A trinity government working as one until GE15 is what is needed to save Malaysia before Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim takes over the mantle of leadership.
One leader from Pakatan Harapan, one from Umno and one from Perikatan Nasional should provide the headship of governance until then.
It is a unity government in practice if the politicians are given to a singular goal which is to save the nation. Three heads are better than one.
The country is sailing in uncharted waters and this calls for unconventional solutions. Fitch has given Malaysia a bad report card. The time is urgent for a renaissance and prove that Malaysia Boleh is not another empty slogan.
Besides the unusual cooperation of the warring parties which aren't that hostile to one another evident from all the wheeling and dealing under the public radar, all the major players ought to be able to work as a team.
If not, they prove unsuitable to serve the nation and disqualify themselves as national leaders. How then can they take the public oath to serve their country?
What is conditional is the commitment not to play politics against one another until GE15 and the Covid-19 menace is vanquished.
If the politicians cannot do that for the nation's survival then they expose themselves as the country's public enemies, hypocritical, conniving and heartless. In short, destined for the dump in GE15.
After all, the leaders all claim to be putting the country first - they have to prove it. If you truly mean what you say publicly then act it out for the benefit of the nation.
The war the country faces can be fought on three crucial fronts. The prosperity, pandemic and poverty fronts. For ease of remembering, let's call it P3.
It is not the season for politics. It is the open season for politicians to demonstrate they can serve the people in their hour of need.
Prosperity meaning economic matters - trade, industries, agriculture, services, and small business sectors that need government coordination and policing.
The wholesale curbing of business hours and one size fits all approach is unwise. Now that we all have a better understanding of the virus with the fast mutating variants, vaccines, and other effective drugs, there is no reason why economic activities cannot occur under proper protocol and policing.
What is needed is clever planning, competent organisation, good leadership and timely execution. And snuff out corruption and racketeering criminals in and outside government circles.
There's absolutely no reason why a nation has to come to a social and economic standstill, and result in the "cure is worse than the sickness" predicament.
Establish effective, innovative and relevant SOPs across the board.
When economic activities happen, the country will be on a trajectory to economic prosperity. Time is running out and that is why dynamic leadership is crucial. You don't want the virus to wreck your health and country. What then is left?
But first things, first.
War on the Pandemic Front will be vicious and bloody as numbers of infections rise. But it will plateau and decline. What is critical is you don't want that to happen after recording many casualties.
Right now the public hospitals are not coping. More deaths are inevitable until urgent help is given and emergency means critical, not cavalier. What is the point of having more ambulances to send the sick to die in hospitals short of beds and trained ICU staff?
I wrote about a friend and her husband who survived a Covid infection by the skin of their teeth. She was in the Serdang Hospital, left without a bed and water for over three days. In an audio recording to friends, she recounted horror stories of suffering unacceptable in a rich country like Malaysia. Some desperate patients in the hospital begged to die, she related.
The sale of vaccines by private companies has to stop. The government instead has to start giving out free vaccinations to anyone who needs it. This will stop the racketeering and profiteering in vaccines and undermining of the efficacy of vaccinations from half and dud doses.
Stop targeting illegal migrants and ensure they are vaccinated. Otherwise, they are the Trojan Horse in the country and will pose a major source of infections.
Total mobilisation of the rakyat to fight against Covid-19 is essential. The government and rakyat fighting together as one will surely defeat the virus. This requires many people with social and organising skills.
There are many capable Malaysians who can help. Those in charge have to identify and invite them and forget about politics. If the cat catches rats it qualifies. There are many such human cats around.
More brains are better than one
The Poverty Front is the easiest won when those who have, are encouraged to share with those who don't. This is already happening and various individuals and groups are feeding the poor and hungry.
Initiatives from the heart are the best response for noble public service. But the government must not let the people do its job. Provide the assets to feed the poor.
When the time is conducive and it is the safe season for politicians to bicker, someone might want to suggest a Royal Commission of Inquiry into why there are still so many poor Malays, Orang Asli and non-Malays in the country.
What happened to the trillions that passed through government hands in the last 63 years of self-rule? Why instead are there so many wealthy politicians?
Everyone knew the 1MDB was being abused and the same applies to the government. Let's see more convictions and recovery of stolen monies.
It is a teaching in Islam that everyone has to give an accounting to God. What will those who have stolen the people's money say to God? In my book, they will be cast into the lake of fire. No one fools God or escapes punishment.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad once threatened people with the fear of God when he came into power. They feared him instead and corruption became an industry.
Najib Abdul Razak says Umno politicians must repent, Azmin Ali says "sorry" but they must produce fruit with repentance. Otherwise, it is nothing more than the shedding of crocodile tears, playing possum and trying to dupe the public again with empty words.
For now, the P3 Plan is what matters, others will offer other constructive ideas. More brains are better than one.
Money stolen by political leaders can be recovered or is replaceable but not precious lives lost to Covid-19. Many of us have lost friends and family to the virus.
A trinity government that mobilises non-politicians and the wisest and cleverest brains in the country and abroad to save the country is a strategy that cannot be ignored.
You don't need a big cabinet formed to bribe. Only a handful of capable leaders, and equally capable department heads.
Now is the time to burn egos, not be greedy and selfish and to dig deep and find the resolve to save the nation.
Don't pass on the urgent job to politicians who are slow, lack a sense of urgency and conduct matters as if the business is usual and do as they please. The country has to be on a war footing against real enemies.
Caretaker prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin gloats that he did not trade his principles for the support of the "court cluster". A pity he forgot his principles before the Sheraton treachery. Still, many saw a poetic justice for the one who lost out.
And kudos to Muhyiddin for being a gentleman and resigning. He must not sit on the job now. If more Malaysians die he does not want to be remembered as the "undertaker leader." But a caretaker leader can and must take care of the people.
In October last year, I wrote in Malaysiakini that it is time for Anwar to be the PM. But it did not pan out before the king. I still think it is apt to repeat the call because there is no more qualified prospect than Anwar. Prolonged political instability is not desirable.
When Muhyiddin became PM he attributed it to God. When he lost the post, he said it was "Allah's will". While I believe God puts one up and another down, or allows the same man to rise and fall, he must have a good reason.
After GE14 the nation was geared for Anwar to lead the nation. When all is considered he still stands above the others, then and now.
The template for his success is already there. He is known abroad and nothing he will do can be worse than what the alternatives and his predecessors have done.
Convince me there is a better prospect for the top job than Anwar. Spare us another Mahathir, the 100 billion man, or Najib, half Mahathir's cost.
What Malaysia needs now is a capable and focused government. And in future, Anwar with a dream team of young, older and above all honest and capable leaders may offer the country real hope.
What is needed is not another cult hero but a manifesto that is honoured. I have always believed in Malaysian politicians' uncanny ability to cope with precipice politics and let's hope and pray there will be upright leadership in a nation discouraged by tainted leaders.
A revived Anwar is the renaissance the country desperately needs. And the good thing about Malaysia is they have had experience with removing failed leaders without turmoil or blood-letting. - Mkini
STEVE OH believes life is most fulfilling when we live to love God, love people and love nature. He is author and composer of the novel and musical ‘Tiger King of the Golden Jungle’.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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