JUNE 28 — Could it be that the election is still not over? Post-May 5, there seems to an eerie silence from Putrajaya on matters relating to governance.
Is the GST on or not? Is there any decision on PPSMI and the way forward on an education system widely seen as broken? In the aftermath of the Lahad Datu incident, what is the national defence posture?
What is the status of key infrastructure projects like the high-speed rail link between Singapore and KL, the Tun Razak Exchange and the numerous proposed highway projects?
Is the MACC going to be restructured? Is the IPCMC going to be set up? What measures are being taken to combat the worsening crime situation, whether perception or reality?
Is 1 Malaysia officially dead?
With eight ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department alone, a greater sense of urgency was expected. Instead we have an IGP accused of covering up a custodial death, a home minister on trial for assault, ministers with allegedly questionable degrees and a decision to shut down one of Malaysia’s premier tourist attractions, Jonker Walk in Malacca.
It all seems to point to a ruling coalition in limbo, unsure of the way forward and sticking to an old playbook which is now hopelessly out of date.
A Cabinet with pretty much the same faces in key positions looks unable to move on policy due to the nature of the mandate given by the electorate.
Should BN stick to the prime minister's move towards a more inclusive agenda, or in light of its wholesale rejection across the minority demographic revert to Umno's Ketuanan Melayu stance?
Why is there an ex-Hindraf leader a deputy minister but no Chinese? Was racial politics the reason for its rejection or have voters been making choices based on issues of governance and corruption?
To add to this sense of confusion is the relentless pressure by the opposition on the conduct of the election, especially the edible rather than indelible ink, the looming Umno general assembly under the larger-than -life presence of Tun Mahathir Mohamad and the dissatisfaction of east Malaysian BN MPs with Cabinet berth allocations.
A weak government unsure of its support, wary of defections from within its ranks and looking for scapegoats for its performance will not be left with either the will or the time for decisive governance.
At a time when economic headwinds are gaining traction, household and national debt is rising to worrying proportions and a deepening racial and religious divide that threatens social harmony, the government is looking increasingly incapable of getting its house in order anytime soon.
A way out may just be by respecting the results of the election. When the electorate is almost evenly split on their choice of government, it only makes sense for both sides to try and find common ground in the interests of the nation.
If BN can stop opposing policies and actions based on common sense only because they are from the opposition and move towards making concessions to the opposition on matters where their positions are not that far apart, it would not only help governance, but would make them more statesman-like in the eyes of the country.
Reduction in car prices and increasing needs-based affirmative action policies may be a good place to start. If the leaders of both coalitions can hammer out agreements in Jakarta, there is no reason why a broader bipartisan dialogue should be impossible.
Utopian? Probably. Desirable? Absolutely.
In reality though, hawks on both sides will probably not allow for any kind of co-operation even in the national interest and there will be five more years of policy flip-flops at best and paralysis at worst.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
