THE Pakatan Harapan government, on its first anniversary, announced the Shared Prosperity vision, which is centred around three main themes: distributive justice, growth and unity. The rather muted, unenthusiastic response by the private sector and government agencies alike appears to have shaped the public’s apathy to the idea, compared to slogans and concepts pushed by the previous administration, such as Islam Hadhari and 1Malaysia.

For this year’s Merdeka celebrations, the government is going with an updated theme from last year’s – “Sayangi Malaysiaku: Malaysia Bersih”, or Love My Malaysia: A Clean Malaysia. Again, the element of unity is present in this campaign to promote love for the country.

And yet, the take-up of this, too, has been lackadaisical. Perhaps, private sector firms are reducing their corporate social responsibility/public relations budget given the sluggish economy. Or, they do not yet know for sure if they want to place all their chips on the PH government, looking at how a few previously high-flying, untouchable Najib Razak-favoured companies are still scrambling, trying to rebuild their relationship with a new administration that is suspicious of them.

However, one can support the government of the day, and its policies and initiatives without being obnoxious or turning it into a sycophantic farce. This is especially so for programmes and policies that promote economic growth and resilience, social well-being, and of course, national unity.

Unity and its product, harmony, are critical components of a stable country. This stability makes carrying out economic activities easier, which, in turn, makes for a prosperous nation. Unity should be an integral part of the national narrative, to be interwoven in education, economic and other plans, programmes and policies.

It is prudent for companies to set aside a part of their CSR budget to ensure continuity in the ease of doing business rather than spending money on divisive activities like radical religious programmes, or for that matter, engaging politicians. Indeed, some quarters are self-serving and would rather see a divided country to benefit their narrow agenda.

Unity programmes should be viewed as an investment in the continuous well-being of the nation they do business in. The effects of such programmes directly improve the workplace. Employees would be less suspicious of colleagues of different faiths and races, and this promotes a healthy and non-judgmental work environment, which boosts productivity.

It can begin with ministries and government-controlled agencies. Instead of rebelling by executing their own vision of what they think is good for Malaysia, they should abide by directives and spend government-allocated funds in the way that the government had envisioned, for the simple fact that the government carries the people’s mandate. Failure to do so amounts to a betrayal of the electorate. In the last election, the majority voted for the pact that campaigned on promises of moderation, advancement of liberties and propagation of harmony.

This applies for government-linked companies as well. The same level of support given to the previous administration should be extended to the current one. It does not mean an open chequebook for donations and largesse, but in terms of promoting government policies, there really should be no question about it. The personal beliefs of those tasked with executing the said policies should not take precedence over the fact that they are being paid to do just that.

And, this is especially true when it comes to policies involving something as critical as national unity. – August 1, 2019.

* 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.