PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is that rare leader who recognises his mistakes, admits to them publicly, and then goes about rectifying them with the tenacity of a hungry rooster chasing a worm. However, lest we gloss over it, he is not that wise in that he had made the same mistake not once but twice. The first was with Abdullah Badawi; second, Najib Razak. 

Nor did Dr Mahathir recognise his mistakes early enough when they would have been easier to remedy and before they could wreak havoc. Look at the wreckage inflicted by Najib. If Dr Mahathir were to repeat those same mistakes now that he is prime minister again, the consequences this time would be far more catastrophic. 

Dr Mahathir corrected his blunder with Abdullah Badawi with ease; with Najib, less so. Between Abdullah and Najib, Malaysia wasted a precious decade and a half. Najib also squandered billions. That part of the wreckage is at least quantifiable, not so the damage he wreaked upon Malaysian institutions or the nation’s reputation.

Najib and Abdullah were not the only duds. Dr Mahathir’s previous cabinet was filled with Nazri Azizes, Zahid Hamidis and Rahman Dahlans. Countless others of comparably appalling calibre helmed the nation’s institutions. It is this lethal combination of weak institutions in the hands of the corrupt and incompetent that cripples Malaysia and produces the 1MDB scandal and other boondoggles. 

Dr Mahathir has his work cut out. At 93, he has precious little time. His saving grace is that today, unlike when he was leading Umno and Barisan, Dr Mahathir is now inundated with talent. Many are young.  

His education minister has a British doctorate, a vast improvement over his many predecessors. As a junior academic, he was already an outspoken critic of the government through his role as a moderator in many wacanas (public debates). That is a rare trait among local lecturers, where the culture is to suck up to your superiors; hence the derisive appellate “Professor Kangkung”. In debates, Maszlee Malik dazzled his audiences with his wit, eloquence and receptiveness to diverse views. 

Maszlee is also fluent in Malay, English, Arabic and Mandarin, a worthy example for our teachers and students. He could “out quote” the Quran and hadith with the most bearded ulamas; he could, thus, expose their stupidity in front of simple kampung folk. 

Less young is Dr Mahathir’s new health minister, an Imperial College PhD holder in toxicology, Dzulkefly Ahmad. He has much to do cleaning up the toxic residue of the Najib administration.

The transfer of power executed by Maszlee and Dzulkefly with their respective predecessors was a picture of class and decorum. What a glaring contrast to the absence of Najib Razak at Dr Mahathir’s swearing-in ceremony at the palace. Najib has no class. Earlier, he had skipped the traditional concession speech. On election night, he abandoned his followers at a time when they needed support the most. 

The new transport minister, Anthony Loke, impressed me with his command of the national language. When his ministry staff greeted him on his first day with their usual pomp and ceremony, he told them to dispense with that. How refreshing! They would serve the nation best by attending to the public first rather than to their minister, he reminded them. 

Those elaborate ceremonies cost the rakyat a bundle. Think of the many public counters left unmanned because the staff had to greet and listen to their new minister. 

With such superior talents, Dr Mahathir should dispense with his old one-man show habit. Give them space, nurture them. Najib’s mistake, apart from not being too bright, was that he was like a kid, craving praises and going so far as to buy them! 

In a praiseworthy departure, Dr Mahathir has ventured far beyond to tap Tommy Thomas to be the new attorney-general. This infusion of top talent at the highest levels should be the new norm. Dr Mahathir should have more such individuals “helicoptered” in to bring a fresh perspective and different expertise, beyond the typical thinking and timeframe of a politician or civil servant. 

I would argue that politicians are least suited to be ministers as they would be busy taking care of their constituents, attending to party matters and campaigning for the next election. I do not suggest adopting in American system where all cabinet members are non-politicians. Thomas as attorney-general is a good start; he will also “de-politicise” that important office. A practising engineer to be works minister and a professional economist or accountant for finance minister should be next.

One individual Dr Mahathir should pay particular attention to is his deputy, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. Like Dr Mahathir, she is also a physician, and a specialist to boot. Unlike Dr Mahathir, who was once described by his admirers as the first Malay to graduate from medical school without having to sit for a supplemental, Wan Azizah was a gold medalist, top in her class in Ireland. The brilliance is there. She is no Najib, Abdullah or Muhyiddin. Help make her be not only the first female prime minister of Malaysia, but also the best. 

That would be a legacy worthy of Dr Mahathir. Achieve that and the soiled memories of his appointing Abdullah and Najib will recede from history. – June 12, 2018.

* M. Bakri Musa reads The Malaysian Insight.

* 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.