The Perikatan Nasional (PN) is a loose informal conservative political alliance that was created between the member parties of Barisan Nasional (BN), Parti Peribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS). The alliance has been in government at the federal level since March 2020, through the support of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) and two independent MPs.
The wobbly alliance was established in February 2020 during the 2020 Malaysian political crisis when BERSATU departed from the then-governing Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
As confessed by Muhyiddin, the prime minister, “this government is not a government elected by the people.” This is another way of saying that the coalition is an “illegitimate government”.
If truth be told, Perikatan is in reality a backdoor government after a political coup led by a few main players who were at one time with the legitimate government, Pakatan Harapan that was lawfully elected in the 2018 general elections.
Perikatan is now fumbling
The parliament was supposed to convene on March 8, 2020 but is now brought forward to May 18. There is a fear that a no-confidence by members of parliament, which is likely to happen, will see this backdoor government collapse.
The country’s economy is now going to the drain and added to that the blitz of the Covid-19 has caused immeasurable hardship to the people. With incompetent leadership and a dysfunctional cabinet of more than 70 ministers, the country is now in a mess.
The cabinet ministers have become clueless under a pitiable headship. Performance wise, most of the ministers are way behind the many adept ministers under the toppled Pakatan Harapan government. To add salt to injury, these inept ministers are popping up with foolish statements, insulting the intelligence of the people. The cabinet head seems oblivious to what is going on around him.
One grave blooper made by the prime minister is the appointment of a non-politician who has no experience in managing a government as finance minister. As such, in the present economic downturn the stimulus package laid out to cushion the effects of the Covid-19 has failed to meet the needs of those really affected by the lockdown.
Glaringly, the package, endorsed by the prime minister, has not really met the target group especially the SMEs that are badly affected by the economic downturn. The irony is that aid is given to government servants – supposedly their vote bank – who are earning monthly salaries and have not lost their jobs while the real needy ones out there are left with crumbs or not given at all. Apparently this stimulus package smacks more of politics than aiding the people in difficulty.
Bloated cabinet
The country has a minister of religion who fits more to become a compassionate preacher than a minister. This is unlike his predecessor who had vision and progressive ideas for a multi-racial country to move forward.
The Minister of Higher Education fumbles yet again. During this pandemic, firstly students were told to leave campus for home but soon after seeing an exodus of students at bus and railway stations, made a U-turn asking them to stay put in their hostels. These students who are locked up in their hostels need to be fed. RM12.2 million in taxpayers’ money has to be spent in food aid just within the two weeks to 74,530 university students who are staying at their hostels during the Movement Control Order (MCO). The minister, a green horn in the field, has gone on a silent mode since then.
As for the Education Minister, it’s all blur as nobody knows what education policy he has in store for the country after Mahathir left the post.
The ineffective Minister of International Trade and Industry, who was the prime mover of the coup that led to the creation of Perikatan, is spending more time talking politics with no sign of any trade deals with foreign countries at this time of difficulty.
The Ministry of Primary Industry is a vital ministry especially during this bad time. There are concerns that the pandemic will impact global growth, which will lead to weaker demand for edible oils and other primary products. But the minister, without any economic background, seems clueless of what to do to boost the demand for palm oil and the Felda settlers are expecting the worse to befall them.
The Environment Minister had fumbled badly when he was asked about the ISO status in regard to logging activities in Kelantan. Not long after that, he wanted an investigation on whether the Convid-19 was spread through sewage. He missed the fact that WHO has studied the matter and that there is no evidence about the survival of the COVID-19 virus in drinking water or sewage. The two main routes of transmission are respiratory or contact.
Just recently he has commended that due to the present lockdown, the environment is much cleaner. It does not take a genius to tell this. Even a kindergarten drop-out knows this fact.
Politicians seeking cheap publicity
The dysfunctional government has also come up with an “Air Suam” minister who has even revealed the name of a Covid-19 patient, which is against the law. Like with almost all ministries, the health ministry comes with three incompetent ministers. Instead of firing them, the prime minister has now introduced a respectable lady doctor Jemilah Mahmood as special adviser on public health despite already having one minister, and two deputy ministers of health who we have never heard or seen.
The bloated cabinet of this government are paid with taxpayers’ money and the country is going through financially trying times. Why not just appoint Jemilah as the health minister and get rid of those three present minsters, to save taxpayers’ money?
The MCO period is not the time for politicians to seek cheap publicity. A minister was lambasted by the public and professionals for wearing a full white personal protective equipment (PPE) or the hazmat suit during a sanitation exercise. Even this sanitation exercise was claimed by the health DG that it does not follow the SOP. It only shows how shallow thinking can a minister be.
It did not come to her mind that at this crucial hour, ministers should not waste time and gather crowds for launching events with gimmicks.
To add insult to stupidity, besides going to town with a publicity-seeking team of ministers and aides doling up completely in hazmat suit, that costs the government at least RM10,000 each, the “Menteri” label was displayed on the forehead – to foolishly seek publicity mileage, especially when the front liners are already stretched to the maximum to handle this pandemic.
Another woman minister has suggested that women when reprimanding their men at this time of lockdown talk in “Doraemon voice”, with “Sayangku” thrown in, and a giggle at the end. This is the most pressing but silly advice a minister has come up with when the people are already frazzled enduring the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last but not the least on the list of bloopers, it’s now the season for self-quarantine, social distancing, crazy one person per car policy but now Ramdan bazaars are allowed! What conciliation is this? A Federal Territory minister now says the Ramadan bazaars are on, supposedly to seek some cheap publicity and win the hearts of the gullible who know less of public safety. Obviously, this defies the purpose of the MCO decided by the same government. This makes a mockery of the isolation and social distancing stance adopted to rein in the Convid-19 which in main is to address this pandemic.
Nation’s future looks bleak now
Is this the kind of government and ministers the people aspire for the nation? The present race-based coalition insists on controlling the government only to safeguarding their interest, and they keep blaming the other races for all the misfortune that is befalling them. Their incompetency speaks volumes and the nation’s future looks bleak now.
With the present poor management of the economic crises, the Malay race who are the majority poor will be affected most. When this happens the concept of “Ketuanan Melayu” espoused by the Perikatan alliance will come to zilch. They cannot then blame the others for their fiascos.
The people have now come to realise that only a multi-racial coalition with those with brainpowers managing can bring the county forward and not a race-centric coalition that is heaped with clueless nincompoops.
The people at large have come to realise that this government has become enfeebled. They are beginning to fear for their and the country’s financial future. They are now losing their patience and many are yearning for the previous more competent Pakatan government to be back.
WRITER –Dr Mana
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