Malaysia Needs a Competent Cabinet — Not Just a Comfortable One

Time to Rebuild, Reset, and Replace Before It’s Too Late

Two years before the next general election, Malaysia stands at a crossroads. Economically, we are not collapsing — in fact, headline numbers look strong. Politically and institutionally, however, public trust is fragile. Corruption cases, selective prosecutions, internal politics and weak governance keep pulling us backwards.

The real question today is simple: Are we truly governing, or merely surviving?

Because survival is not reform. Survival is not leadership. Survival is not accountability. Malaysians did not vote for a cosmetically upgraded version of the old system. We voted for real change, real clean-up, and real courage.

1. The Economy Shows Potential — Governance Is the Bottleneck

On paper, Malaysia is doing reasonably well:

The economy grew by around 5.1% in 2024, an improvement from barely above 3% the year before.
Approved investments hit a record high of about RM378.5 billion in 2024, and momentum continued into 2025 with strong inflows.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) net inflows jumped to over RM50 billion in 2024, reflecting renewed investor confidence.
Subsidy rationalisation has begun, especially on diesel and fuel, finally addressing an issue that all previous governments feared to touch.

These are not small achievements. They show that Malaysia still attracts investors, still has a solid base, and still has economic resilience.

But here is the problem: Strong numbers without strong governance will not translate into a better life for ordinary Malaysians.

If investments rise but leakages continue, if GDP grows but wages stall, if reforms are announced but not implemented properly — then people will only feel more cheated. The bottleneck is no longer potential. The bottleneck is competence and integrity in governance.

2. Separate the Ministry of Finance from the Prime Minister’s Office

One structural lesson Malaysia should have learned by now is this: The Prime Minister should not also be the Finance Minister.

When one person controls both political power and the national purse, the risk of abuse, patronage and hidden deals multiplies. We saw this painfully in past scandals. We do not need a sequel.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) must be led by someone who:

Is willing to say “no” when the numbers don’t make sense.
Understands data, industry structure and long-term economic planning.
Can implement subsidy reforms without collapsing public trust.
Is brave enough to make unpopular decisions for long-term stability.

An obvious candidate here is Rafizi Ramli. He may not be perfect, but he has proven he understands cost structures, data, leakages and systemic corruption. Let the Prime Minister focus on governing the whole nation; let the Finance Minister focus fully on the country’s financial architecture.

Question for Malaysians:
Why are we still comfortable with one person holding too much financial power, when we already know how badly that can end?

3. Bring Back Maszlee Malik for Rural Malaysia

Urban Malaysia dominates social media. Rural Malaysia decides the future.

If we are serious about reducing inequality, fixing schools, improving basic infrastructure, and tackling hardcore poverty, then we need leaders who are comfortable in villages, small towns and remote settlements — not just at podiums in hotels.

Maszlee Malik has shown he is willing to get his hands dirty on the ground. He understands schools, welfare, and community-level problems. Bringing him back to handle rural development, community welfare and people-based solutions would send a strong signal that the government is serious about fixing the bottom, not just decorating the top.

Question for Malaysians:
Are we appointing ministers who look good on TV, or ministers who actually go to the broken roads, flooded kampungs and neglected schools?

4. A National Ground Response Team for Real Problems

Too many rakyat issues are stuck in a maze of counters, forms and “sila datang esok”. We need a dedicated, professional ground-response unit that cuts through bureaucracy and solves problems fast.

This taskforce should focus on:

Citizenship and documentation issues.
Rural and small-town infrastructure (roads, drainage, facilities).
Welfare cases that fall through the cracks.
Small traders, farmers and hawkers struggling with cost of living.

It should be led by operational people, not political gatekeepers. People who treat every case like a mission, not a file number.

This is the kind of role that someone like Amarjeet Singh @ AJ is naturally suited for — hands-on, problem-solving, system-fixing and people-first, not protocol-first.

Question for Malaysians:
Do we want more “councils” and “launches”, or do we want teams that actually show up and solve issues?

5. A Serious Economic Advisory Team, Not a Cosmetic One

With record approved investments and growing FDI, Malaysia is sitting at an economic inflection point. We are attracting data centres, semiconductor plants, AI infrastructure and manufacturing upgrades. But without a competent brain trust, we risk wasting this moment.

A real economic advisory team must include:

Economists who understand industrial policy, not just fiscal spreadsheets.
Industry experts from manufacturing, tech, agriculture and services.
People who can connect investments to jobs, wages and local supplier growth.
Policy thinkers who can design 10–20 year roadmaps beyond the election cycle.

