Bersatu will lead Perlis with low trust, say analysts

Syaza Shukri and Azmi Hassan say the new state government led by Abu Bakar Hamzah will face intense pressure.

Analyst Syaza Shukri said Abu Bakar Hamzah’s appointment as Perlis menteri besar will ruffle feathers among PAS and Bersatu leaders but is unlikely to rupture the overall working relationship between the two parties. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Bersatu is expected to lead the state government in Perlis with low trust after its Kuala Perlis assemblyman, Abu Bakar Hamzah, was sworn in as menteri besar yesterday, says an analyst.

Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University of Malaysia said even though Abu Bakar was likely to receive the support of the 11 Perikatan Nasional (PN) assemblymen in the state, the government would face intense internal pressure.

Syaza Shukri.

“Things can change in an instant, especially with low trust among coalition partners (PAS and Bersatu). It makes governance a bit difficult, too, if Abu Bakar cannot secure buy-ins from everyone,” she told FMT.

Syaza said the recent political crisis in Perlis would also give the impression among PAS supporters that Bersatu had the tendency to choose political gain over stability in PN.

However, she said it was unlikely to rupture the overall working relationship between the two parties, as the political reality in PN depended heavily on PAS’ stronger machinery and larger number of elected officials.

“I think in the end, both parties will want to keep the coalition together at whatever cost,” she added.

Nevertheless, she said PAS would take the perceived loss into consideration for future seat negotiations, to avoid being seen as a pushover.

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said the political crisis would make PAS realise that Bersatu was an unreliable coalition partner which aimed to dominate at both the national and state levels, despite holding fewer seats than PAS overall.

Azmi Hassan.

“PAS has been outplayed by Bersatu in this particular case. I don’t think (Abu Bakar’s appointment) is a case of quid pro quo, since Bersatu has nothing to offer PAS in Perlis,” he told FMT.

Abu Bakar replaced PAS’s Sanglang assemblyman, Shukri Ramli, who resigned as menteri besar on Dec 25 due to health reasons.

His appointment came after eight PN assemblymen reportedly submitted statutory declarations (SDs) to the Perlis ruler to withdraw their support for Shukri.

Three PAS assemblymen – Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) and Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji) – subsequently had their party memberships terminated and their seats vacated.

The five Bersatu assemblymen who also reportedly submitted SDs were Abu Bakar, Izizam Ibrahim (Titi Tinggi), Megat Hashirat Hassan (Pauh), Wan Zikri Afthar Ishak (Tambun Tulang) and Marzita Mansor (Sena).

Several PAS leaders posted cryptic messages about friendship and betrayal on Facebook following Abu Bakar’s swearing-in, with PAS treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad saying “we now know their true colours”.

He did not name any specific party or individual, and said it was up to the public to interpret his meaning.

PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said “a friend who backstabs another has chosen to become an enemy”, while PAS central information committee member Nurul Islam Yusoff said: “(PAS vice-president) Amar Abdullah was right – maintaining loyalty and friendship is difficult for Bersatu.” - FMT

Consider adopting UK’s ‘book bag’ model, educationist urges govt

Indranee Liew says the cost of physical books limits access for many families.

A programme like the UK’s Bookstart scheme can help parents read and share stories with their children and support early literacy development, says educationist Indranee Liew. (Freepik pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 An early childhood education consultant has urged the government to consider adopting the UK’s “book bag” reading model to support early reading at home, especially for children from lower-income families.

Drawing from her experience teaching in the UK, Indranee Liew said the cost of physical books limited access for many families.

“When I was teaching in England, early-year classrooms supported family reading sessions by providing ‘book bags’ for children to take home weekly,” she said, adding that parents were also given guides with discussion questions or drawing prompts.

The UK’s Bookstart scheme, launched in 1992, provides free book packs to children at key early-year stages to encourage parents to read and share stories with their children and support early literacy development.

Liew’s remarks come after education minister Fadhlina Sidek said on Dec 19 the new 2027 preschool curriculum would include a “specific space for parents to read together with their children”.

Malaysian Association for Education secretary Hamidi Mookkaiyah said many children have to take religious classes after normal school hours, also making it difficult to establish consistent reading habits if their parents work long and irregular hours.

He said that while creating space for parents to read with their children could help, schools should also schedule dedicated reading times and invite authors to speak to students.

Digital stories, audiobooks can complement ministry efforts

Liew said digital stories and audiobooks could complement the education ministry’s efforts by helping parents make use of short shared-reading sessions at home, not just at school.

“Audiobooks could also help improve pronunciation and verbal expression, particularly for children whose parents are unable to read with them regularly,” she said, adding however that digital media should not replace physical books completely.

Parent and public relations executive Balvin Kaur, who has three daughters, aged eight, five and two, also said digital tools were more practical for families with busy schedules and competing demands.

“Text-only reading resources are not great. They have to be illustrated, maybe even in comic form, to push children to read,” she said.

Balvin proposed tax exemptions for approved digital reading apps, and government subsidies for tablets to improve access for lower-income families.

