Dear “new” Prime Minister,
1. It is important that as the new Prime Minister for ALL Malaysians, you must make your mark and dictate a new “modus operandi” for your own style of administration. Take the good from the past and include better things for the future. We do not need to lean on the past just for the sake of it. Revolutionize the way things are done and I think most Malaysians will see the change that they all think they deserve or want.
2. For starters, revamp the cabinet and this means not only the people but also the overall scope, function, purpose and usefulness. Times are changing and so should organizational structures because expectations and levels of importance change too. The difference between the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister should be their focus (and responsibility towards a group of portfolios) and this would create a more dynamic scenario of a cabinet with 2 effective top leaders. For example, the PM will be overlooking ministries that are relevant to trade, economy, finance, education and infrastructure while the DPM can oversee ministries that are relevant to social & integration, nation affairs, services etc. We need to adapt to the needs of the current scenario.
3. Deputy Ministers, if you need to retain these positions you would need to empower them with bigger responsibilities and this means, while a ministry is led by a minister but a subset of that ministry is empowered to the deputy minister who reports to the minister. For example, the Ministry of Trade & Industry can have just one minister but there are two deputy ministers who look after international trade and the other, domestic trade respectively. Deputy Ministers need not be in the weekly cabinet meetings but is empowered to “work” the important divisions of a particular ministry like that of a divisional director. Some existing ministries do not need to exist the way they do and some can be merged. This is where the role of Deputy Ministers come into effect and will be effective. It is also a brilliant way for you to introduce new and fresh blood into your administration (by appointing more deputy ministers) and testing them for overall effectiveness instead of mere political gratitude. They should do more than just cut ribbons.
4. Cluster portfolios are proposed so that relevant and synergistic ministries can work together and even be allocated shared budgets due to their common goals. These cluster portfolios should be under the purview of the Deputy Prime Minister. It is important for you to devise a structure where the Deputy Prime Minister is not a deputy to the Prime Minister but rather, an important “most senior” minister that is responsible for certain ministries directly under his/her office. This drastically reduces the politics of the number 2 position as well, I reckon. But let’s not fret, the PM is still the overall commander in chief!
5. I also call for you to invite the opposition to form a shadow cabinet of each respective portfolio and the government should officially recognize them. This will strengthen the people’s perception on your administration and give you the support as their Prime Minister. This newly “restructured” cabinet is not just for the ruling party but most importantly, for the rakyat to have sincere hope moving forward. Be a Prime Minister to all malaysians.
I have taken the initiative of proposing a sample (and perhaps plausible) structure of how a new cabinet should look like and the reasons behind it. The proposals are as follows:
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Prime Minister’s Office
1. Prime Minister
2. Deputy Prime Minister
3. Minister – Govt Linked Companies & Agencies and Malaysia Plan
4. Minister – Information & Unity Relations
5. Minister – Human Resources & Public Administration
a. Adviser – Economy, Commerce & SME Enterprise
b. Adviser – Ethnic Minorities
c. Adviser – Religious Affairs
d. Adviser – Science & Environment
e. Auditor – Cabinet Performance & KPI
6. Finance & Treasury
This ministry should have up to 4 deputy ministers not from different parties representing interests but rather to be responsible for a particular scope important to the ministry of finance – treasury, central procurement, project implementation and Entrepreneurial Development/SME’s. The minister will be a senior minister in status.
7. Trade & Industry
This ministry should have 2 senior deputy ministers responsible for international and domestic trade respectively. The minister is the overall person responsible for all trade and commerce affairs related to the country domestically or internationally and will be of a senior minister in status.
8. Defense
This ministry does NOT need a deputy minister because the 3 Generals (Army, AirForce & Navy) are already assisting the minister on the overall issues related to defense of the country. The defense minister need not be a minister of senior status as the Prime Minister is effectively the deFacto defense minister.
9. Law & Security
This ministry combines the current ministries of law & parliament (previously under PM’s dept), internal security and home affairs. The Attorney General and the Speaker is effectively assisting the minister in matters of the law and parliament so there is a need to have only one deputy minister responsible for internal security and home affairs. The minister will be a senior minister in status that has a legal background.
10. National Education
Set a policy for a ONE national education system and schools and revamp the syllabus for both primary and secondary system. Appoint a senior non-malay as a minister because the task of creating a national type school system lies very much on the approvals of the non-malays. The education ministry historically has been a domain of the malays because politics centered around teachers who were the early politicians. Times have changed and so should perceptions. By appointing a non-malay to this position we will perhaps see half a chance of a single education system implementation in Malaysia because the minister has to make it work. This minister will be of senior minister in status.
