Let the drawing up of the new national consensus for a great Malaysia be a bottom-up affair, involving holding the government to account for Covid-19 responses, demanding explanation why Malaysia is paying RM3 billion to immunise 6.4 million Malaysians when the expose from a Belgian Minister shows it should be cheaper by over 20 times

The 32 million Malaysians must take ownership of the idea of a new national consensus for a great Malaysia in 2040 and the drafting of the new national consensus should be a bottom-up and not a top-down affair.

I have written in the past few days of an urgent need for a new national consensus as the Merdeka Constitution 1957, the Malaysian Constitution 1963, the Rukun Negara 1970 and the Vision 2020 promulgated in 1991 have all failed as nation-building instruments to the extent that there are now Ministers in the Cabinet who reject these basic documents of Malaysian nation-building.

The process of drawing up a new national consensus for a great Malaysia in 2040 should hold the government to account for the “once-in-a-century” Covid-19 pandemic responses, why the Muhyiddin government has failed to draw up a “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic, and to demand expolanation for the many failings of the government responses in the Covid-19 pandemic.

In particular, the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should explain why Malaysia is paying RM3 billion to immunise 6.4 million Malaysians why an expose by a Belgian Minister shows that it should be cheaper by over 20 times.

Has the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission acted on this information of the Belgian Minister to ensure that no corruption or abuses of power is permitted in the government’s responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, and that the government’s response in the Covid-19 pandemic is single-minded one focussed on saving lives and livelihoods and ensuring national unity and economic recovery?

And why the Muhyiddin government is only expected to receive the first batch of Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer in February next year – in contrast to Singapore which will begin a widespread vaccination programme in the first week of January with the aged and priority work first, and a target to vaccinate the entire population of 5.3 million as soon as possible?

DAP MP for Bangi, Ong Kian Ming has expressed full support and put forward his views about how there could be a “political reset” to consolidate the strength of the 108 Opposition MPs in Parliament.

This is a most useful contribution in the process to formulate a new national consensus to build a great Malaysia in 2040.

One may agree or disagree with Kian Ming’s specific views and proposals, but the beginning of the process to formulate a new national consensus and for Malaysians to think about the future are urgently needed.