Should Putrajaya Make Room For A Mentor-Minister?
Written by ONNY IZWAN, Malaysian Digest
THE job of a Prime Minister is perhaps the most demanding occupation in Malaysia.
It is the most crucial position in a democratic government, a job which requires nothing less than total and unrelenting commitment to the person holding the post.
The job responsibilities are so extensive that he can’t afford to leave work at the office. Often times, the boundary between personal and official capacity is blurry and can overlap. There is hardly a day off from work or a reason to take a long holiday.
Interestingly, despite its importance, the appointment of Prime Minister is not defined in the 230-article Federal Constitution of Malaysia but its existence is recognised by its role in the function of government.
The post of PM is observed only as a revered political convention, a customary position determined at the pleasure of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. The appointment of the PM’s post is at His Majesty’s discretion, and it goes to the elected representative that is most likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members in the House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat).
Customarily, the post of PM is given to the chief of the dominant party, which commands the most seats in Dewan Rakyat.
Naturally, whoever holds the position of PM has the highest amount of political clout and administrative power to change the course of the country’s future.
While the job scope is mostly undefined and unwritten, the time-honoured duties of the PM are elaborate. All said and done, the main task of the PM is really about making hard decisions.
In the short, 57 years of independence, the PM office has had to deal with the country’s most intricate and daunting issues, of which can shape the political, social and economic fabric of the country.
From the breakup of Malaysia and Singapore, the communist insurgency, recession, nationwide power outage, May 13th riots, 2009 global financial crisis, etc, the office of PM is always fraught with problem-solving measures that must be expertly and swiftly dealt with, regardless of the nature of the problem or its origin.
As a top government official and MP, the PM has Parliamentary immunity but is exposed to public scrutiny.
And in the connected modern world of today where information is shared at a press of a button, Malaysians tend to be less forgiving when it comes to criticising how the PM manage and run the country, more so when it involve issues relating to public expenditure.
Every move made, things said in press statements and speeches will be constantly scrutinised and discussed in blogs and the social networks.
And recently, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been given plenty of flak in the press, even ridiculed for making an inappropriate statement in a speech about water spinach.
But the most striking criticism comes from veteran Umno politician Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin, who suggested that Datuk Seri Najib Razak needs to appoint former PM Dr Mahathir as his mentor in government, as a novel attempt to return the people’s confidence in his leadership in Umno and role as PM.
Do we need one?
Maybe Zainuddin was reminded of Mahathir’s unreserved ‘mentorship’ to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was always criticised publicly in the press when Badawi was seen to be losing his grip on ways to run government.
Zainuddin said people’s support for Najib as Prime Minister is waning because of his recent handling of economic, religious and inter-racial issues in the press.
He is probably right. Najib’s approval rating fell to 52% (from 65% in 2009, when he assumed the office of PM) in the Merdeka Center polls last year.
Additionally, 54% of respondents reported that they did not believe in statements by government leaders about the country’s economic situation.
“Sometimes we see there is no sense of urgency (from Najib and his Cabinet), then comes unconvincing answers,” Zainuddin as quoted in a local news portal. “Najib can lead but he needs moral support from Dr Mahathir to strengthen his position.”
To follow in Singapore’s footsteps?
Mahathir’s mentor role, according to Zainuddin, would be similar to Singapore’s Minister-Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
But according to national literary recipient and independent political critic Datuk A.Kadir Jasin, the notion that Malaysia needs a Minister-Mentor similar to Singapore is absurd.
“There’s no need for a Minister-Mentor here in Malaysia. Besides there’s hardly a point comparing us to Singapore because over there, the reason they created a Minister-Mentor post in the first place is because of Lee Kuan Yew’s unwillingness to relinquish his control of government. He resigned as Prime Minister but remained as a Cabinet member.
“Unlike here in Malaysia, where if a Prime Minister resigns from his post, he effectively resigns from all positions in government,” explained Kadir Jasin, who was former editor-in-chief of New Straits Times.
But just because the Prime Minister office does not need a Mentor-Minister, it doesn’t mean that a PM can’t seek consultation on a personal basis.
“However, if a Prime Minister of the day wants to seek advice or consultation pertaining to matter concerning the country’s administration from any of the former Prime Ministers, I think he can do so unofficially, that’s his prerogative,” added Kadir Jasin.
He also said that seeking consultation from a former PM can also be observed as part of the Malay custom of respecting the elders.
“In Malay culture, it is customary to respect our elders. So it is always best to seek advice and guidance from people who are older and wiser.
“But the suggestion to create a Minister-Mentor in Malaysia is absurd. We don’t need a Minister-Mentor in Malaysia. Politicians in Cabinet here are wise enough to know how to manage government administration because they themselves are seasoned politicians,” said Kadir Jasin.
Thanks, but no thanks