A “commissioner” for education is to be appointed and he/she then creates an exco committee to undertake the task of revamping the educational syllabus reporting directly to the PM and a special cabinet committee set up. There can be a 2nd minister or even a senior deputy minister responsible for higher education and private learning but keep national education as one ministry.
11. International Relations & Policies
The minister need not be an active politician holding positions in party politics but rather a credible statesman who is familiar and accepted by the global community. There is no need for a deputy minister because a post for a domicile chief ambassador can be created to assist the minister.
12. Public Health Service
It is important to focus on the public aspect of health with emphasis on service. This ministry is also in need of a new direction and a complete overhaul of its function and usefulness to the rakyat. It can have up to 2 deputy ministers responsible for rural health and medical services respectively.
13. Public Utilities, Transportation & Infrastructure
This ministry will be responsible for entities like JKR, TNB, Water, Highway Authorities, Sewage etc plus the airports, road transport authorities and licensing bodies. There can be up to 3 deputy ministers to oversee these entities by unique divisions. This merger makes sense because infrastructure issues should be a focused and common goal in achieving a developed nation status.
14. Communications & Technology
This ministry will be responsible for entities involved in telecommunications, public and private media, information technology, new technologies and science. This portfolio will be a very “dynamic” portfolio and the minister should be assisted by an EXCO of industry advisers that are of deputy ministerial status. This is one area of business that we cannot afford to be left behind and nothing short of proven, capable and respected personalities should be roped in.
15. Environment & Rural Development
Environment should be a major thrust of your new administration while rural development can synergize and collaborate with the PM’s dept for an effective blueprint of an integrated rural development policy in every malaysia plan that would involve rural development in one way or another. This ministry can have 2 deputy ministers to assist the minister.
16. Tourism, Arts, Heritage & Culture
This is probably going to be one of the most important ministries responsible for domestic and inbound tourism strategies and the arts, heritage and culture which is largely fused and linked to tourism activities. The Minister should be one that has the personality for it. This ministry should have a deputy minister 1 for tourism and another 1 for the arts and heritage & culture.
17. Agriculture & Commodities
All matters of the soil will be managed in this newly merged ministry and the minister can have 2 deputies assisting for areas of agro business and commodities.
18. Women & Family Affairs
This ministry should have up to 4 deputy ministers representing the prominent political parties and ethnic races in Malaysia. Why? we should not make this ministry “malay” centric and to have representation from all key components of the coalition will allow for programs to be balanced. An aspect of unity relations would be synergized and collaborated with the functions of the Minister in Prime Minister’s Office in charge of information and unity relations. In fact, it can even be the same minister because this ministry will have up to 4 deputy ministers assisting.
19. Social Development, Youth & Sports
This ministry will also collaborate with the Information & Unity Relations Minister AND the Women & Family Affairs Ministry as a cluster portfolio that reports directly to the Deputy Prime Minister. These 3 ministries are important and crucial towards nation building moving forward. There is only a minister for this ministry and there is no need for a deputy minister. After all, I believe the government has appointed a sports commissioner a few years ago.
20. Local Government & Urban Development
This ministry combines the Federal Territories, City Hall and all Local Councils under one administration. It will collaborate and synergize with the Environment and Rural Development Ministry as a cluster portfolio and report directly to the Deputy Prime Minister. 2 deputy ministers shall be attached to this ministry if necessary. Also, I think it is important that we have an “elected” mayor for Kuala Lumpur at least. The Director of City Hall can still be a government position.
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This proposal will see the existing cabinet of 34 ministers shrink to only 20 ministers and introduce new hopefuls as “working” deputy ministers (an evolving cleansing mechanism to the cabinet!) and aspire to be more effective & honest and work as a hardworking team overall that serves the rakyat and shall be judged by the rakyat. Change is hard but it is not as hard when it is desperately required…
shaik rizal sulaiman
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The ideas are good but putting the right people in the right places is equally important. Above all the BN ministers should stop being arrogant and behave as if they are know all. When I say the right people I also mean people with integrity and that is very difficult to find among politicians. What Shahrir Samad did was very noble. When your own people have no faith in you, you should step down and make way for others. The new PM should not appoint those who were rejected by their own people and those known to be corrupted.
