The Malaysian Insight

HOW many more people will be purged from top posts by the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) government which has now gone past 50 days in power?

Can anyone keep a low profile and survive the cut after this government’s 100th day in August? That seems to be the question on the minds of the few executives still holding on to their posts since the May 9 elections threw out the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

The truth is, nobody really knows. 

If you were in a music video singing or playing an instrument to the ode about making Malaysia great, you might most likely be in the spotlight about your performance as a chief executive rather than as a band member.

Ditto if you were active in helping BN to keep government in the GE14 election campaign, too.

But the PH government can learn a thing or two from veteran opposition leader Lim Kit Siang who yesterday told the PH government that it cannot be seen to be on a witch-hunt in the current purge.

The DAP veteran, in a statement released just hours after the full cabinet was unveiled yesterday, warned the new administration not to give anyone reason to think PH will “find the slightest excuse” to remove leaders from the previous administration.

The Iskandar Puteri MP reminded PH leaders that they had promised Malaysians to get rid of political favouritism and persecution.

“Malaysians witnessed how the previous BN regime abused its power to the extent that innocent people – many of whom are today in government – were victimised.

“Many others became collateral damage just because they (were) at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

He said while this new government must remove those directly responsible and complicit in the financial scandals, it must be careful not to be seen as embarking on the path of revenge against all and sundry.

Lim said many in the civil service and GLCs were honest and dedicated individuals with integrity. “We cannot tar everyone with the same brush.”

He is right. 

This New Malaysia requires the efforts of many, if not all. Including the ones who had helmed some of the government companies in the past.

By all means punish those culpable but on no account remove anyone for doing their job for the government of the day. Because Malaysia is more than just petty rivalry and a zero-sum game.

Malaysia needs the best of its citizens to move forward, even if some of them had served in the previous government. We need those who serve Malaysia and Malaysians no matter who is in power.

And those in power should know better than to just cast them aside in the rush to reform and form a new Malaysia.

Lim said it best, noting “As a country, we have to move on. We need to have reconciliation in Malaysia.”

Yes, we do. And the best way is to keep the best of the country doing their best at what they do best. – July 3, 2018.