The Malaysian Insight

A GROUP of 55 individuals led by Nazir Razak has written to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to request that a non-partisan group be formed to implement systemic national changes.

Nazir, the brother of convicted former prime minister Najib Razak, said this was necessary to ensure that the country is stable politically, economically and socially.

He recommended that the group be known as the Better Malaysia Assembly, reporting to the Conference of Rulers.

“The proposed Better Malaysia Assembly is the first step in a much-needed comprehensive national reset,” he said in a statement.

The letter to the king was dated October 29, and was co-signed by politicians, academics, civil society leaders, former senior civil servants and corporate leaders in their personal capacities.

Among the focus of the group will be to reaffirm the principles of Malaysian nationhood, the implicit social contracts, deliberations and recommendations on how democracy, institutions and economy should function and identifying the specific policy and legislative changes required.

“The recommended reforms will be arrived at after closed-door deliberations and through consensus by the assembly members, who would comprise non-partisan thought leaders and representatives of various social segments and stakeholders,” Nazir said.

He said it would take the group 18 to 24 months to deliberate, after which its recommendations will be put forth to Parliament for it to consider and debate.

“This process will not undermine but instead, enhance our democracy.”

In the past, he said councils to deliberate issues such as the National Economic Policy included members of the executive where there was no follow through with recommendations.

The composition of the group will be made up of non-partisan members, the prime minister, the leader of the opposition and civil society leaders.

“Any deadlock over the selection of members will be presented to the Conference of Rulers for its final decision.”

If given the approval by the king, Nazir said the group will then work with the government, the opposition and key civil society groups on the details.

The 55 signatories are:

Former menteri besar of Johor, Abdul Ghani Othman

Ikmas, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, emeritus professor and former principal fellow Abdul Rahman Embong

MACC advisory board chairman Abu Zahar Ujang

Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Universiti Malaya

Time Dotcom CEO Afzal Abdul Rahim

Former Bersih 2.0 chairman, Ambiga Sreenevasan

George Town Institute of Open and Advanced Studies chairman Andrew Sheng

Former Malaysian Institute of Integrity president and CEO Anis Yusal Yusoff

Former UiTM director Arshad Ayub

Patriot president Brig-Gen (retd) Mohd Arshad Mohd Raji

Former Khazanah Nasional managing director Azman Mokhtar

Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia Badlishah deputy president Sham Bahrin

Association of Bank Officers general secretary Ng Choo Seong

Chooi & Company and Cheang & Ariff managing partner Christopher Leong

Former The Star managing director Wong Chun Wai

Former minister in Prime Minister’s Department Effendi Norwawi

Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia president Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz

Former Sarawak State Secretary Hamid Bugo

Former inspector-general of police Mohammed Hanif Omar

Actor Harith Iskander

Yayasan Chow Kit co-founder of Hartini Zainuddin

Former Sabah State Secretary Haji Hashim Bin Paijan

Karangkraf managing director Husamuddin Yaacub

Merdeka Centre co-founder Ibrahim Suffian

Former Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala

National Union of Bank Employees general secretary Joseph Solomon

Sunway Centre for Planetary Health executive director Dr Jemilah Mahmood

Former Utusan Melayu group chief editor Johan Jaafar

Former MIER chairman Dr Kamal Salih

Enra Group executive deputy chairman Kamaluddin Abdullah Badawi

Perlis and Federal Territories mufti Dr Kamilin Jamilin

The Edge Media Group Chairman Tong Kooi Ong

Geutanyoe Foundation co-founder Lilianne Fan

UKM senior lecturer Munirah Syed Hussein Alatas

Former deputy prime minister Musa Hitam

TheLorry.com co-founder Nadhir Ashafiq

Ikhlas Capital chairman Nazir Razak

Economist Nungsari Ahmad Radhi

Undi 18 co-founder Nur Qyira Yusri

Westports CEO Ruben Gnanalingam

Shariah Judiciary Department chairman Sheikh Ghazali Abdul Rahman

Former Ministry of Finance secretary-general Sheriff Kassim

Chinese Research Centre Chairman Chow Sing Yau

Master Builders Association president Sufri Mohd Zin

MIER chairman Sulaiman Mahbob

Chatham House associate fellow Khor Swee Kheng

Malaysia First founder Tawfik Tun Dr Ismail

United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia chairman Tan Tai Kim

Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce president Tan Tew Sing

Undi 18 co-founder Tharma Pillai

Air Asia CEO Tony Fernandes

Ideas CEO Tricia Yeoh

FatHopes Energy CEO Vinesh Sinha

Former Sarawak State Secretary Amar Wilson Baya Dandot

Royal Selangor chairman Yong Poh Kon. – November 26, 2021.