Let one person speak for the government, analyst says after ECRL clash

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng (left) and Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali recently issued differing statements on the ECRL mega project.

PETALING JAYA: An analyst has proposed that Putrajaya adopt a spokesperson system for the government, in the wake of contradicting statements from ministers over the fate of a China-backed mega project.

Speaking to FMT, Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun said the spokesperson should be a career bureaucrat, or at least someone who is well-versed in particular subject matters rather than individual ministries.

He added that flip-flops and clashing statements from Cabinet members on issues such as key projects would affect investor confidence.

He was referring to the contradictory statements by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng and Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali over the status of the East Coast Rail Link.

Azmin said the government had terminated China Communications Construction Group Ltd as the project’s contractor, while Lim said an official decision had yet to be made.

Oh Ei Sun.

Oh added that the Pakatan Harapan government had yet to come up with a consistent and well-structured plan to revive the flagging economy.

On the record fall of the ringgit against the baht as well as the overall performance of the Thai economy despite being under military rule, Oh said it would not be meaningful to compare the currencies of two similar economies as there would be “frequent and slight ups and downs”.

The ringgit had reached a record low of RM13.15 to 100 baht (RM1 to 7.60 baht).

“I am not so sure that we have an urgent need to strengthen the ringgit, for that would imply that we continue to rely heavily on imports,” Oh said.

“Instead, we should take advantage of a relatively weak ringgit to strengthen our exports and improve on our intangibles such as clean and efficient government.”

To this end, Oh said Malaysia’s “welcome message” to investors and the business community must be positive and consistent.

He noted that Thailand keeps a clear line between politics and the economy.

“Whether it is a civilian or military government, the pro-business and pro-investment policies continue.

“Even in the worst political crisis, the Thais will not jeopardise their economic production capability.”

This, he added, could be a lesson to Malaysia to steer clear of politics in the running of the government. - FMT