Dr M Eac Needed Even Brilliant Cabinet Can Go Wrong

---

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has defended his decision to set up the Economic Action Council (EAC) saying the cabinet could make mistakes even if made up of brilliant people

He said this when asked to respond to his communications and media affairs special advisor Abdul Kadir Jasin’s claim that the setting up of the council showed a lack of confidence in cabinet ministers
“The National Economic Action Council (NEAC) will enable the government and myself, in particular, to listen to the views of other people from their own angle
“Any government that does not want to listen to certain people and wants to only depend on the cabinet, even if the cabinet was made up of brilliant people that government will go wrong,” he told reporters at a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya today
He said the government should have set up the council from the moment Pakatan Harapan took over federal power last year but it was “very busy” at the time
“Now we have enough time to set up such a council and we will use this council to get feedback on what's happening in the country and ideas on solving problems as well as the way forward,” he said
Mahathir’s office unveiled the 16-member council’s composition yesterday which includes himself and several cabinet members as well as experts and leaders in various fields
A Kadir JasinThe EAC is modelled after the NEAC that Mahathir had set up during his tenure as the fourth prime minister of Malaysia
'No need to pretend'Mahathir told reporters today that he had set up the NEAC relatively late into his previous premiership but the cabinet gave him full cooperation and it was successful in spurring development in the country
In a blog post this morning, Kadir said the setting up of the EAC amounted to a tacit admission that the existing government machinery, especially the cabinet, was not up to mark in tackling matters related to the economy, finances and the people’s welfare
"We do not have to pretend in order to avoid offending anyone or any parties. The reality is that after more than eight months of administrating the country, the Harapan government has yet to show results which can be felt by the rakyat," he said
The blog post includes his usual disclaimer that his writings are his personal views as a blogger and had nothing to do with any position he held. - Mkini

---