Ignoring meritocracy led us to the mess today, says Zaid

 

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s failure to manage Covid-19 and the economy is not only an indictment of the Perikatan Nasional-led government, but also the country’s refusal to recognise talent over the years, says a former minister.

Zaid Ibrahim, the former de facto law minister, said Malaysia was paying the price for neglecting meritocracy through the previous decades.

“We are in an unprecedented crisis today, and what do we still see in the news? Race, religion and political patronage, things we used to see in the 1980s; it isn’t going to save us from the bigger issues we are facing now,” he told FMT.

Zaid said it was sad that the country appeared to have learned nothing from the failures of the past.

He said the current social media label of “Kerajaan Gagal” being used against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration reflected the lack of talent at the highest levels which stemmed from the continued promotion of policies and practices which encouraged mediocrity.

“Even during the pandemic we still see groups making demands on the basis of race, we still see politically motivated appointments that do not add value to the country,” he said.

Last month, two medical groups had proposed that recruitment of new medical graduates be reviewed to ensure that Bumiputera graduates could serve in permanent positions in the health ministry.

On the politically motivated appointments, Zaid said many ministers and deputy ministers, in what he called a bloated Cabinet, had been appointed not on merit or expertise but for the sake of political expediency.

It was time that Malaysians, not just the government, changed their perspective, he said.

“Meritocracy makes sense, we need to get the best person for the job regardless of their race, religion or political beliefs. We must not have our hands tied by a lack of competence.”

Zaid said Malaysia was already lagging behind some of its regional neighbours and Covid-19 will only exacerbate that gap.

“Meritocracy must be the driving force for this country. In fact, to me, the biggest losers from a lack of meritocracy are the Malays themselves because it hinders them from benefiting from policies aimed at promoting excellence.”

He said that in the past, certain Malay champions were chosen to help the community but lacked the knowledge and integrity to do so.

“As a result, many Malays were doomed from the start, because they were led by incompetent people who were favourites of the ruling elite.” - FMT