Thursday, November 02, 2006
We just have to wait and see if the Prime Minister keeps his latest promise
The Prime Minister has suddenly seen it fit to announce that the public will see the results of the government’s “hard work” by the middle of next year. He said in reports attributed to Associated Press and Bernama that three years in power is simply not enough time for him and his team to deliver on his election promises. With Malaysians already divided about the quality of his leadership thus far, the Prime Minister would do well to deliver on his latest promise, even if it’s a little late in the game. I would like to venture a thought that what can he possible achieve by the middle of next year that would so astound and amaze Malaysians that his under-achieving lean years of the first three years, could magically become a tiny footnote in history? Well, we have no choice but to take the Prime Minister’s word on this. I wish him luck.
While I am the first to give the Prime Minister credit to give the perception that there is more press freedom, which has given our once meek mainstream media a little more “testicular fortitude” (as a dear friend puts it), there are no other notable achievements he can boast of. His biotechnology dreams so hyped up in the first year seemed to have shriveled up in a quiet spot somewhere out of the public limelight to die. The financial sector seems to be in limbo, with nary a word about how Malaysia’s much-touted Capital Master Plan launched in 2002 is progressing. Indeed, the Prime Minister who is also the Finance Minister has adroitly remained discreet about how he intended to develop the country’s finance sector. It is no wonder that the capital market is still direction-less. Agriculture is another sector where a lot were written about how the Prime Minister is going to revitalize this high-potential sector and drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century. To date, the sector remains sluggish, with no news of the much-promised dramatic developments which can help the nation cut its substantial food import bill.
In the small matter of foreign direct investments inflow, we have slipped below Indonesia for the first time since 1990. For the record, this shocking development happened under the Prime Minister’s watch. Many can also notice the once-formidable Minister for International Trade and Industry Datuk Paduka Rafidah Aziz’s reluctance to appear in the public eye, as Malaysia’s reputation as a investment hub continues to take a beating, with the rise of more hungry nations like Vietnam. Come to think of it, many Ministries seem to be employing this stance – by staying out of the public eye.
It was a starkly different picture when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in power; every other day, a host of ministries will be talking about initiating this plan and that program. The newspapers were full of such news. This country has a sense of purpose then even if some programs may not have made any sense. I had covered more than my fair share of such news when I was with the newspapers. It is no surprise the Ministers were working; they were terrified of Tun as he was a hard task master, exhorting and demanding his Ministries to keep performing. I am not a fan of Tun, but he was undoubtedly a leader of men. These days, the Ministries seem to be cruising along with no burden of expectations weighing down on its shoulders. Is it any surprise then that people in the corporate sector and my newspaper vendor tell me that the country has no captain? ¶ 3:48 PM
While I am the first to give the Prime Minister credit to give the perception that there is more press freedom, which has given our once meek mainstream media a little more “testicular fortitude” (as a dear friend puts it), there are no other notable achievements he can boast of. His biotechnology dreams so hyped up in the first year seemed to have shriveled up in a quiet spot somewhere out of the public limelight to die. The financial sector seems to be in limbo, with nary a word about how Malaysia’s much-touted Capital Master Plan launched in 2002 is progressing. Indeed, the Prime Minister who is also the Finance Minister has adroitly remained discreet about how he intended to develop the country’s finance sector. It is no wonder that the capital market is still direction-less. Agriculture is another sector where a lot were written about how the Prime Minister is going to revitalize this high-potential sector and drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century. To date, the sector remains sluggish, with no news of the much-promised dramatic developments which can help the nation cut its substantial food import bill.
In the small matter of foreign direct investments inflow, we have slipped below Indonesia for the first time since 1990. For the record, this shocking development happened under the Prime Minister’s watch. Many can also notice the once-formidable Minister for International Trade and Industry Datuk Paduka Rafidah Aziz’s reluctance to appear in the public eye, as Malaysia’s reputation as a investment hub continues to take a beating, with the rise of more hungry nations like Vietnam. Come to think of it, many Ministries seem to be employing this stance – by staying out of the public eye.
It was a starkly different picture when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in power; every other day, a host of ministries will be talking about initiating this plan and that program. The newspapers were full of such news. This country has a sense of purpose then even if some programs may not have made any sense. I had covered more than my fair share of such news when I was with the newspapers. It is no surprise the Ministers were working; they were terrified of Tun as he was a hard task master, exhorting and demanding his Ministries to keep performing. I am not a fan of Tun, but he was undoubtedly a leader of men. These days, the Ministries seem to be cruising along with no burden of expectations weighing down on its shoulders. Is it any surprise then that people in the corporate sector and my newspaper vendor tell me that the country has no captain? ¶ 3:48 PM
