Abdullah's Administration Seen As A Continuation From Dr M's Era. Is This Assessment True?
With so many diverse views on the performance and policies of the Pak Lah administration and the sometimes unfair comparison with Dr Mahathir's style of governing, this report that one is basically a continuation of the other got my attention. Of course the person making that assertion is an expert in his field and I'm not here to cast doubts on his assessment. But it would be good to get the opinion of the readers whether his contention is really that true. The full report from Bernama follows ********** The policies of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's administration are seen as a continuation of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's era, said a lecturer of anthropology and sociology. "What might seem different is the administration style and approaches taken in reflecting the changing political and social climate," said Dr Sivamurugan Pandian from the Social Science Faculty of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
Three elements differentiating the leadership styles of Abdullah and Dr Mahathir were consensus, consultation and participation, he said in his paper at a national seminar entitled "Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Three Years in Putrajaya: Trailblazing a Brighter Future for Malaysia" here Thursday. The one-day seminar was jointly organised by USM, Yayasan Strategik Sosial and Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI).
Sivamurugan said that it would be difficult to state that after three years of leading the nation, there had been drastic changes to previous policies as several of them were rather solid and did not require further improvements. "This somehow has caused a misperception with some seeing him (Abdullah) as a weak leader," he said.
Sivamurugan said that Abdullah's leadership style had been put to best use to continue Dr Mahathir's "unfinished struggle" and this included making some changes in the mechanisms used to implement certain policies. "Although he is known for his soft approach, Abdullah is not a person who is incapable of making controversial decisions if the situation called for it," he said.
Sivamurugan said that in evaluating the three years of Abdullah's leadership, note should be taken that he took over from one that was highly regarded for it character, wisdom and courage to fight for the nation and its people.
"This meant that when Abdullah took over the leadership role, he not only took over a great responsibility in the Prime Minister's Department but his personality too would come under the microscope, especially his ability to use authority in a charismatic manner. In his efforts to bring about renewal while differentiating himself, Abdullah also had a legacy to protect," he said.
However, said Sivamurugan, Abdullah's leadership style of consensus building, accomodation and openness were not without risks and that criticisms against the government could end up translating into support for the opposition in the next general election. Abdullah needs to consolidate his leadership style by keeping abreast of issues on the ground in preparing for the next (general) election," he said.
The lecturer said that in appraising the Prime Minister's administration by the normative approach, one of the main traits used by Abdullah was his dependence on cooperation, consultation and teamwork where he allowed his cabinet members to shine as individuals in undertaking their responsibilities. "After three years of leading the nation, there are some who criticise that the Prime Minister has done very little and that he is merely a seat warmer and who is most likely to be a one-term Prime Minister," he said.
Sivamurugan said Abdullah's advantage was that he had a loyal team willing to face flak from within and without and able to convince the people that Abdullah's policies would bear fruit in the long run. "Abdullah and his team should be given time as many of his goals cannot be achieved overnight," he said.
Batu Pahat Member of Parliament, Dr Junaidy Abdul Wahab, who gave the keynote address at the seminar, said that Abdullah had proven to the world through his leadership style of openness and moderation, he could administer and lead Malaysia to greater progress.
This approach had earned him the respect of other world leaders who were happy that Abdullah could play an important role in bridging the gap between the Islamic and western Worlds, he said.
Junaidy added that in the three years of Abdullah's leadership, great strides had been made in sectors deemed important and suited to the times.
****** So now that you have gone through that report, perhaps some of you would like to let us know your thoughts on Pak Lah's administration and governing skills. Is his merely a continuation of the earlier administration or is he boldly charting his own course?
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Labels: Malaysian Politics.
posted by The Malaysian. at 1/04/2007 06:59:00 PM
4 Comments:
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi remains a nice man bogged down with the baggage of the past.
With a cabinet inherited from a visionary leader, one would expect him to manage them and our expectations for a future full of promise and not wrought with a multitude of problems.
But that very cabinet and some of the policies are untenable and Abdullah has to either cut the ties that bind and follow his own path.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad's vision - while showing a picture of peace and prosperity among all Malaysians - comes at a price where we lose our freedoms.
We can get anything we want at the prices we wish but we cannot question anything that the government does.
That method does not work anymore and Abdullah has to manage our expectations to unravel the restrictive parts of the vision.
He needs to cut the fat in the civil service, he needs to unravel the strictures that bind us into an unwieldy society of a spectrum of expectations and he needs - more than anything - let us survive in this globalised world without a safety net.
For too long we have had it good while the government of the day sweeps all the dirt under the carpet. Now we are stumbling over the dirt and decisions made years ago - from the social contract to toll concessions to low fuel prices - are haunting us.
We have lost our way. We don't need a visionary to show us the path. We need a leader and a manager to bring us back home.
Abdullah can be that man. Or he can die trying to be that man. But he will be unable to do anything as long as he has the same team that managed the country in the time of Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Thanks mat merah for that unbiased and honest opinion.
I would not say there is no change in policy - clearly there is some such as regard to foreign investment but the big difference is methodology - its more popular to call it 'style and approach' because methodology is clear while style is more ambiguous and Pak Lah methodology is unclear. That is the problem - trying to fix policies that is difficult to implement with a new 'style and approach' is more publicity than real. Its not there is a risk of failure, there is a guarantee of mediocrity.
With Pak Lah staying away from the flood and the toll hike, it was a matter of time before apple-polishers and the supporters to come up with "special" events to highlight the "goodness" of Pak Lah. They know that Pak Lah popularity is diminishing fast and with elections coming up, some kind of damage control need to be executed
Although it may sound academic but read between the lines...that Pak Lah is not to be blamed, that he is the "best" person to lead the country and so on. It is funny that 2 seminars were held to talk about Pak Lah style of administration. One is as per above titled "National Seminar on Abdullah Ahmad Badawi: Three Years in Putrajaya: Tracking the Country’s Future" and another titled "Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Three Years in Putrajaya: Trailblazing a Brighter Future for Malaysia" - see:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/1/5/nation/16486558&sec=nation
The later one made me almost puked with blood - Pak Lah, the Trailblazer? Administration styles may differ but it should not, in any way, brings the wrong results. With the flood, toll and price of goods going up in the midst of slow economy, style is secondary to results and after 3 years, we are still waiting.
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