Hopefully Anwar Will Be Remembered Like Abdullah Badawi Rafizi

---

 


Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli drew parallels between former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Anwar Ibrahim, saying the current prime minister may be better remembered in the future.
“For Anwar, hopefully the best case scenario for him, whatever happens, one day people will remember him like (they do) Abdullah.
“Meaning (they will say), ‘actually, maybe we didn’t give him enough credit’,” Rafizi said on the latest episode of his podcast “Yang Berhenti Menteri” last night.
Pandan MP Rafizi RamliAfter Abdullah’s death, National Journalism Laureate Johan Jaafar said the former was one of the least understood and probably the most underrated prime minister.
Abdullah’s time in power led to the establishment of the MACC as well as the enactment of the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009.
However, he was criticised for his reliance on advisers dubbed the “fourth-floor boys” - a group of young men who once occupied the fourth floor of Perdana Putra, led by his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin.
Former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad BadawiHe also walked back promises to form an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission after resistance from the police.
Farhash, dismissiveness, social mobility
Commenting further, Rafizi said the case of Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak could be a potential blow to Anwar’s image.
The Pandan MP also criticised Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan’s response to the opposition and government backbenchers during the debates on the Government Procurement Bill.
“Those questions were valid. He (Amir) had only one answer: ‘This is an improvement, this is better than the status quo.’
“That’s dangerous if we are talking to the people, especially Pakatan Harapan’s own voters, (and saying) when the government does something, ‘what are you complaining about? Isn’t this better?’
“That is what happened during Abdullah’s time, and it is happening now because the people’s expectations and hopes are different.
“We cannot say just because we are marginally better that we are already the best,” he said.
Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah AzizanRafizi also labelled social mobility as an increasingly urgent issue that the country has to tackle soon.
The dissatisfaction stemming from a lack of social mobility could turn people towards populism, he said, naming Donald Trump’s re-election as the United States president as an example.
He claimed that there was a sense of positivity in Malaysia, including pride in being part of the country, back in the 90s, due to a good level of social mobility.
“That’s why there were fewer racial issues (at the time),” added former natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who was a guest on the podcast.
Nik Nazmi Nik AhmadRafizi said part of the problem is that Malaysia is starting at a higher point, having successfully moved many households into the middle class.
‘Racial politics is about economic insecurity’
To solve the issue of declining social mobility, he said the structure of the Malaysian economy needs to be addressed.
“Why are there structural problems? It goes back to political will, systems, regulations, political culture, corruption, and the like.
“... But as you peel (off) layer after layer after layer, it goes back to the government,” he said.
Rafizi went on to express his opinion that racial politics is not truly about politics, but rather economic insecurity, which leads back to the lack of social mobility today.
He provided himself and Nik Nazmi as examples of Malays who lack racist ideologies because of their economic security, having achieved social mobility.
“You can give (the people) money, but it’s not going to delay the time bomb, which is to fix our social mobility through structural reforms for the economy.
“And that is a bitter pill that we have to swallow, but that is also a challenge for us in the government,” he said. - Mkini

---