By Danial Dzulkifly
WITH a year of political stability under its belt, the Madani Unity Government, led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, should now turn its focus towards addressing the pressing socioeconomic issues faced by Malaysians.
The administration has successfully navigated potential upheavals, dispelling threats from the opposition bloc Perikatan Nasional (PN) that hinted at a possible change in government.
These threats, which were speculated to transpire as early as August this year, did not materialise.
Anwar has repeatedly emphasised that all 18 parties within the Unity Government are committed to supporting the administration till the end of its term, prioritising the revitalisation of the nation’s economy.
This was echoed by both Deputy Prime Minister I Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Deputy Prime Minister II Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof when all three men shared the same stage to answer questions from the public, in a historic first during the one-year Madani Goverment celebration in Bukit Jalil recently.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Azmi Hassan said this sense of political stability is evident in the recent Federal Cabinet reshuffle, where merit-based consideration was made to ensure the adjustment fit the national agenda for reforms and placed more emphasis on facing new economic challenges.
For Azmi, this Cabinet reshuffle did not impose upon Anwar to choose a team based on who had given him political backing, compared to when the previous Cabinet was formed, where he needed to appease the 19 parties under the Unity Government then.
The reshuffle, made early in December and announced by Anwar, introduced five new ministers — Finance II Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Ghani, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim.
The reshuffle also split the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry, and Communications and Digital Ministry, into two separate ministries each.
This restructuring, which came after the Madani administration hit one year, increased the number of ministers in the Cabinet from 28 to 31 and the number of deputies from 27 to 29, bringing the total number of administrators in the Federal government to 60.
Weighing in on the matter, Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun opined that Anwar still faces a spectre of political instability prompted by several opposition parliamentarians throwing him their support, and an existing loophole in the anti-hopping law.
“Political instability continues to plague this government, as its MPs could declare support for the other side without triggering anti-hopping laws.
“At the same time, it needs to take care of its reform agenda too, so as not to alienate its core supporters,” he said.
But with the shadow of an internal political split receding, both analysts now think that the government’s attention should firmly be on tackling fundamental issues, particularly those affecting the livelihoods of ordinary citizens.
Tangible benefits
One of the key areas of focus is the implementation of targeted financial assistance and other forms of aid to support vulnerable groups.
Azmi said the government of the day must pay attention to the realities on the ground, taking more decisive action to tackle bread-and- butter issues the people face.
“The government should improve on providing aid directly, such as cash handouts to the most vulnerable group, and even expand the amount and the eligibility of certain income groups.
Moreover, the government should also concentrate on creating high-income job opportunities.
This move is seen as crucial for elevating the economic status of the populace, enabling them to move up the socioeconomic ladder and improve their overall quality of life, said Azmi.
However, Azmi also cautioned against an over-reliance on data-driven or economic indicators, such as gross domestic product (GDP) growth, as the sole measure of government success.
He pointed out that these metrics often do not reflect the actual financial struggles the people face.
Citing Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli’s tendency to focus on statistics and data, Azmi referenced Anwar’s perspective that quarterly GDP growth is irrelevant if it doesn’t translate into tangible benefits for the people.
Oh also suggested the government works towards easing businesses to conduct their activities in Malaysia, including cutting red tape to allow more investment into the country to spur further growth.
Similar focus should also be given to infrastructure development, especially in Sabah and Sarawak,said Oh.
“Nationally, it has to improve the ease of doing business such as simplifying approval processes while beefing up on enforcement, and also to take care of food security. For East Malaysia, infrastructural improvements remain a major concern,” he said.
