Anwar Ibrahim’s failures when in government from 1982 to 1998
But more important of all is that Anwar failed to ensure food security and self-sufficiency. Have you noticed that Anwar NEVER talks about this, not once? That is because Anwar does not understand the importance of food security and self-sufficiency even though he was once the Agriculture Minister.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Anwar Ibrahim was in the government from 1982 to 1998. But what has he achieved in those 16 years he was in government? And if he cannot perform even as a “simple” cabinet member, what makes him think he will make a good Prime Minister?
Judging by his performance, or lack of it, when he was in government, Malaysia is doomed if Anwar ever takes over as Malaysia’s Prime Minister. Anwar is only good at talking. But when it comes to results, Anwar is a failure.
Anwar is all talk but his 16 years in government has proven a failure in all four ministries he headed
In 1984, Anwar Ibrahim was made the Agriculture Minister (from Culture, Youth and Sports Minister in 1983). He failed. In 1986, Anwar was made the Education Minister. Again, he failed. In 1991, he became the Finance Minister (when Bank Negara lost RM31.5 billion gambling in Forex). Anwar not only, yet again, failed, but he actually lied to Parliament and denied that Bank Negara had lost any money gambling in Forex (so that is worse than just “innocent” failure).
Four ministries in 16 years and each time a failure. And now he wants to become the Prime Minister. Heaven forbid that Malaysia would be cursed with such a fate!
Everyone knows Anwar’s failures as Education Minister and Finance Minister. But not many know about his failure as Agriculture Minister. The first thing he did was he abolished the subsidy programs for fishermen and farmers when all over the world governments were subsidising the agriculture and fisheries industries.
And farmers and fishermen are at the bottom of the economic ladder, mind you, surviving from hand to mouth, and were being exploited by middlemen traders, the government agencies or GLCs included.
But more important of all is that Anwar failed to ensure food security and self-sufficiency. Have you noticed that Anwar NEVER talks about this, not once? That is because Anwar does not understand the importance of food security and self-sufficiency even though he was once the Agriculture Minister.
After 63 years, Malaysia still does not have food security and self-sufficiency and yet Anwar abolished the subsidy program
Read the extract of a study on this matter below.
Modelling of food security in Malaysia
Food security policy in Malaysia is largely about ensuring the availability, accessibility and utilization of rice to the society. To this end, three policy objectives were set since 1970s, namely: to ensure high price to paddy farmers to produce rice, to achieve a certain level of self-sufficiency in rice and to ensure a stable and high quality of rice to the consumers.
To ensure these three-pronged objectives are met, the government has embarked on a protectionist regime to ensure the sector is insulated from the market vagaries particularly supply and price shocks. The instruments implemented include; price control (farm and retail), subsidies and income transfer, licensing and import monopoly.
The interventions are deep and extensive in that the industry is highly distorted and begun to show some rigidities and inefficiencies. After the successful Green Revolution in the 1970s (Tun Razak’s time), paddy productivity has been slowing down in terms of annual rate of change.
By 1990s (Anwar’s time), the chemical intensive culture introduced by the Green Revolution had started taking a toll. Evidences of reduction of soil fertility and water quality were rampant. While the other parts of the world are experiencing technological advances in paddy farming, Malaysia’s farmers remain conventional in their practices due to poor extension services.
Hence, this study attempts to rectify this problematic and complex situation by proposing the need for more R&D (Research and Development) for higher yielding varieties, application of bio-fertilisers and new approach of extension (through farmer field schools).
Towards these ends, the study has adopted the system dynamics methodology to capture the circular causality between variables in the paddy and rice system as well as delays and non-linearities. The findings suggest that gradual transition to bio-fertilizers, funding for R&D for development of high yielding hybrid rice and increasing the cropping intensity hold big promise towards productivity enhancement.
The promotion of training and extension services using participatory approach of learning by doing or the farmer field schools is desirable to reduce the productivity gaps.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1569190X1400094X
Yes, since the 1970s the government knew Malaysia’s food security and self-sufficiency needed addressing. But until today, 50 years later, Malaysia still does not have food security and self-sufficiency. And, for 16 years, Anwar was in government.
But Anwar never talks about this life-and-death situation because it is not important to him plus he does not understand the issue (he only talks about becoming Prime Minister). And yet he was the Agriculture Minister and Finance Minister and could have done something. So how can you trust this fraud as Prime Minister?
