LETTERS: THE new government should pay attention to the five Rs: restore, reassure, resist, remedy and ratify.
RESTORE: It should work hard to restore public confidence that all races will be treated equally in terms of opportunities and education;
REASSURE: It should reassure all religious groups that their freedoms as stated in the Federal Constitution will not be compromised;
RESIST: It should resist the temptation to gain political mileage and focus on solving the problems and needs of the people;
REMEDY: It should remedy the injustice and neglect suffered by all indigenous peoples; and
RATIFY: It should ratify all international conventions that Malaysia is a signatory to.
These measures will go a long way to reset the nation which many believe has been in troubled waters over the past few years.
These matters should go hand in hand with actions to address cost of living and economic uncertainty.
Additionally, the first order of business when Parliament reconvenes is to have all members of parliament pledge to uphold the Constitution and always act in accordance with the Rukun Negara.
These instruments were introduced for a purpose, that is to ensure the peace, progress, viability and future of our multiracial country. Their provisions were not meant to be applied selectively or expediently.
They were meant to be used holistically.
Two other matters, if addressed expeditiously, will go a long way to ease the burden of ordinary folk and ensure that their safety and health are prioritised.
One is improving the government's administrative machinery by simplifying or even removing non-essential red tape.
This will make it easier for people to spend more time and energy doing whatever they have to do to eke out an existence.
The other matter is for local authorities to be performance-oriented to provide proper service to the public and to have a strong maintenance culture to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the people.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Chairman,
Alliance for A Safe Community
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times