Dear Sir,
We at the Malaysia Think Tank look forward to your upcoming appointment. We apologise for not being able to address you by name yet, as that would transgress the prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Your judgment and wisdom will affect the fate of our democracy and the future of 27 million Malaysians. We urge and beseech you to lead Malaysia to greater heights in your new office. [This can be done] by pursuing the ideals espoused by our Proclamation of Independence and other founding documents; and by continuing the narrative towards freedom and prosperity that our various histories have woven to get to where we are today.
We implore you to act upon the following:
Defend the rule of law. Observe, protect and advance the Rule of Law, by respecting the independence of the judiciary; restoring dignity to our courts; and upholding the supremacy of the constitution so that Malaysians from every background may understand and uphold it too;
Liberate the people. Free the people from the despair of poverty and the crutches of dependency, by encouraging entrepreneurship, cutting bureaucracy and ensuring that the tax regime does not stifle growth and innovation; allowing individuals to mature and develop, to make mistakes and learn from them, and to be able to work and play in an environment that suits them best; and by allowing Malaysians to believe in God and to be loyal to king and country in their own manner;
Limit the role of government. Reinforce our federal structure, by acknowledging that central government does not have the answers to everything; restoring the rightful powers of the state governments; further decentralising power where it will result in greater competition and efficient delivery of services; and to gain the cooperation of states run by different political parties;
Free the market. Uphold our inclination towards free markets; let the rakyat access the goods and services they prefer without the protectionism that cripples competition; and recognise that the welfare of the people can be advanced with the help of civil society collaborating with the private sector.
We believe passionately and resolutely that effective leadership and urgent action on your part on these four principles will unite the people and ensure continued peace and prosperity. It will enable Malaysia to become the envy of the world, so that every Malaysian citizen can confidently say, as Tunku Abdul Rahman so proclaimed in Malacca, that we are a nation “founded upon the principles of liberty and justice.”
Yours faithfully,
Tunku ‘Abidin Muhriz
Wan Mohd Firdaus Wan Mohd Fuaad
Wan Saiful Wan Jan
Malaysia Think Tank
Karcy says
Is a free market really that good for Malaysia? Yes, state protectionism should be removed for some companies, but how good is throwing Malaysia into the open market?
tengku mohd faizal says
Yeah, free market is good for Malaysia, if we can’t beat them, we join them.
Gopal says
Dear DPM (as of this time),
Just get to work…. real work…
zaid says
Free market can kill local firms thus increasing unemployment. Remember, we still have local firms that compete with overseas goods; they still need protection. It will be hard for these firms to establish themselves without protection. Perodua is a (kinda) good success story.
din says
How is that the IPCMC is not mentioned in your letter. To uphold the rule of law, surely it has to do a lot with the conduct of our law enforcers.