Azmin, Ismail Sabri to chair special committee to balance MCO and economy

YOURSAY | Anonymous_61741578627189265: I have lost count of the number of government committees and task forces formed to tackle national problems. I have yet to even read any of their actions and results.

This committee gimmick is just to have that feel-good sensation that somebody is looking into a problem. For the people, nothing much will happen. The committee will probably meet twice or thrice a year with bundles of documents.

In Malaysia, the only holistic committee that works is the ad-hoc committee on unforeseeable disasters, such as Covid-19, where the money is rolled out to where it is needed and action is implemented.

Now, this is the type of committee the people want, action-oriented and not some chit-chat session with a collection of documents and write-ups.

The Analyser: Malaysian committees are for people who want to be paid for talking and achieving nothing.

As the economy has already been driven into a brick wall and since it’s unlikely to recover in the foreseeable future, it looks rather like this high-level committee will be as useless as the people who compose it.

The only way the economy will survive is if the government pumps an unlimited amount of money into it. And to what end?

Pundits estimate the Australian government will take 15 years to recoup the cost of their stimulus package. It’s my guess the Australian economy is in a much healthier state than Malaysia's. My guess is we don’t have unlimited resources to pump into anything.

So, the priority must be the survival of the people, even if survival comes at the cost of the collapse of the economy. But nobody can maintain that the support of inefficient, inessential industry should come before the cost of survival of the people.

Curdle: @The Analyser, you want to bet that it is precisely these people who will get support? Every loser in town keeps their zombie companies going because of connections and influence.

With these two stepping-up to the plate with all their baggage, let the feasting and looting begin on the "economic stimulus package".

Speaking Sense: When you don’t know what to do, always form a committee, so that in the end no one can be held responsible. Just like what President Donald Trump is doing in the United States as it is always someone else’s fault.

By the time you finish arguing who is at fault, no one remembers who was really responsible, and the country has already suffered so much from the incompetence that it is too tired to even get rid of you anymore.

Mugi: International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali and Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, please don't reinvent the wheels.

Look at the US to see if some of their government’s stimulus can be applied here. Look at Singapore, if you will, it's just a causeway away.

Tap the brains of some experts in economics and SME entrepreneurs to help drive whatever measures you two decided to implement. Good luck and don't sleep on this assignment.

Anonymous_1543475877: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, these two men are the wrong people to do the job.

Azmin has shown a poor understanding of economics. He is also widely condemned as a traitor. Ismail Sabri not only has no knowledge of economics, but he is also a disaster in business as demonstrated by his Mara malls.

The best person for this job is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) Mustapa Mohamed (Tok Pa). Only one person is needed - him.

Just A Malaysian: It is going to be a very challenging task. External global conditions are going to be very weak. Internally, we are worse with oil prices crashing, palm oil weak demands and a slump in tourism. The situation is indeed daunting.

Human talent? It is practically non-existent. Good leadership? Are you kidding me? With Muhyiddin, Ismail Sabri and Azmin, we are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Malaysians, bumiputera or otherwise, hold on to your seats and fasten your seat belts, we are going for a painful readjustment. God help us all.

Mustapa is probably the most level-headed and qualified minister. Giving this committee leadership to Ismail Sabri and Azmin is a political balancing act. This is a time for objectivity but sadly, politics is in Muhyiddin’s head.

Speaking The truth: I agree with Anonymous and Just A Malaysian that there is no better person than Tok Pa. He is an expert on economic affairs and can spearhead this committee.

In fact, he has already set up a special platform for the public to reach him. It will be more effective for him to make decisions and refer back to the Economic Action Council without having to report to too many people and too many heads in the committee.

The public has a lot of confidence in him, being the former head of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Mustapa having to report to too many people who do not have an economics background may "frustrate" the exercise.

Azmin was handling the Economics Affairs Ministry for two years and the public has not seen any initiatives from him. Perhaps he should concentrate on ensuring there is no shortage of food, which he has also been entrusted.

Let a specialist handle this job. There will be results.

Anonymous #33227154: Please, don't use this as an opportunity for corruption and to plunder and further bankrupt our country.

Azmin never did his job as economic affairs minister during Pakatan Harapan’s time.

He is a dubious character and cannot be trusted. How can we ever trust someone who backstabbed his own party and betrayed the people who voted for him?

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