By Professor Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi

After my article on 'Blessings' of a new government, I have been asked many questions regarding the new cabinet line-up after it was announced.

The following are the most popular questions that I have so far received.

The first and obvious one was what I thought of the Melayu-dominated government. I said I welcomed such a dominant position of Malays in the government. Now when the government messes up, I hope the Malays will no longer blame Chinese or DAP because almost 83% in the cabinet are Malays. So, if the country is robbed like the 1MDB affair we must look and question the Malays. The buck stops there.

The second question was about minister Takiyuddin and RUU355. I said in truth, the RUU355 of the hudud laws was and always has been a ruse and a tactic to win Malay support. Whoever attacks it is considered an enemy of Islam. This was the best weapon in PAS arsenal. However, I do not think that PAS will make that into law because if it did then Najib and Rosmah would be the two people to be cut off their hands. Perhaps both of them. PAS and Umno will just dangle the law until six months before GE15 when they will make a wayang kulit of a show to get it passed.

Third was the question about a mufti being appointed the minister of religion. I said I thank Allah that it was not that arrogant Asri Zainal Abidin or Harunsaani of Perak or that terrible mufti from Pahang who considered Malaysians as Kafir Harbi. Zulkifli seems to be okay as he is seen as a moderate but I have not much faith in him for two reasons. Firstly, as a mufti, he is used to his verdicts and statements not to be questioned since the mufti office is the highest single law of Islam under his jurisdiction. Now that he is a minister, he is no longer subject to a single authority but he has to take questions, criticisms and commentaries from the rakyat…from Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Secondly, I do not think he possesses an intellectual framework to deal with the idea of a multi-religious coexistence because he is not trained in the framework of philosophy, anthropology or a civilizational construct of modern nation-building. He will ultimately fall into a stage of conservatism in dealing with all issues of religion in this country. To avoid such an occurrence, he should appoint a multi-faith advisory board comprising members of the civil society. They should not just be clergymen like him but people of intellect and zeal for activism in society.

A funny question was asked to me about the position of Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man as minister of environment. I said I sincerely hope that the minister uses more than just the excuse of 'Allah's will' on such issues as the haze, flooding and deforestation. The minister needs to brush up on his environmental reading of ecosystem, photosynthesis, environmental science and water resource management and not simply look at all these from a haram and halal perspective that he is used to pronounce. I sincerely hope that he has enough sense to rely on a team of expert environmentalist and not turn our delicate environment into a cash cow for certain parties.

The last question that was asked to me was about Sabah and Sarawak under the new government and whether they would be better off. Now that Sabah and Sarawak have a new ministry and a few cabinet posts, it would seem that they are better off than when under PH. I said that the Sabah and Sarawak people will not benefit much under PN and that the appointments were all just a gesture in window dressing. The ones who would benefit are individual ministers and MPs in a horse trading pact done over a week's discussion.

I have two reasons why I feel this way. Firstly, Sabah and Sarawak, to me should receive 40% cabinet posts and even the prime ministership. Why? Well, first of all Sabah and Sarawak represent two thirds as partners in a nation called Malaysia. The total land mass is bigger than Semenanjung but their population is just under a third. I had averaged all these out to be 35% to 40% representational and thus my number for the cabinet posts. Secondly, the Sabah and Sarawak people have been 'taken for a ride' from the wealth of logging and petroleum for over 60 years. Semenanjung owes them hundreds of billions in back pay. But the people of Sabah and Sarawak are also to be blamed for their previous leaders who bled the two nations dry for personal and private gains. Both individuals are still unaccountable in their wealth to the people of the two nations.

The other reason why I think that Sabah and Sarawak people would not fare any better is because the Semenanjung MPs and politicians as well as the people of that area cares little or not at all about Sabahans and Sarawakians. After 60 years of Malaysia we are as far apart as the oceans that divide us. The narrative of what is important for Malays and Islam have always governed and thus there is absolutely no love nor loyalty and trust between the people of Semenanjung and that of the two partner nations. I sincerely believe that the narrative of Malaysia should begin and be reborn in Sabah and Sarawak away from the 60-year-old baggage of Malay and Muslim supremacy. All of us are Malaysians and we need to create a stronger bond of citizenry and brotherhood far from the dealings of politicians at Sheraton Hotel.

Many Malaysians feel depressed about the new government as they believe it is full of crooks and thieves. I do not share that feeling because I believe that the new government should be given a chance to show what it can do. I never liked to believe that history should govern our perception of the now or the future because the social, spiritual and personal variables are too much to be considered.

Like it or not this government will probably last another two and a half years and they need to convince the majority of the rakyat in Semenanjung, Sabah and Sarawak that they can govern better for all Malaysians and not just to their 83% Malay-Muslim cabinet line-up.

We are poised for a new era of politics. Malaysians must let their wisdom govern their instinct and not let original rage cloud their response. Malaysia belongs to 30 million of us, not 222 MPs in the Parliament. If PN wants to govern, then we must make them work out a sweat for every ringgit they earn as cabinet members.

(Professor Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor at a local university.)