This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on January 6, 2020 - January 12, 2020

The year 2020 will be challenging for Malaysia and the world. The global economic uncertainty that marked 2019 will likely continue and, indeed, we will be severely buffeted by new headwinds, such as the US presidential election and the impeachment of Donald Trump.

While a “phase one” resolution to the US-China trade war is supposedly in the works, it would be naïve to believe that it will dissipate the tension between the two countries, especially with the ever-mercurial, increasingly besieged Trump at the helm of America.

The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the tensions in South Asia, the horrible humanitarian tragedies affecting China’s Uyghurs and Myanmar’s Rohingya as well as the fallout from the looming Brexit are also factors that we cannot ignore going forward.

Malaysia, as a relatively open, trading-based economy, could very well be impacted by all this. But with wise policies and hard work, there is no reason why we cannot navigate and even thrive in these times.

Most Malaysians would likely want the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition to spend 2020 focusing on the economy — and I agree with them.

So much more can be done to reduce the cost of living and create greater job opportunities, especially for young Malaysians. But what I think both the leaders and rakyat must not lose sight of is that improving the economy cannot be done without political and institutional reform.

How do we reduce the cost of transport? By providing efficient and cheaper public transport. But that will not happen without transparent procurement and delivery systems.

How do we reduce the price of food? It involves busting monopolies and cartels via consistent and accountable law enforcement.

Likewise, the government can give grants but the money is not going to reach the rakyat who need it if we do not have a bureaucracy that can operate without political interference, where “know how” matters more than “know who”.

Do we want a world-class education system that can produce workers who can compete with their counterparts globally? Then, we need leadership that can broker compromises with our nation’s diverse stakeholders and, where needed, make difficult decisions.

How do we create more jobs? By reducing our reliance on foreign labour. Again, we need to ensure that labour and immigration regulations are properly but fairly enforced so that they do not strangle business while protecting the most vulnerable in our society.

Business will not grow and investment will not come without the rule of law. And that will not happen if we do not get our politics right.

Another factor we need to keep in mind moving into 2020 is the environment and climate change. Malaysians, unfortunately, increasingly mark the year-end with flash floods. Again, it would be foolish to believe that this is exclusively due to natural phenomena.

We can always do a better job at disaster relief and preparedness. Also, the onus on ensuring and proving that palm oil — our premier export — is sustainable lies with us as a producing nation, not the other way round.

Green issues are no longer on the fringe. They are of existential importance, including for Malaysia, and our government must be proactive in this. How? Well, for one thing, a more sensible approach to development, including in our urban areas, is necessary.

As Setiawangsa member of parliament, I have seen, first-hand, the problems that over-

development has caused our capital city in terms of congestion and pollution.

Indeed, the difficulties with the Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 show that we are still a long way from managing our urban spaces sanely. The public is still dealing with Taman Tiara Titiwangsa in my constituency and Taman Rimba Kiara. A lot of uncertainty surrounds Bukit Dinding, currently a hub of hiking, running and downhill cycling, as much of it was sold to private corporations during the Barisan Nasional era.

Credit goes to the new administration for expanding GoKL free buses from just tourist areas to more residential areas to complement the growing public transport system in KL. But the federal government should look at a third loop to complement the rail network — MRT3 as originally proposed or a better one.

But there should be a moratorium on new highways in Kuala Lumpur. Everyone will have different views of what a city needs. Some will feel that infrastructure is all-important. Others will want more green space. The key is bringing all these differing views together and forging a way forward for the good of the people.

Granted, you cannot please everyone all the time. But I have no doubt that PH will lose the cities, to say nothing of the country, in the next election if it favours vested interests over those of the rakyat. We did not win the election with the support of the elite but the rakyat.

The government should start looking at improving the governance and delivery system of our capital city and look at all the options available, including local council elections. If that proves to be too sensitive and radical, a committee could be formed to explore various electoral systems and methods to assuage the fear of the various stakeholders in KL. Eventually, for local democracy in the capital city, which does not have a state legislative council or a single MP, like Putrajaya and Labuan, this is necessary.

It is of vital importance when you consider that Malaysia will host Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings this year, with all the planning, security and traffic issues that will bring. The government must be prepared for this major event and it must also heed the voice of the public.

The government also presented the Defence White Paper in 2019, which is significant for setting the direction right for our security. Most importantly, the government needs to look at preparing our military properly to face an uncertain geopolitical environment. Sadly, much has been wasted due to corruption, leaving our troops on the ground exposed. Proper reform must be introduced in arms procurement to avoid the mistakes of the past.

As for the veterans who have served the country well, we should stop harping on their welfare and focus instead on ensuring they are prepared for a second career. If we pay more and make it more difficult to employ foreigners while investing in systems, there is nothing to stop military veterans and ex-policemen from becoming private security personnel. When we look at the living wage idea proposed by Bank Negara Malaysia, who else deserves it more than our veterans?

Like it or not, the new year will also bring renewed speculation about the leadership transition. This matter must be left to Tun Mahathir Mohamad, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the PH presidential council to decide.

But no one can deny that all good governments and political parties must have a leadership regeneration plan in place. After all the good and hard work done by Mahathir, Anwar needs ample time to prepare his team and eventually face the 15th general election by delivering on the spirit, if not the letter in entirety, of Buku Harapan.

Many may be disappointed that Malaysia could not achieve Vision 2020 as envisioned by our leaders many years ago, but I believe the country’s best days are still ahead of it.

What is needed, I repeat, is wisdom and hard work.

Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who is Setiawangsa MP, chairs the defence and home affairs parliamentary select committee and is the chief organising secretary of Keadilan. His recent books include 9 May 2018: Notes from the Frontline and a new edition of Moving Forward: Malays for the 21st Century.

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