Philanthropist suggests 4 best ways for Dr M’s govt to move forward

KUCHING: An open letter from philanthropist and businessman Koon Yew Yin suggested four best ways forward for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration.

While congratulating the seventh and current Malaysian premier, Koon stated that the newly minted Pakatan Harapan federal government should acknowledge that all Malaysians are equal under the law, irrespective of race and religion, and to put that belief into full practice.

Koon said the new government too needs to exercise a meritocratic system.

“University places should be allocated based on examination results and should not be based on race or other forms of quotas. We need the best people to manage the country,” he said.

“Entry and promotion in civil service, police and army must similarly be based on educational qualifications and working experience. There must be no political or party interference in the civil service. We need the best people to manage the country,” he added.

He also urged the Mahathir administration to follow the World Bank’s procurement guidelines for all contracts - major or minor.

“Open tender must be called for all contracts exceeding RM10,000 and the cheapest contractor should be given the contract should he fulfil the other conditions of eligibility.

“You must review all those large contracts and concessions given by the (previous) Barisan Nasional (BN) government without open tenders. For example, the East Coast Railway Link (ECRL) contract which is the most expensive per kilometre in the world.”

Koon also reminded people that under the leadership of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition could not defeat the BN government in the last two general elections in 2008 and 2013.

“If the 2018 election had been contested under Anwar’s leadership, it is highly probable that Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak will remain as prime minister and BN will still be in power today,” Koon claimed.

All Malaysians are fully aware that without Dr Mahathir’s heroic intervention and the tremendous amount of time and effort he put into pulling together a chaotic and disorganised opposition and taking the case against Najib, Pakatan Harapan could not have won the right to form the government, Koon argued.

“I know you (Dr Mahathir) are facing a lot of difficulty in the appointment of ministers because every high-ranking politician in Harapan now thinks he or she deserves to enjoy the fruits of power and should be considered for a leading role in the new government.

“It is clear that you cannot please everybody and that only a very small number of parliamentarians can become ministers. As prime minister, you have the right to use your discretion to choose the right candidates from the list submitted by each coalition party.”

Koon said he has full confidence in Dr Mahathir’s judgment and ability to assemble the best possible team to lead the country out of the political wilderness that Najib and BN have led the country to.

He also advised Dr Mahathir to continue his Vision 2020 and continue with exercising the power he has as prime minister.

“Make appointments you see necessary to reform the country, repair the damage and take the country and the younger generation forward in your longstated mission for Malaysia to become a fully developed, vibrant and progressive society and advanced economy.

“When you were the prime minister of Malaysia, you openly declared your Vision 2020. Now at 92 years old, you have managed to change the corrupted BN government and to become the new prime minister. Congratulations,” Koon said.

“Your ultimate aim is now likely to be to achieve your Vision 2020 to make Malaysia a fully developed and successful nation, not a failed one. The task is more difficult as we have already lost 20 years as well as billions of ringgit through 1MDB and other failed projects of the Najib regime,” he emphasised.

Koon, who is an author of a book published in 2012 entitled ‘Malaysia: Road Map for Achieving Vision 2020’, said Dr Mahathir should analyse why and how the country had failed to make any headway in achieving the goals of 2020 and what stood in the way.

“I hope you can remember that I gave you a copy of my book when you were campaigning in Padang Rengas, Perak about six months ago. It is my humble request that you read my book to see the deep hole that BN rule has dug for the economy and society and to serve as a reminder of some of the major challenges that you and Harapan will face in the coming years,” he added.