Investments on paper mean nothing if:

local companies remain stuck at low value-add,
graduates stay underemployed and underpaid,
and the cost of living keeps eating away any salary increase.

Question for Malaysians:
Are we tracking how these big investments actually improve the life of an ordinary worker, rider, teacher, farmer and small business owner?

6. Khairy Jamaluddin Back to the Ministry of Education

Education is not just another portfolio. It is the factory that produces the next 30–40 years of Malaysians.

We need someone bold enough to:

revamp curriculum for real skills and critical thinking,
empower teachers instead of drowning them in paperwork,
restore pride and quality in national schools,
align education with the digital and green economy we claim to pursue.

Khairy Jamaluddin has shown he can drive reform, communicate with the public, and take tough positions. Education requires exactly that kind of mix — brains, courage and energy.

Question for Malaysians:
Do we want an Education Minister who “jaga status quo”, or one who is willing to disrupt for the sake of our children’s future?

7. Stop Appointing Ministers with Low IQ and Zero EQ

Let’s be blunt: Malaysians know which ministers are dead weight.

We have seen:

Ministers who cannot answer basic questions about their portfolio.
Ministers who insult, divide and trigger instead of uniting.
Ministers who treat the rakyat as annoying noise, not as their boss.

Cabinet appointments should be based on competence, integrity and emotional intelligence — not party quota, race quota or “orang kita”.

We already have examples of capable ministers and leaders: Anthony Loke, Hannah Yeoh, Gobind Singh Deo, Steven Sim Chee Keong, Rafizi Ramli, Nga Kor Ming, Khairy Jamaluddin, Maszlee Malik and others who consistently show clarity, work ethic and connection with the rakyat.

Question for Malaysians:
Why do we tolerate obvious underperformers when we clearly see the difference that competent ministers can make?

8. No More DNAA's and Quiet Deals on Corruption

If someone has stolen from the people, the solution is not: “Settle quietly, sign something, and move on.”

Corruption cases involving public money must never be hidden behind DNAA's, plea deals or political arrangements. The rakyat has the right to know:

Who stole?
How much?
From which project?
Who approved it?
What is being done to recover it?

Question for Malaysians:
If we still allow secret deals and opaque settlements, how different are we from the era we claim to have rejected?

9. Learning from the Spirit of 1950s–1960s Malaya and Today’s Sabah & Sarawak

There was a time — in the 1950s and 1960s — when the idea of Malaya, and later Malaysia, was built on a very simple but powerful belief: We rise together, or we fall apart.

Different communities, different religions, different states — but one shared project. You may agree to not agree on some names mentioned above, but we need the best in us to understand, get the job done Not perfect, but driven by a sense of building something bigger than ourselves.

Today, we can still see that spirit in the demands of Sabah and Sarawak: dignity, fair treatment, respect for agreements, real development, and a stronger voice as equal partners. That is what unity should mean.

We need leaders who can shift the mindset of the “old political horses” away from:

divide and rule,
race and religion as weapons,
short-term patronage,
fear-based politics,

…and move towards a Malaysia where:

Unity is real, not slogan-based.
All are equal in dignity and opportunity.
All deserve fair access to education, healthcare, jobs and justice.
We are Malaysia — not permanent enemies trapped in old narratives.

Question for Malaysians:
Are we willing to demand leaders who speak the language of unity and equality, not just repeat the old script of fear and division?

10. So, What Do We Really Want from This Government?

In simple terms, Malaysia now needs:

An independent Finance Minister with a clear mandate and backbone.
Rafizi Ramli to drive serious economic policy, not just political messaging.
Khairy Jamaluddin to overhaul education for the next generation.
Maszlee Malik to focus on rural development and community uplift.
Strong performers like Anthony Loke, Hannah Yeoh, Gobind Singh Deo, Steven Sim Chee Keong, Nga Kor Ming and others in key posts where competence matters.
A ground-response taskforce for rakyat issues, led by people who solve, not just discuss — including professionals like Amarjeet Singh @ AJ.
No NDAs, no secret deals in corruption cases — full transparency.
A return to the spirit of unity, equality and shared nationhood, not recycled politics of division.

Two years is not a long time. But it is enough time to send a clear signal: either this government chooses competence, courage and clean governance — or Malaysians will choose differently at the ballot box.

Final Question for Malaysians:
Are we going to quietly accept “just enough to survive”, or are we finally ready to demand the Malaysia we know is possible — united, equal, and led by people who are smart enough and honest enough to serve us?

We are Malaysia.

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