YOURSAY | 'It is not helping itself by being overly cautious about appearing anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-royalty.'

Harapan fears bullies, unlikely to deliver promises in 6 months – Zaid

Teh Tarik: No doubt, Malaysia is in a downward spiral with Pakatan Harapan unable to reform because of fear of the Malay right. It appears that at least 80 percent of Malays are not in favour of reforms and continue to support Umno-PAS.

1. The Malaysian stock market is the worst performing major global stock market in 2019. The KLSE (Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange) has gone up a miserly 20 percent since 1997; i.e. one percent per year, ranking it among the worst performing stock markets in the world over a 20-year period.

2. The ringgit is the worst performing Asian currency, with it likely to fall out of the World Government Bond Index.

3. The property market is in doldrums with thousands of unsold and unoccupied houses. In Damansara Heights itself, nearly 200 bungalows are unsold, and many have been in the market for years.

4. Many four- and five-star hotels are struggling and are for sale, with tourist arrivals below forecasts.

5. The retail business is also struggling, except in upmarket areas like Bangsar, Damansara and Mont Kiara (shows that the rich are getting richer while the B40 and M40 are in bad shape). Even car mechanics have been hit as car owners postpone regular car service as they are cash strapped.

The problems with the country are structural and have been brewing for the past two to three decades and are now reaching the climax.

Unless the country starts major reforms, like drastically trimming down the over-bloated civil service and GLCs (government-linked companies), and overhauls the education system with less emphasis on religious studies and more on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and vocational training, the country is doomed.

Unfortunately, educational reform (even if politically tenable) will take another 20 to 30 years to bear fruit.

Roger 5201: Indeed, Harapan is not helping itself by being overly cautious about appearing anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-royalty.

They are playing into the Umno-PAS' playbook as Malaysia Baru has always been about fixing our economy and getting rid of corruption. As the government, they should shed their opposition mindset and get into the more serious business of delivering.

Improving our economy is a big job, so ministers entrusted with change need to be capable, supported and similarly empowered and engaged with younger voters whose views will drive the future of our country.

Drngsc: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim, you have very little credibility. Your comments have always been tainted.

It is true that Harapan needs to do better, even on issues that they have on the manifesto, and which do not need money to implement.

Recognising UEC (Unified Examination Certificate) does not need money. Ratifying Icerd (International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination) and the Rome Statute does not need money. Harapan only needs to prepare the ground with the correct narrative.

Still, you do not wish to do so, PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad? You will soon run out of excuses. If you do not show improvement, even Sandakan may be at stake, and GE15 is gone. Wake up Harapan, or else you will be a "one-term" government.

Anonymous_b3cdcd05: Some are quick to dismiss Zaid as a frog. But he is a special frog because every time he left a party, it was on a matter of ethics and principle. Not to feather his nest.

He quit PKR when he sensed something amiss in their internal elections. Zaid may not be a successful politician but that is because he speaks up for right-thinking Malaysians, unlike those who are self-serving and survive on patronage.

As far as truth and integrity go, he is second to none. His comments on Harapan's weaknesses are justified and the question of credibility does not arise because he is also a staunch supporter of Harapan under Mahathir.

Fairview: A lot of people think the Harapan government should be cooking and serving instant noodles.

Anonymous 2405191458063842: We are not interested in Maggie mee. We only want our PM not to welcome Umno frogs into the folds of his pea-size party in order to boost his pathetic numbers.

We only want our PM to go after all the thieves who had robbed our Treasury to the tunes of billions, not just those the top few. Hundreds of division heads, senior civil servants, even the mid-ranking ones, heads of GLCs (government-linked companies), Umno cronies, political appointees and many more - if only our PM is serious to recover all the loot, which could easily help to plug the huge hole left by the previous corrupt administration.

We only want our PM not to go back and divide and rule again, talking about wealth distribution in such a grim time by making out as though the Chinese are so rich that they owe the Malays a living. If he is adamant that wealth must be distributed fairly, then he ought to go after his beloved Malays who had looted the country's Treasury and, as a fair example, get his three ‘billionaire’ sons to distribute some of their wealth.

We only want our PM to not waste our limited budget on another national car project, flying car project, crooked bridge project and yet another revival of the Sepang International Circuit. No more pouring billions into such useless money-losing ventures while screaming that our country's debt has surpassed RM1 trillion.

We only want our PM not to pander to a foreign preacher to cause discord in our multicultural society, a preacher who is wanted in his own country for money laundering and for preaching terror.

No need to give us instant noodles. No need to cook even slow-cooking noodles because our PM is incapable to bring meaningful policies due to his Umno mindset. Just doing the few things mentioned above is good enough. Boleh tak?

Mohd Isnin: Indeed true. Pakatan is not firm in handling the bullies. Umno and PAS have the bullies very much in their pockets.

Is it so difficult to set up the IPCMC (Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission) as promised so that the police force would not be corrupted? Is it so difficult to redraw election boundaries so that the rakyat would be better represented?

Kural: While many will not consent to what are unreasonable attempts at Harapan bashing at such an early stage, the fact of the matter that needs consideration is the absence of sufficient distinct evidence that Harapan is getting at the rut of the problems that need serious solutions.

Zaid’s pointers, including IPCMC and repeal of certain laws, and especially the need to enable institutional reform within our stultified educational culture, should have been already operational in the priority list for speedy action by the new government.

And the CEP (Council of Eminent Persons) report should have got some publicity as it pertains to the many non-controversial recommendations. If redaction is prudent to dampen certain sensitivities, so be it; but bring out the positives for action plans and for public appreciation.

The old guards in the new government cannot unwittingly continue giving the impression that they have neither forgotten anything nor learnt anything.

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