Mahathir leaves to gauge Malaysia's progress<\/p>\n
By David Chew<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (JP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad took
\ntwo months leave beginning May 19 to visit Britain and France.
\nBut it will not be a complete holiday for the long-serving
\nworkaholic premier. He will be as busy as ever, promoting
\nMalaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), receiving the key of
\nthe City of London and writing a couple of books.<\/p>\n
Turning author once again will give Mahathir, whose most
\nfamous book is the controversial Malay Dilemma, the opportunity
\nto reorganize his thoughts in a big way -- to take stock of his
\nachievements over the past 16 years as premier, reflect over
\nrecent trials and tribulations and fine-tune his policies.<\/p>\n
In addition to writing about the New Economic Policy (NEP),
\nthe broad agenda of the government's affirmative action between
\n1970 and 1990 which had its origins in Malay Dilemma, Mahathir
\nwill most likely mull over certain recent events which have
\ncaused a big impact and continue to cast long shadows over
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
Top of the list will be the unity of the United Malays
\nNational Organization (UMNO), Malaysia's premier party. With its
\nall-pervasive power and influence, UMNO is more than just the
\nparty of the politically dominant Malays and the leader of the
\nruling 14-party National Font (NF) coalition government of
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
One can assert that the political stability, economic
\nprosperity and growing reputation of Malaysia as an eminent
\ndeveloping country continues to hinge on UMNO, especially its
\nsenior leaders, as it has done in the past 40 years since
\nMalaysia gained its independence. UMNO is head and shoulders
\nabove all the other NF components.<\/p>\n
Reorganizing his thoughts into a coherent pattern is something
\nwhich Mahathir has not been able to do owing to his hectic daily
\nschedule which includes going through numerous cabinet papers,
\nchairing meetings, touring the length and breadth of the country
\nand dealing with one issue after another. Given the diversity of
\nMalaysia and the complex problems it faces, the situation is such
\nthat before the government can consider one challenge tackled,
\nanother invariably emerges.<\/p>\n
There are numerous examples of such challenges. If one thinks
\nthat Mahathir has achieved unity in UMNO, simply by bringing its
\nbreak-away wing, Parti Melayu Semangat 46 back into the party's
\nfold after a lapse of 10 years, one has to also consider that
\nmany UMNO members have not forgotten their differences with their
\nformer political adversaries, and are unlikely to welcome them
\nback with open arms. The premier will need to persuade the UMNO
\nrank and file to be forgiving in the interests of Malay unity
\nwhile at the same time prevailing upon the Semangat members to
\ndiscard their opposition mentality.<\/p>\n
Mahathir has also battled hard against corruption and money
\npolitics, getting the Anticorruption Agency to investigate eight
\nExco members from five state governments suspected of illegal
\nland deals and other malpractices. This came as the former chief
\nminister of the state of Selangor, Muhammad Muhammad Taib, was
\nforced to step down pending the outcome of an investigation into
\nhim not declaring foreign currency at Brisbane International
\nAirport in Australia last December.<\/p>\n
In choosing a \"clean\" federal cabinet minister to replace
\nMuhammad, Mahathir has gone against party tradition that only
\nelected state representatives can become chief ministers. But he
\ngot round the problem by getting Abu Hassan Omar to resign as
\nConsumer Affairs Minister to contest a safe UMNO state seat. He
\nwon the recent by-election and was appointed chief minister.<\/p>\n
Mahathir has restrained the more vocal elements in UMNO from
\ngoing overboard in their criticism of Singapore Senior Minister
\nLee Kuan Yew concerning his remarks over security in the south
\nMalaysian state of Johor. Although he may have been angry over
\nthe offending remarks which Lee subsequently deleted in his
\napology, Mahathir feels that in the long run, close ties rather
\nthan hostility toward Singapore would be to Malaysia's benefit,
\nas both countries continue to be interdependent, especially in
\nthe realms of economics and security.<\/p>\n
Much as he had previously dismissed the possibility by saying
\nthat his present cabinet was coping, Mahathir will have to
\ncontend with the issue of a cabinet reshuffle affecting only UMNO
\nministers when it comes to fine-tuning government policies.
\n(Ministers from the other NF components are not involved since
\nany reshuffle concerning them would not greatly affect government
\npolicies).<\/p>\n
Being a practical leader, Mahathir cannot afford to ignore
\nsentiments on the Malay ground for change as reflected in changes
\nin the party power hierarchy after the UMNO general assembly last
\nyear and the readmission of Semangat members into UMNO.<\/p>\n
It is likely that he will give a ministerial portfolio to the
\nnewly elected UMNO Youth chief, businessman Zahid Hamidi, and
\npromote newly elected women's wing chief Siti Zaharah from deputy
\nhealth minister to a full cabinet minister. This is because the
\nincumbents for these positions are traditionally ministers.
\nMahathir is also likely to drop those who have been defeated in
\nthe party elections, like Youth and Sports Minister Muhyiddin
\nYassin who lost his incumbency as UMNO vice-president.<\/p>\n
Mahathir will probably also appoint Semangat's top leaders
\nTengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Rais Yatim to cabinet positions, even
\nthough they have publicly said they are rejoining UMNO as
\nordinary members. The premier would deem it a waste of talent if
\nRazaleigh and Rais, who had served as finance and foreign
\nministers respectively while they were in UMNO prior to
\nSemangat's breakaway from the parent party in 1987, were not in
\nthe cabinet.<\/p>\n
Analysts say this move would impress on UMNO members that the
\nSemangat leaders who were former UMNO stalwarts would not be
\npermitted to jump the queue for key ministries even though they
\nmay be capable. Like everyone else, they must once again earn
\ntheir wings as ministers in non-key portfolios first.<\/p>\n
This is the first time that Mahathir has taken such a long
\nleave since becoming premier in 1981. Analysts say that he is, on
\nthe whole, satisfied with the achievements of the government
\ndespite certain shortcomings which he hopes to rectify in the
\nfine-tuning process. Mahathir has made Anwar Ibrahim the acting
\nprime minister in his absence. But he will continue to monitor
\nthe deputy premier while overseas. So concerned is Mahathir for a
\nproper running of the show that he said he would cut short his
\nleave and return home should matters get out of hand.<\/p>\n
Anwar himself has openly stated that he is merely running the
\nshow for Mahathir, and will brief the premier on matters from
\ntime to time and seek his advice as and when necessary through a
\nhotline.<\/p>\n
Last Wednesday Anwar made a major decision by appointing Megat
\nJunit Ayub to the consumers affairs minister portfolio vacated by
\nAbu Hassan.<\/p>\n
For Anwar who has been in the number two slot for four years,
\nMahathir's absence leaving him in charge for two months will be a
\nreal test of his mettle as to whether he is fit to step into the
\ntop spot. If he passes the test with flying colors, then his path
\nto the next UMNO presidency and Malaysian premiership will be
\nsmooth. Otherwise it will be strewn with obstacles as potential
\nchallengers wait in the wings to take him on in the next UMNO
\nelections in 1999.<\/p>\n
The writer is a freelance journalist based in Singapore.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mahathir-leaves-to-gauge-malaysias-progress-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }