Najib wants to be LKY Number 2?

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Ah Loong better buckup or pack up..

Best Cabinet for Malaysia


2013-05-15

By TAY TIAN YAN
Translated by DOMINIC LOH
Sin Chew Daily

"We need the most capable people in the Cabinet, and these few are the best. I do not have the right to stop them from serving the country."

Make a guess who said this.

Of course not Najib. His Cabinet has yet to take shape at this moment. Not even Barack Obama or Xi Jinping.

It was Abraham Lincoln!

When Lincoln won the presidential election in 1862, he took over a country that was on the verge of disaster. The ghost of Civil War was looming large, and the country was on the brink of disintegration.

Lincoln had to lead the war to abolish slavery, and preserve the integrity of the Union.

Although he was a very capable person, his ability alone just would not work.

On that day, he announced his Cabinet line-up, and made that famous remark.

To the astonishment of many, his list included many of his uncompromising political rivals, including Secretary of State William H. Seward, Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Portland Chase, Attorney General Edward Bates and Secretary of War Edwin McMasters Stanton.

The first three were Republican big guns who were staunchly against the president while Stanton was a Democrat and fierce critic of Lincoln.

What set Lincoln apart from other leaders was his magnanimity, putting the nation above everything else. He had a powerful acumen in making judgements, and was known for his keenness to hire only the most competent.

He picked these rivals to be his Cabinet colleagues to harness their expertise but also to convert these erstwhile opponents into his partners in administration.

This team formed the most outstanding administration ever seen in the United States, one that annulled the slavery, won the Civil War, halted the disunity and made significant history.

This historical event was immortalised by Doris Kearns Goodwin into a historical classic Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln well embraced by both President Barack Obama and director Steven Spielberg who adapted it into award-winning film Lincoln.

With Najib almost going to announce his Cabinet line-up, it is hoped that he will pick up the merits of wisdom and magnanimity of the great leader.

In the face of dramatic social changes currently taking place in this country where confrontation between the opposing camps is rife, it is imperative that Najib employ a new way of thinking to put in place the best ever Cabinet for Malaysia.

He needs to do something practical to support his reconciliation call post-May 5.

Firstly, he should consider appointing representatives from Pakatan Rakyat to serve in his administration.

He can appoint one each from DAP, PKR and PAS to join his Cabinet. DAP's Tony Phua or Liew Chin Tong, PKR's Rafizi Ramli or Nurul Izzah and PAS' Khalid Samad should make excellent candidates.

Pakatan Rakyat, in the meantime, should accept the appointments in the interest of the nation and for unity. While competing with each other, rival parties can actually work together for the sake of the country.

Secondly, allow the more open-minded and moderate leaders within Umno to be key players in the government.

Defeated in the elections, Abdul Ghani Othman and Saifuddin Abdullah should nevertheless be appointed senators and offered ministerial posts. New generation moderate leaders in the likes of Khairy Jamaluddin (Rembau, NS), Nur Jazlan Mohamed (Pulai, Johor) and Abdul Rahman Dahlan (Kota Belud, Sabah) should be given their places in the Cabinet so that they can help push ahead the PM's transformation programmes and 1Malaysia aspirations.

Thirdly, enlist top professionals into the administration.

The performance of Idris Jala, an entrepreneur turned politician, in spearheading the government's transformation programmes and implementation of KPI is widely acclaimed.

We need more of such people in the government to inject new ideas and new management styles while seeking broader public acceptance by virtue of their non-partisan roles.

Take for example, the education ministry should be helmed by a non-partisan expert in this field.


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.