WHAT is the level of governance efficiency in Malaysia? In a recent interview by theSun, young Malay voters expressed a strong preference for good governance and transparency, rejecting race-based policies. They emphasised the need to cut through bureaucratic red tape and believe that the work and performance of politicians are more important.
Young non-Malay voters ought to hold similar opinions so that Malaysia can experience a rebirth.
To assess governance efficiency, we must first define the purpose of governance. In its 1997 World Development Report, the World Bank listed the core functions of government as: providing public goods – especially health and education – protecting the environment, setting economic policies, redistributing wealth and coordinating private sector activities.
What level of governance efficiency is needed to ensure that key functions are properly carried out? Work performance hinges on qualification, experience and suitability. But are these factors valued in Malaysia’s political system? Regrettably, the answer is no.
We practise adversarial politics, where one coalition is constantly seeking to overthrow the ruling coalition – either through general elections or by securing enough MPs to sign statutory declarations pledging support for the opposition.
Such a system lacks a common purpose, with no collective effort to find the best solutions to pressing issues. Beyond that, there is often little genuine concern for the people’s well-being as politicians tend to prioritise party agendas above all else.
The main side-effect of adversarial politics is the sense of entitlement it creates. Parties in
a winning coalition are given cabinet positions as rewards rather than based on merit, experience, qualification and suitability for the job.
The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) has criticised this approach, saying that it sends a dangerous message – that public roles are political rewards rather than positions earned through merit and competence.
All appointments should be handed out on merit, integrity and professional experience.
The opposition coalition, primarily made up of PAS and Bersatu and in control of four northern Peninsular Malaysia states, should have taken the cue from Ideas. However, it
did not – reflecting a shared belief that political appointments are entitlements rather than roles earned through merit.
So it should come as no surprise that Malaysia, with its abundant natural resources, shows relatively poor governance compared with governments that select persons who have a record of service and competence.
A plantation is not a healthy ecosystem as it lacks natural competition. If left untended for even a year, a plantation or rice field will quickly be overtaken by other plants to provide competition for the crop.
Just as a crop loses its ability to thrive without competition, a group of people deprived of competition will remain perpetually weak.
In all natural ecosystems, scientists have detected an underlying framework of cooperation that enables the ecosystem to prosper in its diversity. But animals in direct food-chain relationships and individual animals compete to build resilience for survival.
A predator sharpens its hunting skills and in response, the prey sharpens its running skills. As the predator becomes faster, so does the prey.
The Road Transport Ministry offers a classic example of duplicity. Recently, it praised itself for the voluminous increase in peak-hour ridership on MRT and LRT lines, yet it completely overlooked the worsening traffic congestion and gridlock on roads in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.
Five years ago, a coroner’s court in London ruled – after reviewing extensive expert medical evidence – that a young girl living near Central London had died from pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease caused by toxic PM2.5 particles emitted by petrol-powered vehicles.
Yet, the ministry has paid no attention to improving public bus services during peak hours and introducing electric buses to ply all routes.
Local councils often lack efficiency, partly because bureaucratic appointments are influenced by political considerations. One major indicator of local governance inefficiency is the poor maintenance culture. Maintenance is the backbone of any modern society, ensuring the safety, reliability and longevity of infrastructure and public services.
Road potholes are a major indicator of poor governance as they imperil lives. Repairs are often made only after untoward incidents occur or when new budget allocations are secured.
Between 2000 and 2011, a total of 65,000 road traffic deaths were recorded. Potholes caused 15.4% of the accidents, resulting in over 1,000 deaths. Motorcyclists will often swerve to avoid these craters, causing collisions with nearby vehicles.
This year, up to April, a total of 17,921 potholes were reported across all states. In April, a teenage motorcyclist lost his life after hitting a pothole on a rural road in Pahang.
In March, two secondary school students died when their motorcycle struck a pothole, causing them to skid and fall. In January last year, a pregnant woman driving a car was killed after crashing into an electrical panel box on Pasir Gudang Highway.
Even after potholes are repaired, council inspections to ensure quality work by contractors are often lacking.
Last March, two brothers lost their lives in an accident caused by a pothole along Jalan-Sengkang Felda Inas-Bandar Tenggara. The pothole had started as a small hole before gradually expanding.
Without strict monitoring and testing, roads can quickly become vulnerable to early damage. Too often, maintenance is reactive rather than proactive. There seems to be no preventive maintenance schedules.
Even in some housing estates, the asphalt road surfaces, road shoulders and back alleys are often poorly maintained. In Ipoh – famously known as a food paradise – the entire stretch of Jalan Kompleks Sukan, starting from Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, is in a state of disrepair.
Good performance can be achieved by fostering healthy competition. Limit the
number of vacancies to 20% of the total number of candidates and create a competitive environment – only one in five will secure the job and they will compete accordingly.
Subsequently, release another 20% of the vacancies and once again ensure intense competition. Continue with the third and fourth rounds, each offering an additional 20%, maintaining the same competitive process throughout.
Open the final 20% of vacancies exclusively to non-Bumiputera candidates, maintaining the same level of competition. When jobs are treated as entitlements, underperformance in government is inevitable. To foster a culture
of merit-based performance, a significant presence of non-Bumiputera talent in the workforce is essential.
The government at all levels must be courageous in breaking the grip of near-total racial entitlement because diversity is always better than homogeneity.
How does a lack of governmental efficiency affect climate action? If a nation struggles to run 100m, how can it expect to run 1,000? Climate therapy – a term we will use moving forward – is like a 1,000m race.
Our lack of governmental efficiency and reluctance to embark on necessary reforms cause Malaysia to lose one more point in climate survival. Our final score is -10, which is rock bottom.
Climate doomsday awaits Malaysia when global warming exceeds the tipping point of 1.5°C and hits 2°C.
All Malaysians will perish except residents of Sabah and Sarawak, where the climate survival rating is notably higher.
The next article will take a fresh look at the various negative factors giving Malaysia a climate survival score of -10. It will suggest a “therapy” to pull Malaysia out of the hole.
Joachim Ng champions interfaith harmony.
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