The proof of the pudding is in the eating – can the new Prime Minister create the conditions for a national consensus on the challenges facing Malaysia in the next 12 – 18 months to the 15th General Election?

The new Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri made his maiden telecast yesterday calling on all Malaysians to unite as one “Malaysian family”.

But as the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Can the new Prime Minister create the conditions to develop a national consensus on the challenges facing Malaysia in the next 12 – 18 months to the 15th General Election?

Firstly, we must win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Although the daily new cases yesterday was below 20,000 cases – 19,807 cases – and 232 Covid-19 deaths, they were still on a scale which would be unimaginable when emergency was declared on January 11, 2021 to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, when we had 2,232 daily new Covid-19 cases and four daily new Covid-19 deaths, with a cumulative total of 138,224 cases and 555 Covid-19 deaths.

Now, we have a cumulative total of 1,555,093 cases and 14,168 Covid-19 deaths, set to mark the 64th National Day in eight days’ time on August 31 with three dubious records: (i) nearly 16,000 Covid-19 deaths; (ii) over 1.7 million Covid-19 cases; and (iii) overtaking yet another country – the Czech Republic – to be ranked No. 23 among nations with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases when we were ranked No. 89 when we marked our 63rd National Day 12 months ago.

Can the new Prime Minister ensure that there is a new policy in the war against Covid-19 pandemic and a “whole-of-society” strategy and approach?

It is unimaginable that there could be a new policy and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against Covid-19 pandemic unless there are also far-reaching parliamentary and institutional reforms and policy changes.

The political crisis facing the country can only be resolved by all parties returning to the bedrock principles of nation-building laid down by the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara – constitutional monarchy based on parliamentary democracy, the doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, upholding good governance and human rights.

We must return to normality before we can embark on the next stage of national endeavour – to fulfil Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman’s aspiration to be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

But before we can “a beacon of light” to the world, we must achieve the status of a world-class great nation and not be in the trajectory of a failed state.

Can the new Prime Minister build such a consensus and restore hope and confidence among Malaysians about the future of Malaysia?