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Dear new ministers, get your act right

Pakatan Harapan, a coalition that lasted 21 months in Putrajaya, earned its fair share of bad press while in power.

Being a government novice, some of its ministers hogged the limelight for the wrong reasons.

Poor communication, failure to engage with stakeholders and at times adopting the “government knows best” approach – these are just some of the gripes from the people.

Barisan Nasional leaders were intoxicated with arrogance too. Saddled with alleged corrupt practices, the leaders were given the boot in 2018.

Regardless who forms the next government in the coming days, it is hoped they will not repeat past mistakes.

The new prime minister and his Cabinet must walk the talk and remain committed to rebuilding a Malaysia that is suffering from political fatigue.

Twentytwo13 spoke to several stakeholders, including members of the civil administration, and compiled a list of what ministers should and should not do while in office.

Cabinet meetings
Interim Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was apparently not pleased with some ministers who kept missing Cabinet meetings.

The Cabinet is the central decision-making body of the government. It is not only disrespectful but also causes delays in the decision-making process.

Some ministers did not table extensive reports and in-depth paperwork prepared by their officers during such meetings.

Ask, learn the basics
Those with zero experience (including those who have never worked before) should consult experienced officers in their ministries.

Some ministers failed to grasp the basics in government administrative matters.

Read the files
Studies and documents compiled should be vetted. Instead, these files were piling on the desks of some ministers.

This delayed important decisions, including the possible injection of investment into the country.

Consult stakeholders
The black shoe fiasco and swimming lessons in hotels recommendation by former Education Minister Maszlee Malik reflected how ministers made unilateral decisions.

Stakeholders, like shoe manufacturers and hoteliers, were caught off guard.

Till today, there has been no study made public to justify those decisions.

Practise what you preach
Those who call for competency, accountability and transparency should rightfully uphold such values in office.

If the walls in Putrajaya could talk, there are those who would be damned.

Sabotage not always the case
Terms like ‘sabotage’ and ‘deep state’ only create further anxiety and tension within the civil service.

There were officials who cried ‘sabotage’ when things didn’t go their way.

Lim Swee Kuan, the press secretary of former Transport Minister Anthony Loke, accused Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) of “sabotaging” the federal government after Loke’s speech at the 2019 Chinese New Year Open house was not broadcast.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo later clarified that RTM could not be blamed for not airing Loke and the Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan’s speeches as the Prime Minister had attended the event.

RTM’s SOP states that when the Prime Minister attends an official function, it is only his speech that is broadcast live.

Don’t be the enemy
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad was perceived to be an ‘enemy’ by ratepayers in Kuala Lumpur after they claimed he did not consult stakeholders when he decided to gazette the Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020.

The city plan contained over 200 violations. Residents took the matter to court, claiming the government’s decision to gazette the plan was illegal.

Learn to communicate
Several ministers were guilty of failing to communicate when it mattered most.

Unity and Social Well-Being Minister P. Waytha Moorthy failed to live up to the task during several episodes.

Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun was seen as passive while Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was labelled “minister of all ministries”.

There was also a press secretary who claimed that her boss “enjoyed too much publicity”.

Communicating well will ensure the people understand the policies better and will naturally win them over.