She also suggested that preschools require children to summarise or narrate what they read to cultivate comprehension. - FMT

Youth chief laments PAS being left behind by ‘friend’

Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden is the latest to remark on betrayal following the appointment of Bersatu’s Abu Bakar Hamzah as Perlis menteri besar.

PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden said his party had sacrificed much, including giving up seats, helping in campaigns, raising funds and working day and night to help its ally win elections.

PETALING JAYA:

 PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden has voiced disappointment over what he described as being left behind by an ally – likely a reference to Bersatu – following the appointment of Bersatu’s Abu Bakar Hamzah as Perlis menteri besar.

Afnan, the Alor Setar MP, said PAS had always accepted friends as long as its principles were respected, and had sacrificed much, including giving up seats, helping in campaigns, raising funds and working day and night, to help its ally win elections.

“PAS was willing to set aside its own feelings to protect consensus and friendship,” he said in a Facebook post tonight.

He said PAS won the most number of seats in the 15th general election but still agreed to name a prime ministerial candidate from a coalition partner, with its MPs signing statutory declarations in support.

PAS also chose to remain silent during internal issues faced by its ally, despite pressure from the media, to avoid hurting their relationship.

“Today, that friend has chosen to walk alone, believing they are strong enough without us. That’s all right. If you want to go, go. After this, you can do everything on your own.

“Set up operations rooms, knock on doors, set up posters, hang banners, arrange ceramah locations, manage security. Do it all yourself,” he said.

Afnan said PAS has nothing to lose from its ally’s “departure”, and would continue its struggles on its own.

“Thank you for being (part of) our lives. Thank you for letting this world know what true friends are,” he said.

Afnan’s remarks are the latest in a series of social media posts by PAS leaders, including treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad and information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, hinting at a party’s betrayal.

Shortly after Abu Bakar was sworn in as menteri besar this afternoon, Iskandar posted that “we now know their true colours”. He did not name any specific party or individual, and said it was up to the public to interpret his meaning.

Fadhli said a “friend who backstabs another has chosen to become an enemy”, while PAS central information committee member Nurul Islam Yusoff said “(PAS vice-president) Amar Abdullah was right – maintaining loyalty and friendship is difficult for Bersatu”.

Abu Bakar’s appointment came after eight Perikatan Nasional assemblymen reportedly submitted statutory declarations to the Perlis ruler withdrawing their support for PAS’s Shukri Ramli, who resigned as menteri besar on Thursday due to health reasons. - FMT

Political instability puts everything on the line

Maintaining political stability has to be a continuous process that requires the collective efforts of the government and its people, including political parties.

From Moaz Nair

Malaysians should look into the country’s interests first and not be stymied by the interests of disingenuous politicians whose only ambition is to grab power.

The country went through a lot of uncertainties after the 2018 general election. Governments changed three times within a five-year span – unprecedented in the country’s history.

The 2022 general election saw no political party able to get the majority to form a government. The country’s only way to promote political stability then was by forming a coalition government following a hung Parliament.

With the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s wisdom and advice, the country opted for a unity government consisting of several political coalitions and parties.

Three years on, the unity government has led to a semblance of political stability in the country despite the continuous onslaughts by some politicians and social media influencers against the establishment.

Factors such as a strong democratic system, respect for the rule of law, effective leadership, and transparent governance have contributed to the political stability. This has drawn investors’ confidence to invest in this country.

More still could be done, though, to improve institutional efficiency by strengthening the administrative systems, public service delivery, and social cohesion.

All being well, this stability should continue beyond the next general election, which must be held by Feb 17, 2028, regardless of any political changes.

Favourable environment

Political stability offers a favourable environment for any country’s future, as it impacts governance, economic growth and long-term planning to give better quality of life for all its citizens.

Maintaining political stability has to be a continuous process that requires the collective efforts of the government and its people, including political parties. It is best achieved in societies that promote fairness and unity across different races and creeds.

On the contrary, political instability would only discourage investments, hinder economic growth, lead to capital outflows, increase unemployment rates, and erode public trust in the economy. This is going to affect the people’s livelihood.

It can also weaken a country’s foreign relations as it echoes internal unrest. When a government is unstable, it has to struggle to build trust and maintain consistent diplomatic policies with other nations.

Political conflicts

Despite its importance, many countries are facing challenges in achieving political stability because of political conflicts.

Poor governance has undermined development due to lack of transparency and accountability, rampant bribery and fraud among politicians and government officials. Resources are diverted away from public services and infrastructure, causing citizens to suffer from poor service delivery and lack of economic opportunities.

Without political stability, many nations struggle with weak public institutions that lack the political will to implement policies and reforms effectively. Weak accountability mechanisms have often prevented citizens from holding leaders responsible for their actions.

Their unending political conflicts have disrupted governance, leading to policy inconsistency, weak enforcement of laws, and public administration breakdown, making it difficult for them to move on as a nation.

Thus, we can conclude that only a country with political stability can ensure good governance, efficient public administration, the rule of law, economic growth, sustainable environmental development, and social equity. - FMT

Moaz Nair is an FMT reader.

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