POLITICIANS come and go, but the country must carry on. While it is understandable that leaders desire to leave their mark on the nation, populist stop-gap measures. should not come at the cost of long-term strategies to resolve issues.

Rebranding government programmes cost money, but more importantly, they cost time. While a concept like “Madani” or “Rahmah” can form a framework for government programmes, there is  no need to prefix the name to every single programme.

We have seen this with Keluarga Malaysia, Prihatin, Malaysia Baru and 1Malaysia. Before those, there was Hadhari. 

That’s six rebranding exercises in a dozen years, and half of them happened in the last three. Even the monetary aid, first distributed by Najib Razak, has been renamed four times. 

Imagine the mobilisation cost and the need to sidestep political landmines in wording.

More importantly, these programmes, usually aimed at alleviating the immediate problems of the people, should ultimately have a long-term solution to those woes. They should be simple, easily understood and coordinate with the defence, diplomatic, economic and social blueprints.

Streamlining existing programmes, adding, and subtracting ideas that are incompatible with the general framework, will not only be cheaper and clearer but also make much more sense.

It will also allow for these plans to survive beyond the any one leader or party. Without a political identity attached to it, there is no conflicting political brand and no need to remove it when that brand has outlived its usefulness.  

The purpose of politicians is to steer the country in a certain direction and set the tone for the administration. If, for example, a conservative party were voted into power, we would see stricter public moral policing and dress codes. The civil service and judicial appointments would reflect this. Yet the past couple of administrations have done the opposite. They seem geared to pander to the voters who did not vote for them rather than those who did.

This trend, if left unchecked, could lead to problems with voters’ expectations. 

While it is understandable to wish to placate an agitated population, long-term policies must also be inplemented as well. 

Public accountability needs to be re-introduced across all facets of government. It will be expensive and untenable to implement a system such as the US’, which mandates elections for all three branches of government, but parliament should at least have better oversight.

The law-making body should consider expanding its select committees to cover more ground and for more oversight over government-linked companies and investment bodies.

At the end of the day, results speak stronger than campaigns, and the best plans are those that are doable, winnable, sustainable, and scalable, and with a dose of luck, able to be replicated across organically, to emulate its success. 

Success makes for a strong personal and political brand, and as goodies and handouts get more expensive, a long-term solution helps both the citizens and government wean off a subsidy-driven economy. 

Those short-term plans must have continuity and more predictability to help the strategy kick in, without the interference of political incompatibility. – April 26, 2023.

* 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.