AT the close of the first year of its rule, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government’s achievement came under the spotlight.
Citizen feedback over its performance was at best moderate, at worst dismal. The initial euphoria of its win at the ballot box one year ago has all but evaporated. Critics grumble that the economy is rudderless.
Racial and religious rhetoric intensifies as the bankrupt-of-ideas opposition bankrolls on what has always been its modus operandi. To add to this combustible mix is the baneful infighting within the coalition.
Much of these political ructions have been amplified by the newfound freedom of expression under New Malaysia.
Global headwinds have impacted negatively on our growth and foreign exchange rate. These have further compounded public anxiety over the economy.
In mitigation, the government inherited a nation whose public coffers and institutions had been ravaged by the misrule of the previous regime. To its credit, the government has set its vision to be a roaring economy again. It has spelt out its economic philosophy — shared prosperity. And it has demonstrated courage in institutional reform, fiscal management and ridding the country of corruption.
Notwithstanding, there is a kernel of truth in the utterances of dissatisfaction; that the PH government should be bolder in its manifesto and policy execution.
In his 2001 book Good to Great, Jim Collins culls the quintessential features that made normal run-of-the-mill companies so great as to enjoy superior cumulative returns that beat the industry average. Here are five principles from that book to enable PH to make the nation great.
The first principle that Collins discovered in his good-to-great companies is that level-five leaders helmed these companies. Level-five leaders are those who demonstrate a professional will to lead and lead with humility. The cabinet will have to assess whether each member has the will to lead and is professional enough to put national interest above personal enrichment.
Ministers must also have the tenacity to solve the issues confronting the nation. They must do so with modesty without taking credit for successes but taking responsibility for any failures.
Second, through a bus analogy, Collins argued that in turbulent times it is not so important to know where an organisation is headed as to have the best team on board. These talents must be assigned the right responsibilities befitting their competency. And misfits should be ejected from the bus so as not to become a drag on organisational performance.
This aptitude assessment will be a tough call for the cabinet. However, if it wants to make the country great, the cabinet has to ensure that the best talent serves in it.
The cabinet has to also ensure that a particular talent has the portfolio most suited to it. Otherwise a cabinet reshuffle is warranted. This will ensure that the cabinet is robust and remains so even after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s departure from office.
Third, diagnosis before prescription. One of the hallmarks of an effective cabinet is to make good decisions that improve the welfare of the nation. But the cabinet cannot make good decisions if it does not confront the brutal facts of what ails the nation.
The cabinet has to create a climate where truth prevails. Otherwise, it will hurtle down the opaque path that the previous yes-man cabinet went regarding the 1MDB debacle.
Fourth, the cabinet must have a deep understanding of what it is good at and what it is passionate about. If it is good at institutional reform and passionate about it, then the cabinet must pursue it to the hilt. It must shunt a disproportionate amount of resources to that venture.
When the cabinet is passionate about the things that improve people’s lives, such as incorruptibility and shared prosperity, it can produce extraordinary results. Other outcomes of nation-building and economic growth will follow naturally.
Fifth, the government should crank its flywheel for an accelerated momentum in making and implementing decisions. The ‘flywheel’ is Collin’s metaphor to denote a cycle of decisions and their execution. The components of the flywheel are connected logically.
The implementation of one component leads on and contributes to another in a cogent fashion. By cranking its flywheel continuously, the government can build a faster thrust towards the good-to-great transformation.
A possible flywheel for the government could be something like this: 1. Relentlessly pursue the PH manifesto and policies; 2. Get quick wins; 3. Build reputation and gain citizen confidence; 4. Obtain feedback; and 5. Adjust execution to match reality.
By repeating this cycle unceasingly, the individual components within it will not only become easier but also faster to execute, thereby delivering better and quicker outcomes.
In combination, these principles will lay the foundation for a high-performance Malaysia that can become the envy of the region, if not the world.
Going from good to great is a journey, not a destination. Our accomplishments are merely good relative to what we can achieve next. Like being on a treadmill, once we rest upon our laurels, we will quickly slide into mediocrity again.
To paraphrase Donald Trump’s mantra, “Let’s make Malaysia great again!”
Datuk Dr. John Antony Xavier, a former public servant, teaches at the Graduate School of Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia