Merdeka: New PM will do well to emulate the Tunku

 

In the month that we celebrate Merdeka, we have a new prime minister. Ismail Sabri Yaakob was sworn in as the ninth prime minister of Malaysia on Aug 21, 2021.

We know what kind of a leader he was. As a minister, he was known more for wanting to create digital malls solely for the Malays than for anything else. And the fact that the project failed.

That’s one of the two things that come immediately to mind when we think of him.

He also failed as the minister in charge of controlling the spread of Covid-19. The government came under attack for shoddy planning and implementation of policies and rules, inconsistencies in their implementation, constant U-turns, and a lack of coordination at the ministerial and implementation levels.

Now, by a stroke of luck and the manoeuvring of his party Umno, he is prime minister. His leadership style has been called bland, uninspiring, mediocre and some things that cannot be printed here.

For me, the question now is not what sort of leader he was or is. The more important question is what sort of leader will he become. Ismail has an opportunity to prove he is made of better stuff.

On his first day at work as prime minister, netizens slammed Ismail over certain flaws they saw during his visit to flood areas in Yan, Kedah. Pictures of him in a government jet surrounded by Umno leaders and others and of a very long convoy of vehicles were shared on social media, as also pictures of a huge billboard with his face.

It certainly was not what he expected on the first day he clocked in as prime minister, especially since he was trying to show he cared for the people by visiting those affected by the floods in far off Yan.

For most of us, it was an indication that nothing really has changed – the waste of funds, the sycophancy, and leaders being surrounded by cronies. But a few days later, Ismail appeared to have redeemed himself.

And if what he did on Aug 25 is any indication of his leadership style, we may need to change our view of him. The new prime minister invited leaders of the opposition Pakatan Harapan – Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng and Mohamad Sabu – for a discussion on the current pandemic and related situations.

They signed an agreement that holds promise of institutional reform.

They said in a statement: “A consensus was reached to strengthen the function of Parliament as a responsible and constructive institution that serves as a check and balance on the executive so that it is more transparent and fulfils the people’s desires.

“We also agreed and understood how important judicial independence, institutional reforms and good governance were to ensure a more conducive situation for the people and the nation in the context of a Malaysian family.”

Most Malaysians, however, have been let down too many times by the promises of political leaders, and we need proof of this before we pass judgement.

Also, one suspects that it has more to do with the slim majority that Ismail holds in Parliament. Umno pulled the rug from under Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional to take over the post of prime minister. What guarantee is there that PN – with 50 MPs – will not now do the same?

Being friendly with PH is, therefore, good insurance and makes sense politically. If but three or four MPs were to switch camps when a confidence vote is taken when Parliament sits next month, Ismail will go down in history as the prime minister who served less than a month in office.

Still, the meeting and the agreement is a good start to his premiership.

As we celebrate Merdeka, I’d suggest that Ismail look to our first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman for inspiration. The Tunku is a great model of leadership.

Ismail should study how Bapa Malaysia lived as prime minister and how he conducted state affairs.

Ismail should see himself as Malaysian first, as did the Tunku, and not as a Malay first as did Muhyiddin. No one can take away the fact that Ismail is a Malay, but he is now the leader of Malaysia which is a multiracial, multicultural, multireligious nation and he should not forget this.

The Tunku believed in harmony between the races, and although he wanted to uplift the Malays, especially educationally and economically, he did not sideline the non-Malays or make them feel as if they were second-class citizens. He considered all citizens as equals.

He was a man of integrity and was scrupulously honest. If Ismail can follow suit and make his administration one that upholds integrity, he would do himself and the nation proud.

As someone who has met the Tunku, I can vouch for the fact that he was very down to earth in his approach and conduct. Those who served under him, or worked with him, had so much to say about his humility and the “human” manner in which he lived his daily life. He certainly would not travel in a three-kilometre or even half-kilometre long convoy.

The Tunku didn’t consider anyone his enemy. Even someone from another camp within the party was given due respect. Proof of this? Listen to what former deputy prime minister Musa Hitam, who was aligned with the then deputy prime minister Razak Hussein, once said about the Tunku’s character:

“The point I wish to make about the Tunku is that there I was, an identified Razak boy, who was executive secretary of Umno literally running the party machinery, having very regular contacts with the Tunku as president of the party. Yet, never had I felt any sign of displeasure or any unwillingness on his part to see me regularly on any matter relating to party affairs. Not only that, person to person he was always accommodating and kind.”

On Aug 31, 1957, in reading the proclamation of independence, Tunku affirmed that we were an independent state “founded upon the principles of liberty and justice and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of its people and the maintenance of a just peace among all nations”.

In a nutshell, it spells out the goals of the nation and how it should be governed, and also our foreign relations stand.

If Ismail were to follow just this alone, he would leave behind a great legacy.

In fact, all our politicians should pin up a copy of the proclamation of independence on their office walls to constantly remind themselves of the vision for this nation at its founding. - FMT 

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