Let’s have a jihad task force against corruption instead

 

The government appears to have an obsession with forming committees and councils for just about everything.

Over the past decades, a myriad of committees and task forces have been announced by federal and state leaders but most of us cannot remember how effective those committees were or if they ever came out with reports offering solutions for problems.

What stands out most in memory is that extra expenditure was involved, in paying for venues and allowances for the members appointed.

Freedom of thought in these panels is usually limited, especially if a minister or other politicians are appointed to head such committees. As former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has pointed out, it is meaningless to appoint politicians to head any committee, just have technocrats with brains to be in charge.

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has led the National Recovery Council (MKN) for more than a year, but people are asking what has it done to improve the lives of Malaysians. Despite having nothing much to show, he is now asking to speed up the establishment of state MKN entities.

Does he not know this will only incur additional expenditure which will surely be unnecessary? Maybe it is a way of using these panels for one’s political ambitions. Federal funds will be channelled through the state councils which can then be used to say they are helping the people.

So when Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced a Special Jihad Task Force to Tackle Inflation, many eyebrows were raised, let alone some hackles.

The team would be tasked with gathering information from all relevant ministries, agencies and the public and draft and coordinate strategies to resolve inflation-related issues. So what are the tens of thousands of civil servants from the related ministries and departments doing? What about the ministers and deputy ministers?

Many were not surprised that Ismail used an Islamic term as it is obvious that he has added several cards to his political armoury of late. The one before this being the champion of the Malay language.

But what shocked most was the appointment of communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa to head it. Isn’t he busy with the telco mergers, 5G rollout and running the propaganda mill for the government among other activities?

He hardly has time for his own ministry and his political affairs, let alone take charge of the gargantuan job of bringing down the cost of living. For that, you need a dedicated technocrat or economist working full time. Annuar’s visit to a food outlet on his second day of appointment and talking to the patrons is not going to solve the problem.

As many know, committees are cumbersome bodies with excessively complex decision-making and governance, sometimes complicated further by internal politics.

Tongues have been wagging on the possibility of Ismail appointing his trusted lieutenant from Umno’s “ministers cluster” to balance his power. There is also talk that this role will involve a huge amount of funds which could be used as a subtle campaign for the next general election.

So such is the tale of the government’s laughable solution of forming minister-headed committees to resolve basic problems. It is made worse by the use of the word jihad as it appears to be thrown in as political fodder, to win over Muslim voters.

Okay, let’s give the benefit of the doubt to Ismail and his Cabinet for the moment. But let me suggest another committee – Special Jihad Task Force to Fight Corruption.

I can bet you that most Malaysians will jump with joy. No one will tear the government apart with criticism, as they are doing to Annuar’s committee.

But for an anti-corruption jihad to happen, we can do without any politician, or the current MACC chief, or any of the past chief commissioners, to be in charge. They should not be allowed anywhere near the committee.

Given the large number of civil servants hauled up by the MACC over the years, it would also not be advisable to appoint any government employee to such a panel.

Corruption has proven itself to be a major direct and indirect contributor to the rising cost of living, whether one likes it or not. It also diverts talent and resources towards lucrative rent-seeking rather than productive activities.

The cost of doing business goes up as the cost of unseen exchanges of money is passed on to the consumers.

Obviously, the decades of unabated corruption in the country has contributed a great deal to the problems that Malaysians are facing now.

So a jihad against corruption is in order. This is one task force or committee that will be greeted with rejoicing. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.