A good piece! Lots of thoughts have gone into it and the ideas put forth is refreshing. Well done and i hope to see more good articles from this young man in the future. The PM Dato Seri Najib should seriously look into some of your suggestions as they are fruitful and good for the country. Well Done!
Well written and thought out, but I’m not too sure if I agree with the Religious Affairs post….religion is a personal thing between one and one’s creator, no need for government to tell you what religion one is the be all and end all. Your education argument is excellent. Tourism should be fattened up a bit more, we hardly hear anything positive about the beauty of Malaysia here in Sydney. All in all top article!
well written and hope the new boss reads your proposal. have you sent it to him? you should
WHO is again very important…
WHO can also screw up a grand master plan..
WHO can also be the duri in the daging
Well its about WHO, u know…
InsyALLAH we will see change…
Of all your suggestions, I think the split between the portfolios under the PM and DPM is the least likely to happen. The idea is pragmatically plausible but politically unsound – as far as the influence and power base of the country’s 2 top leaders are concerned. There’s no way the PM is going to “surrender” power and influence to his deputy and invite the possibility that he will be surpassed or bypassed! Besides, as PM he is obliged to know everything that happens in each Ministry first hand from the Minister. He doesn’t need a go-between!
I agree with Shaik Daud that whether it’s a leaner or fatter cabinet, the more crucial thing is WHO the Ministers are. We certainly don’t want a leaner cabinet with Ministers
“fattening” themselves up!
The cluster concept you suggest is already being implemented at the working level with select committees headed by the PM or DPM. To implement it at the structural level will require outlining in detail the functions of each department, identifying processes, procedures and projects and juggling them across the cluster ministries. A massive ISO kind of exercise which will waste a lot of time and effort. Juggling with the heads and egos of the Ministers and Deputy Ministers will be a herculean task.
Great that you have spent time thinking this through. You should post it on Najib’s blog immediately because I hear he is presenting the cabinet list to the King on Tuesday and making the announcement on Wednesday!
I hope Rais Yatim will be Home Minister and Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the Women and Family Minister!
During the time of SIRAH the first four caliphs appointed after the death of Rasulullah are the best and humanly possible example for all to emmulate. Each of these leader could enriched themselves and live in richness and luxuries like their counterparts from the roman and persian empire. They took the job not as a privilege or an opportunity but as a responsibility. All passed away poorer compared to before assuming the huge amanah.
I as an ordinary rakyat wish to see federal ministers and menteri besar to live their lives like all of us. Public office should not automatically change their status from ordinary citizen to god-like creature, surrounded by body-guards and business cronies forgetting to serve the rakyat. It’s an open secret that all ministers are flirty rich and these richness is derived directly from public funds via contracts tendered or negotiated by their cronies.
As you have suggested earlier or looking at Singapore, pay them big packages but if they got caught taking extra, fire them and jail them. Public office is not meant to enrich ministers, its the rakyat’s funds for the rakyat.
Kudos to my old student! I am very proud of you. I like your 20 proposals and 20 ministries but as in anything ‘easier said than done. Most important is to appoint men with integrity and wit and mesti turun padang. Delete the crafty and the naughty. It is a pity that a minister like Datuk Shahrir Samad was rejected by his own people. Could it be that he has too much integrity? Salute you Shahrir, for you are one in a million. You may have lost but you win our hearts. A leaner cabinet but effective delivery system should promise our new PM another golden era. As an educator, I would like to see the one system of education where both mandarin and tamil are taught in national schools and where open minded and global heads are appointed especially in cluster schools. Do not waste public funds sending heads to London and Melbourne for the so called training to see them decorating the schools (with the cluster funds) upon their return and tenure. A one education system with very capable heads from different races like the old days would make national schools attractive to all.
thank you teacher! without teachers, students would mean nothing. thank you
The ideas are very good. But from what I have been hearing, the Cabinet would definitely be trimmed, however we are in for some major disappointment particularly on the choice of personnel.
Have gone thru half of all yr posted articles. Enjoyed reading them all. As I’ve always known, you write very well. I really like yr letters to PM. Do send them to him. Well thought thru. Kudos!
thank you all. this letter was posted in NST and there were much speculation on the new cabinet due to this piece! a copy was sent to PM and he read it I was told. glad to see that at least a few of the ideas were implemented like the merger of ministries, creation of unity relations and introduction of KPI in the cabinet administration. also the renewed focus on green environment and technology for Malaysia. I guess every little one of us can contribute in little ways for our beloved Malaysia!