POWER: Anwar should nominate Ezam
Referring to various media reports recently about plans by Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim or those in his circle to make him trigger a by-election and subsequently contest in a state seat in Selangor to become the next Menteri Besar of Selangor.
We at People’s Wellbeing & Rights Organisation (POWER) strongly believe that the Menteri Besar position is too small a role for Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the former Deputy Prime Minister of the nation is an individual who is Prime Minister material.
More than that, he is still lauded internationally for his contributions to the nation’s growth as Finance Minister. In fact, in 1993 Euromoney named him as one of the top four finance ministers and in 1996, Asiamoney named him Finance Minister of the Year, a feat yet to be achieved by any politician in the Malaysian political arena.
We hope these reports are untrue, but if indeed true based on political circumstances in the state of Selangor, we suggest that Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PKR instead nominate somebody else to put forward in contest and be appointed to helm the role of Selangor’s Menteri Besar effectively, while Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself continues to fulfil the expectations and aspiration of the people in seeing him become the nation’s next Prime Minister, a reality we foresee to unfold in the very near future.
In that context, for Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PKR to nominate somebody else, we at POWER suggest that a competent person of Menteri Besar calibre like Datuk Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, be put up to contest. Datuk Mohamad Ezam is the perfect candidate as he is well versed in politics, and has a firm reputation of upholding accountability, transparency, responsiveness, rule of law, stability, equity and inclusiveness.
Wherever he has been in the political arena, Datuk Mohamad Ezam has always stood firm with the principles of anti-corruption, transparency, governance and integrity.
Born in the royal city of Klang; Datuk Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, a former senator and a true son of Selangor soil has been at the helm of various bodies championing the anti-corruption cause, including the Jakarta-based Hisbah Center for Reform (HISBAH).
Known amongst his supporters and detractors for his no nonsense approach, Datuk Mohamad Ezam is best known as an instrumental individual in the transformation of the Anti-Corruption Agency (BPR) to the current Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
It is with this credentials that we are convinced Datuk Mohamad Ezam is the befitting individual needed to govern the state of Selangor, as it is a state with the largest economy and multi-racial population, highest investments, cash reserves and revenue in the nation.
With another rumour making their rounds that Datuk Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor may be joining Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) soon, there could be no greater welcome for him than this i.e. to join PKR, contest for a Selangor state seat and helm the Menteri Besar position. A very befitting position for this experienced politician.
This step in itself will help steer the state of Selangor towards transparency and integrity in its governance, and further away from any bribery or corrupt practises.
Harnarain Singh Gill is a Secretary General of Power
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Leaders Online
