil the needs of the new administration – reduce costs, eradicate corruption and trim excess and wastage.

Teams like Talentcorp, Pemandu and MaGic, units started by the previous BN administration can be repurposed to address concerns about excesses, to assist, or in some cases, address the gaps identified by the Council of Eminent Persons, assist with institutional reform and so on.

Many of these units have a strong research element, and are manned by, for the most part, talented people, save for some who may be, perhaps less deserving, political appointees. But these rotten apples should not be the reason for the new Pakatan government to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Some of these units already function as private entities, and are partially self-funded by consulting jobs with private companies, foreign governments and have formed strategic partnerships with international bodies like the UN. To disrupt the synergy built would be wasteful. The same as the ties built between these units with the existing government agencies. Instead, they can be treated as extensions of various ministries.

This would also provide a means for ministers and deputy ministers to place new talents without burdening the government with additional salaries, with better latitude over pay scale and compensation, compared to the rather rigid government scheme, provided they meet the hiring requirements.

It would also allow the government to indirectly retain people who are considering migration abroad or to the private sector, or private sector employees who can be hired for specific skill sets for a contracted period only.

There is a strong need for the new government to grow in areas of communication, social engagement and inter-ministry coordination.

At the same time, all agencies should be streamlined, and removed of all people who are there purely as reward for their loyalty to certain individuals in the government, or as a retirement favour for one or any reason.

Overlaps within these agencies, between each other, with other ministries and government departments and with civil society groups should also be checked to optimise every ringgit spent and to centralise accumulation of technical know-how, to either lessen costs to the government, become a source of income to the country, or in many cases, both.

For example, the overlaps between the Royal Malaysian Customs, the Narcotics Department of PDRM and the National Anti-Drug Agency in combating drugs, or where groups, the Welfare Department, Local Councils and Women and Family Development Ministry are all building facilities for the homeless, sometimes within walking distance to each other.

A streamlined purchasing system would undoubtedly help to increase economies of scale, spot overlapping purchases and help reduce costs. Perhaps one of the teams with the various research agencies could look into this.

Apart from agencies, reassignment or repurposing assets is another area the government can consider.

Instead of erecting new building for office space, housing and public amenities, repurposing old buildings, where possible could help reduce costs, wastage and prevent neighbourhoods and business areas from falling derelict.

This is particularly true for smaller towns which use to have a bigger presence of government employees and formerly government-run public utilities and facilities. They can be converted into homestays, government rest houses or even privately run hotels or hostels.

Some government agencies that do not need to be in the city centre, for instance those involved in research and development, could be relocated in renovated government buildings in these towns, as well. Apart from reducing the congestion in the city, it would help these towns retain their economic viability.

Under the previous administration, many political warlords of the many parties had to hold on the personal “fiefdoms”, via appointments and contracts to maintain power their power bases. This led to the civil service inadvertently doing the same. The collapse of the previous government presents a chance to the present one to do things previously impossible without ego and personal interests in the way, and it should be done before either begins to take form. – August 22, 2018.

* 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.