Speaking to FMT, Titiwangsa PPBM information chief Wan Ahmad Fahysal Kamal called for reforms that would free Malaysian politics from its culture of patronage.
He said it was wrong to say that Malaysia’s growth had been impeded by any particular affair, such as the 1MDB scandal.
“1MDB has affected us, but it is just a symptom,” he said. “We are lagging behind because of patronage politics.
“Patronage politics is why the Malays have failed to develop a genuine capitalist class. We have good Malay businessmen, but if you are not well connected, you don’t get a chance to develop.”
Faishal, who is an aide to the youth and sports minister, acknowledged that it would take time for reforms to take effect, saying patronage politics was too deeply embedded in the psyche of Malay businessmen.
“When Malay businessmen want a quick buck without nurturing the growth of their companies to add value to them, they use political cables to achieve their goals under the guise of affirmative action.”
He said he was not against affirmative action but believed it was important to ensure that it came with monitoring mechanisms.
He also spoke of the danger of introducing “overnight reforms”, which he said could exact great cost from the government’s agenda.
“If reforms are not done carefully, Pakatan Harapan will lose Malay support,” he said. “Then the entire reform agenda will be lost.”
He referred to the decision to require professionals to lead government-linked companies as one reform that PH had introduced.
“Even this has led to grouses from the grassroots level because many are too used to the idea that they can get positions because they are connected to the party,” he said.
“That was how it was in Umno. Any Malay-based party will face the same challenges.
“If you want to continue with political patronage, you will need massive amounts of money to sustain it.”
Fayhsal earlier spoke at a forum on the national budget.
He said in his speech that the gig economy had disrupted the job market but also created new opportunities.
He also said most jobs in the market today would eventually be taken over by technology.
He spoke of a mismatch between industry needs and the skill sets that Malaysian youths had acquired, saying this was why even university graduates had ended up working in the gig economy.
“The government and private sector need to work together to provide reskilling programmes so that the youth can get more dignified and higher-value jobs, be they in permanent employment or in the gig economy.”
He said this was something the youth ministry was doing through the Akademi Harimau Asia Initiative and various technical and vocational education and training programmes.