TAN Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says he will be a prime minister for all. That is very good start.
Coming as it does in the first live telecast to the nation, it is a welcome message. It was appropriately titled: “An Appeal to Malaysians”.
The live telecast was a good first communication move. People were still in the dark as to what had happened between last Monday and Sunday. A lethal cocktail was being served: rumours, fake news and half truths.
For sure not all was told; it can’t be. We in the media think that the takeaway from Muhyiddin’s maiden message is this: there will be a lot of telling as there will be doing by this government.
A government that does little telling will waste all its doing. We hope Muhyiddin’s government wouldn’t disappoint the press for hitching our hopes high.
By the way, communication isn’t just by the press secretaries.
But Muhyiddin must know that there are still people out there thrifty with their support for him. Perhaps they are waiting how his walk will match his talk. If early signs are required, Muhyiddin is already doing it.
Two days after being sworn in, he was briefed by the Finance Ministry and Health Ministry. Health and economy are two areas that need the careful attention of the people who will steer the nation during these turbulent times.
The World Health Organisation says Covid-19 is taking the world into uncharted territory. The virus is not only killing people — latest count is 3,110 deaths — it is also slaying the global economy.
Battered share markets around the world give an inkling of how uncharted the Covid-19 territory can be.
Muhyiddin’s first big opportunity will come when he unveils his cabinet. And he is not unaware of this.
Given the circumstance that made him prime minister, he has little choice but to go for a clean and corruption-free cabinet.
But he will have a difficult time. Parties will peddle candidates given the seats the coalition members hold in the Dewan Rakyat.
This is only natural. But the coalition parties will do well to only nominate one who is capable and untainted by corruption. Anything less will spell the end of the coalition.
A group of academics say Muhyiddin should appoint capable people to the cabinet, instead of politicians.
This may be an idea whose time hasn’t come. Parties are necessarily made up of politicians, some of whom are capable and some not.
It is not impossible to make experts ministers, though. All our system of parliamentary democracy requires is to make them senators first. In theory, 44 of the 70-strong Dewan Negara can be made senator-ministers.
But this will make elections and political parties redundant. Unless political parties are made up of only experts. Until then, this cabinet of experts concept is best kept within the gates of the ivory tower.
Muhyiddin’s next step will be to show the doubters that he indeed has the confidence of the majority in the Dewan Rakyat at the very first opportunity. Incumbency often helps.
Once this is done, political intrigue must end. Otherwise, the nation will continue to be stymied by political crisis. And those who cause it must take the blame for stopping the nation getting ahead.