He would suggest that a much better and cheaper way would be to perhaps invite a few hundred avid Malaysian bloggers to Seri Perdana for tea and curry puffs and tell them to help promote Malaysian tourism instead.
David D. Mathew, The Malaysian Insider
AUG 16 — There is a man in London who travels six miles to work on his bicycle. He often walks around the office barefoot and has been spotted at work wearing a T-shirt saying “Love Me, Love My Bike”.
If you’re thinking that this man is some random bloke working dispatch — think again, because you’d be wrong.
His name is Steve Hilton — the British prime minister’s director of strategy and close confidant.
Yes, Hilton, a political outsider, works at No. 10 Downing Street.
Famed for his out-of-the-box “blue-sky thinking”, Hilton was recently thrust into the spotlight when the Financial Times ran an article about his more radical ideas such as scrapping maternity leave because it is “the biggest obstacle to woman finding work.”
Frustrated with the lumbering government machinery, Hilton was also reported to have suggested sacking hundreds of government press offices and replacing them with a blog for each Whitehall department. He is also in favour of employing “cloud busting” technology to create longer summers.
The list does not end there. Some of his other ideas to boost the economy come in the form of abolishing Job Centres, suspending consumer rights laws for nine months “to see what would happen” and ignoring some EU employment regulations.
Not all off his proposals are actually carried into becoming government policy but Hilton’s barmy ideas serve as intellectual challenges and spark debate within David Cameron’s inner circle, many of whom are traditionalists who tend to play it safe.
Perhaps Prime Minister Najib Razak needs a Steve Hilton as well.
Let us name this hypothetical character Jebat.
Jebat will tell the prime minister that spending RM1.8 million to develop six Facebook pages to promote Malaysian tourism is a waste of money and something this country can ill afford in these difficult times.
He would suggest that a much better and cheaper way would be to perhaps invite a few hundred avid Malaysian bloggers to Seri Perdana for tea and curry puffs and tell them to help promote Malaysian tourism instead.
After deducting the cost of the tea and curry puffs, the remainder monies could perhaps be channelled as scholarships for gifted students.
Jebat will then tell the prime minister that no matter what, inviting strange African dictators like Robert Mugabe to town and spending taxpayers’ money on him is a terrible idea.
Rather than spending money holding events such as the Langkawi International Dialogue, out of which the public sees little positive outcome, it would be better to spend that money hosting the Simpang Pulai Local Dialogue on Reducing Horrendous Annual Bus Accidents, for example.
Jebat will also tell the prime minister that since there is no real emergency in this country it should follow that the Emergency Ordinance and its evil twin brother the Internal Security Act be repealed.
In its place, the government could look into enacting a variety of other more palatable legislation.
For example, the Race Relations Act, No Unnecessary Raids Act, Restaurants Cannot Charge for Boiled Water Act or even the Half Price Quarter Tank of Petrol on Sundays Act.
Or how about the No Ibrahim Ali and Utusan Malaysia on Weekends Act?
Or the Freedom of Religion Just to Confirm Article 11 of the Federal Constitution Act.
On the matter of the mass media, Jebat will advise that the time has come to publicly disown newspapers that spew out editorials which are a complete anti-thesis to his 1 Malaysia policy.
Should Bersih 3.0 happen, Jebat will sit the prime minister down and tell him that the government should be involved in the march rather than condemning it.
Set up 1 Malaysia-themed food and games stalls and voter registration booths along the way to Stadium Merdeka. Turn the whole event into a carnival, then announce that the government will support Bersih’s demands. This way, innocent citizens need not be arrested and the government blunts one of the opposition’s swords.
The prime minister has been in active in politics since 1976. Two years later, he was appointed to Cabinet for the first time at the young age of 25.
While his over three decades of political experience does have its advantages, it also, at the same time, makes him an entrenched political insider. Every single decision calculated coldly, using political measurements.
Some of his ministers such as Rais Yatim, who early last year advised Malaysians against being too immersed in the Internet, are old and connect little with younger voters.
What the prime minister needs is a Steve Hilton — someone who can reinvigorate his government with ideas that may never see the light of day but sparks debate.
He needs an adviser who can be a little crazy and who does not give a toss about political considerations. — mysinchew.com
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