Steady governance prevents 'speeding and crashing' like before - Nga

Summary

• Nga Kor Ming emphasises prioritising steady and measured governance rather than rushing into actions that could destabilise the government to prevent repeat of mistakes.

• DAP minister describes the partnership with Umno as a mature and professional relationship focused on unity despite differences in opinions.

• Alliance to form government after next general election is a political reality, he adds.

DAP lawmaker Nga Kor Ming has revved up a car-driving analogy to describe the coalition government’s administration, emphasising the importance of steady governance over hasty actions that risk derailing progress.

Reflecting on Pakatan Harapan’s previous terms in power, the local government development minister highlighted the lessons learned from past political failures.

“We’ve experienced ‘three rises and three falls’ in politics. If we don’t learn from these experiences, it would be foolish," Nga said during an interview with Oriental Daily News.

The DAP vice-chairperson highlighted the need for the Harapan government to steer at a steady pace rather than “speeding and crashing”, as it did twice before.

Nga recounted Harapan’s first setback in Perak in 2008 when the coalition won state power but collapsed after just 11 months.

“At the time, DAP was very strong in Perak, holding 18 seats, but this made the Malay community insecure.

"We were overly eager to do our best, like driving a car meant for 120kph at 180kph. The result? We crashed in just 11 months.”

The second “crash” occurred after Harapan won the federal government in 2018 under Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s leadership, he said.

Despite ousting the long-standing BN government, the administration collapsed after 22 months due to the Sheraton Move.

"At that time, we were also overly eager to do our best. Whether it was me serving as the deputy speaker of the Dewan Rakyat or Lim Guan Eng as finance minister, it was clear the car was only meant to go 120kph, but we drove it at 180kph.

"And what happened? We crashed again after 22 months. The first time lasted 11 months, the second time 22 months, and now this is our third time in government.

"If we still haven’t learned to be smarter after three terms, then we truly aren’t smart enough."

Now serving in Harapan’s latest stint in government, Nga urged all to learn from these experiences to ensure the coalition government completes its full five-year term.

Working with Umno

The Teluk Intan MP also addressed the Harapan-Umno collaboration, describing the partnership as a testament to gratitude and maturity.

Nga acknowledged that differences of opinion are inevitable but focusing on shared goals is more important.

He pointed out that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi share a mentor-mentee bond and a 50-year-long friendship, having known each other since their student days.

He praised Umno ministers for their experience and pragmatism, noting that they have refrained from pushing for extreme policies and have worked towards unity.

“In an alliance government, seeking common ground while respecting differences is key to coexistence and prosperity,” he added.

Looking ahead to the next general election, Nga admitted that Harapan would likely need to collaborate with allies to form a government.

“Unless Anwar can lead us to a standalone victory, we’ll still need the support of allied parties. That’s just the political reality,” he said.

Despite the importance of political survival, Nga still managed to joke about the nature of trust and betrayal in an alliance.

“If Harapan wins 84 seats and BN turns to collaborate with Perikatan Nasional, then my political career will have ‘three rises and four falls,’” he quipped.

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