LOCATION, location, location — that’s what all the business gurus will tell you if you are going into business. Not for all kinds of businesses, but definitely for those in the service industry. Which explains why most, if not all, mamak shops do a roaring business throughout the 365 days a year. Most occupy corner lots, giving patrons easy access, even if the teh tarik may not be up to the mark. But most are open 24/7 and are strategically located.
In politics and government, it’s communications, communications, communications. This was the single most telling conclusion of the Shah Alam Dialogue held last week where Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, member of parliament for Jeli, was the guest speaker.
Tok Pa, as he’s often called, had an exclusive dialogue with civil servants from the Selangor government. Almost 800 of them turned up, listening to Tok Pa’s views on contemporary issues, some raised by those in attendance. Yours truly was the moderator for the three-hour session.
The civil servants asked many questions, some personal in nature but most were related to government policies and the current political scenario. As we all know, Tok Pa was an Umno Supreme Council member but has since left the party to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
Why did you leave Umno and join Bersatu, Tok Pa was asked. He was also asked whether he joined Bersatu to further his political career, that is, self preservation or if there were other reasons. His response was simple. He said he left because he could no longer accept what was happening in the party. He said that he didn’t like what was happening then (when Barisan Nasional was in power), but perhaps he didn’t have the courage to act.
Asked why there are disgruntled voices now against the Pakatan Harapan government as against the euphoria that greeted the party on May 9 last year, Tok Pa believed that the communication flow needs improvement. He knows that many good things have been done by the government, but they have not been effectively conveyed to the people.
Tok Pa is an old hand in politics and government, having served the cabinet holding several portfolios at different times. He was also the Umno Communication Committee chairman. A former civil servant himself, Tok Pa served the cabinet under Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
He shared his experiences with those in attendance, saying that an effective civil service is important to carry the nation forward, regardless of the political party in power. Both the political people and the civil service are jointly responsible for the people’s livelihood, future and security.
This goes very well with the government’s push for shared prosperity as the roadmap for the future. His parting shot was that the government, be it at federal or state, needs to strengthen the information dissemination infrastructure so that the country can forge ahead confidently.
Tok Pa is a no-nonsense politician, very devoted to his task as a wakil rakyat. He said the free press that the country is now seeing should help create a more mature political climate. This alone is an important achievement in a two-way communication between the people and the government.
Let’s get to work, said Tok Pa at the end of the dialogue.