Anwar should ignore Mahathir and learn the most important lesson of the 22-month Pakatan Harapan Government — carry out as many of the “reformasi” institutional reforms in the early months of the new government as he may not have five years
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should ignore Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and learn the most important lesson of the 22-month Pakatan Harapan Government — carry out as many of the “reformasi” institutional reforms in the early months of the new government as he may not have five years.
He should carry out the promise he made after he was appointed the 10th Prime Minister by the Yang di Pertuan Agong on Nov. 24, 2022 that he would not compromise on good governance, the anti-corruption drive, judicial independence, and the welfare of ordinary Malaysians.
He should be aware that there are political forces which are conspiring to end his premiership as early as possible.
Anwar has rightly submitted himself to a vote of confidence in the two-day meeting of Parliament last week and he should make the February 2023 meeting of Parliament the most important and historic session of the Dewan Rakyat in the 66 years of Parliament by initiating a series of “reformasi” institutional reforms — marking the beginning of the process to end Malaysia’s national decline in the last six decades and to make Malaysia great again as a first-rate world-class plural Malaysian nation.
Mahathir had missed the historic opportunity to make Malaysia great again and this is the mistake which Anwar should not repeat.
Although the Mahathir Pakatan Harapan Government was toppled unconstitutionally and illegally by the Sheraton Move political conspiracy, Mahathir cannot fully absolve himself of responsibility for the Sheraton Move conspiracy.
Anwar should consider how the February 2023 Parliament could be made the most important parliamentary meeting in the history of Malaysia.
Transparency International (TI) would release its 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) next month.
It is too late for the Anwar government to do anything to improve Malaysia’s TI 2022 CPI Report, but the Anwar government should do its utmost to ensure that the Malaysia’s TI 2023 CPI Report is the best for Malaysia, even better than the TI 2019 CPI Report, which was the best in 25 years since Transparency International started its annual CPI series in 1995.
In fact, Malaysians must be prepared for one the worst TI CPI reports in a month’s time.
It is one of the greatest regrets that the unconstitutional and illegal Sheraton Move political conspiracy in February 2020 which toppled the duly-elected Pakatan Harapan government after 22 months also ended Malaysia’s effort to become one of the world’s top 30 countries in public integrity by 2030.
Is there a new public integrity plan to make Malaysia one of the top 30 countries in the world in the annual TI CPIs in the 2030s and 2040s?
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, as well as all interested Malaysian NGOs and NGIs, should be invited within a month to submit proposals for a Malaysian National Anti-Corruption Plan to place Malaysia among the top 30 countries in the world in public integrity and such a Malaysian National Anti-Corruption Plan should be launched during the February 2023 Parliament.
That will give a great start for the February 2023 Parliament and the Anwar unity government.