Can Abdullah achieve reforms in his time left?

©The Edge Daily PETALING JAYA: Outgoing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s pledge to reform key institutions must be applauded, but it could be a case of too little, too late. Abdullah announced on Wednesday that he intended to see through five initiatives before making his exit after the Umno polls in March. The initiatives are to establish the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to enhance the stature of the judiciary, to establish the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission with greater powers of investigation and enforcement, to establish the Special Complaints Commission (SCC) to enhance the integrity and effectiveness of enforcement agencies, to strengthen and enlarge the social safety net to ensure aid for all, regardless of race and religion and to hold a Barisan Nasional (BN) convention to improve inter-racial and inter-religious relations. The time to push for such deep changes had come when Abdullah led the BN to an unprecedented 90% mandate at the 2004 general election with his tag line “Work with me, not work for me”. Now, Abdullah’s valiant determination can be likened to a football team trying to score goals during extra time when the team is lagging far behind. “He does not have the time. It is not as simple as that,” said political analyst Khoo Kay Peng when contacted. Even at the peak of his popularity, it was difficult for the prime minister to carry out these reforms, Khoo said. And now that he is leaving the post, the task would be even more difficult. “To push through the initiatives, Abdullah needs consensus from the cabinet. It is not his decision alone. “(Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak) would be cautious because he would want to ensure that the amendments do not undermine his administration. He would not want the initiatives to be shoved down his throat,” said Khoo. It is no secret that Abdullah did not have support from some of his Umno cabinet colleagues especially where the JAC was concerned. Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who was tasked to look into matters dealing with law and judiciary, admitted that he faced a huge brick wall where the JAC was concerned. “JAC is unlikely to crystallise,” said Khoo. “He (Abdullah) would not have the support from Umno. “I really don’t see how he could push it through. I have not heard of any consultation on the JAC. Drafting of the Bill would take time as all must agree on the powers vested on the Bill,” he said. Abdullah would also be unlikely to garner the support of the opposition for the SCC because the opposition had wanted the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), which was recommended by the Royal Commission, Khoo said. The SCC has been seen as a watered-down version of the IPCMC. It was presented to parliament in December last year, but was withdrawn. Khoo said Abdullah would, however, be likely to succeed in holding the BN convention to improve inter-racial and inter-religious relations, where he could get a panel and speak for a couple of days without nailing down any concrete measures. “At the end of the day, he would say ‘Don’t blame me for not trying.’ He wanted to introduce (changes) but failed,” Khoo said, forecasting the expected outcome since the initiatives are difficult to carry through. Dr Ooi Kee Beng of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) does not believe Abdullah has the conviction or the will to battle the resistance in Umno to get the reforms through. “If he had the ability to become a strong leader convinced of the need for reforms, then the country or Umno or BN wouldn’t be in the state it is in.” Another analyst, Wong Chin Huat, chairperson of the Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) said technically, Abdullah has the time to achieve the reforms because he just needs some of the initiatives to be passed in parliament. The current session would resume sitting on Monday. “Doing all these things will leave Abdullah with a good name, but some Umno hardliners would see it as shooting itself in the foot. “For Abdullah, it would be his legacy and he would ask for the chance to carry them out. It is a matter of political will, and he is fighting to leave his legacy,” said Wong. Abdullah needs to push his initiatives through parliament in this session which will end on Dec 11, said Wong. The new session in the new year traditionally starts around March/April, by which time Abdullah would have made his exit. “He should see all his ‘babies’ functioning before he leaves office,” said Wong.