By Ramasamy Palanisamy

THE Minister of Finance, Tengku Zafrul, does not understand the arguments proposed by many as to why Malaysia is either a failed state or in the verge of failing.

As I have argued before, there is a necessity to make a difference between the Government and the state.

A failed government doesn’t necessarily bring about a failed state. But under exceptional circumstances, both can fail.

Malaysia, under the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, might be in a situation where both the Government and the state with its numerous institutions might fail.

There is growing consensus that both the Government and the state in Malaysia are in a terrible shape.

With Perikatan Nasional (PN) being a Government that came to power illegally as a result of putsch, the appointment of ministers without merit and the general inability of the Government to manage the country and to give direction to the implementation of policies have resulted in an impasse.

The dysfunction of the Government has invariably affected the performance of the state, as the latter depends on the former.

In a sense, there is collateral damage not affecting the government and the state, but the very function of the political, economic and health systems.

It is this collateral damage that some analysts are seeing as the failure of the Malaysian state.

The state here is examined as not geographical category but an entity consisting of ensemble of institutions and agencies charged with policy implementations of the Government in power.

Zafrul cannot say that increased allowances to the members of Parliament, ramping up the vaccination process and increasing financial assistance to the needy do not indicate that the country is failing. Far from it.

Zafrul can say that the government is laden with horrific debts leftover over from the days of UMNO’s political hegemony.

Since UMNO is part of the Government now, shouldn’t the repayment of debts constitute the duty of the government in power now.

Why form a government with UMNO, but put the blame on the former Barisan Nasional (BN) government and UMNO in particular?

Zafrul cannot have the cake and eat it at the same time.

Greedy UMNO politicians might have been the cause of the present debts, but PN cannot call it a government without taking responsibility over the debts.

In Malaysia, the present hopelessness of the PN Government that captured political power last year through a putsch is mainly responsible for the present mess.

If Zafrul could be made the finance minister without being member of parliament and what more through a backdoor entry, then his position might not be tenable anymore.

If he has any pride and decency, he should tend his resignation immediately rather than opening his gap to defend a government that is not worth defending in the first place.

Thus, in Malaysia there are clear indicators pointing in the direction of the possible collapse of both the Government and the manifold state institutions.

Zafrul has the temerity to speak about the Government ramping up the vaccination process, but unfortunately only less than 10% of the population are vaccinated today.

How to reach 80% by the magical month of October, a month targeted to attain the herd immunity if the ministers in the Government have herd mentality, are uncreative, unimaginative and above all are totally not in keeping the requirements of the people?

It is more relevant to speak about the herd mentality among the ministers in the PN Government that is mainly responsible for preventing the country from reaching a herd immunity by the end of this year.

There is nothing for Zafrul to defend in the PN Government.

Hoisting white flags simultaneously throughout the country might not be as something radical or far-reaching but they are nonetheless early indications that something is seriously wrong with the Government.

The PN Government can go, and the installation of a more responsible government can repair the damage done to the state.

There are no real choices left for the PN Government but to make the ignominious exit. – July 14, 2021.

Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.

https://focusmalaysia.my/stop-defending-the-indefensible-tengku-zafrul/