Written by James Chai
If you’re feeling disappointed with the Madani government after 8 months, it’s normal. Either because you didn’t get all the reforms you wanted, progress was not as immediate as you hoped, or there were mistakes that alienated its core supporters.
Amid your disappointment, 2 opposition groups came to offer you an antidote: One with a list of subsidies and cash handouts that could satisfy you instantly; another one that whispered sweet-nothings of idealism without any pain.
They want you to believe that Malaysia started from a vacuum. That the country is a clean slate without history and differing interests. That we didn’t inherit a RM1.5 trillion debt, a low-wage workforce, depreciating currency and unattractive stock market, and a growing right-wing extremism.
They also want you to believe that Malaysia can live without consequences. That you can keep spending and borrowing to fund subsidies and handouts without passing the debt on to the next generation. That you could bulldoze through the laundry list of liberal reforms without backlash and backsliding that would put us in a worse place than before.
They want you to forget the hard truths: Lasting progress requires compromise, reforms are incremental and need sequencing and buy-in, rebuilding the country is often nuanced and mostly boring.
The Madani government has pushed out reforms that flew under the populist radar, more radical than any manifestos offered.
Here are the Top 10 Radical Reforms made under Madani government in only 8 months:
1. Progressive wage policy
The most radical attempt to systematically increase wages in Malaysia that have been stuck for 2 decades since the early 2000s. Read more: Malaysia gov’t aims to systematically raise workers’ wages
2. National Energy Transition Roadmap:
The most ambitious pro-growth climate plan estimated to bring RM1.85 trillion investments and meet our Net Zero target. Read more: NETR Phase 1
3. Solar rooftop leasing for income
This initiative will allow people to rent out their rooftops for solar panels, which will both reduce electricity bills and increase income. Read more: Lease Rooftops For Solar Panels
4. Subsidy retargeting
The most important fiscal reform every prior administration avoided, this initiative will save ⅓ of our subsidy bills, which will be used to plough back into development. Read more: Malaysia Revised Budget 2023
5. Anti Rent-Seeking Act
A critical anti-corruption and antitrust law which has been enacted to solve an endemic practice which has cost us RM18 billion a year. Read more: Anwar Govt Formulates Anti Rent Seeking Policy
6. Modern farming
Thousands of acres of government land have been opened up for tech-driven agriculture to build entrepreneurial capacity for the poor and reduce import dependency. Read more: Malaysia’s agriculture sector gets RM18 bilion in incentives
7. Academy in Industry
Putting school leavers straight into factories and companies, learning high-value skills on the job, skipping the classrooms. Read more: M’sian workers only need slight skill upgrade says Anwar
8. GovTech + Central database
Creating a digital government and comprehensive database that allows tech products to be built by anyone. Read more: GovTech Unit To Accelerate Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint
9. Direct application of small projects
Allows anyone to apply and carry out small government projects to democratise implementation and cut out bureaucracy.
10. Ekonomi Madani framework
Sets out a comprehensive vision to lift the base and raise the ceiling, aiming for Malaysia to be in the Top 30 economies in the world. Read more: PM: Madani Economy framework to address cost of living, position Malaysia globally
As a result, the stock market has rallied in recent months. Inflation went down to its lowest in a year, and foreign investors are coming back at the fastest rate in almost a decade.
Our country is slowly turning around.
This state election is not really about the political intrigue – whether the green wave is still strong, whether the Trump-like Sanusi is popular, whether PH-BN could make inroads in Kelantan, whether Chow will stay as Chief Minister of Penang.
The state election is about whether we could be trusted with progress. Whether we could accept some imperfections in exchange for mostly-correct moves.
Whether we could think less about not getting what we want and more about what is good for society. Whether we could protect the fragile gains of progress.
Our idealism was trained from the hot-blooded revolution of 2018. Now we have to start acting like reformists.
To analyse policies in its intricacies (and not just surface-level low hanging fruits), to build consensus with opponents (and not just angry protests), to propose solutions to tighten implementation (and not just complain) – all the boring stuff revolutions forgot to tell you.
No, you’re not losing your idealism or principles by becoming a reformist. Instead, you’re holding on to the most realistic form of hope.
James C.
What do you think about the Madani government’s reforms in 2023?
Share your opinions in the comments!
This article was first published on James Chai’s Instagram and has been reproduced on IRL with permission by the author.
You can follow James on Instagram (@jamesjschai) and can read more of his works on his blog at jameschai.com.my
Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
For more opinion pieces on the Malaysian political system, read:
19yo First Time Voter Discovers What M’sian Politics Really Mean, Disappointed With Elections
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