This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on May 6, 2019 - May 12, 2019

It seems like only yesterday that I was receiving pictures and videos of election rallies from across the country. Now, Pakatan Harapan has been in power for a year. How time flies. How has it done in the past 12 months? Mostly good, with some opportunities for improvement, as with most things.

Let’s start with the good. First, the new government has worked hard to be more open, fair and transparent, especially when it comes to public procurement. We have seen more open tenders being called at both the federal and state level, which fosters greater competition and innovation.

Second, it has pledged to break up long-established monopolies in a bid to liberalise the economy and tackle issues on the cost of living. While this is still a work in progress, I am encouraged by the government’s positive direction, including an ongoing review of possible monopolistic practices in sectors such as rice importation, vehicle inspection, medicine and immigration.
Third, there is a big drive to create quality jobs, one million of them to be exact. Not only that, but it is working with the private sector to improve the employability of our graduates, which is a major issue among youths, most of whom are burdened with student loans. Aviation, as a powerful employment multiplier, can contribute to the job market and it is reassuring to see the government further eyeing investments in this sector.

In short, the government has been working to improve efficiency and provide more opportunities to ensure that we get a bang for our buck and a fair shake. All this dovetails nicely with its efforts to trim the country’s debt and create a more open, competitive and innovative economy for Malaysians.

Which areas can it improve on?
1) All projects and people should be evaluated without preconceptions, regardless of their provenance. As Deng Xiaoping said, “It does not matter if it is a white cat or black cat, as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat.” We should not make things personal. Although, in all fairness, I think the government has shown that it is improving, with projects like the Tun Razak Exchange being resurrected.

2) I still feel that the government is emphasising taxes and levies when incentives for growth should be
prioritised. The departure levy is a good example. In my opinion, it is better to have a smaller slice of an expanding pie than a larger slice of a shrinking one.

3) The government should centralise more functions for quicker approvals, much like how Singapore does it. Malaysia is 15th overall on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index, between Lithuania and Estonia, while our neighbour to the south is in second place. Our worst indicator? Starting a business, which ranks 122nd out of 190 countries, practically in the lowest tertile. Business is the lifeblood of economies and we should make it easier and quicker for local and foreign entrepreneurs alike to do business here by having a one-stop portal for all enquiries, applications and approvals.

So there it is, the good and the not-so-bad. All in all, I am positive on the new government. Despite the many things to do and slow pace of change felt by some, I know for a fact that it is not always easy to drive real transformation even in a company like AirAsia, let alone the whole country. The important thing is that the PH government continues to move in the right direction and engages stakeholders in its decisions.

Tan Sri Tony Fernandes is group CEO and executive director of AirAsia Group Bhd

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