The first agenda in order as Prime Minister is to setup a more effective and vibrant cabinet, filled with very, very capable Ministers. The post of ministers should not be looked at as 'rewards' of loyalty to component party members. It should be given with the highest consideration of competence and abilities. The Finance portfolio would surely be closely guarded by the PM himself due to the urgency and heightened importance.
I would suggest streamlining some overlapping ministries to increase efficiency and consequently reduce operating costs. In particular, MOSTI and the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications should be somehow restructured and clustered to specific functionalities and not overlap with each other. While MDec is under MOSTI's stable, MCMC is under the other ministry (perhaps a Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Technology. The US has only 15 cabinet Secretaries governing 260million people). Same with Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Plantations and Commodities. The Federal Territory Ministry should be removed since it creates duplication with the City Hall, Putrajaya and Labuan Corporation. Do we really need both a Cultural Ministry and Tourism? Ministry of Work should be headed and managed by highly competent engineers from the main sectors and disciplines to cease sub-par construction of major projects in this country.
The workforce in the government of more than a 1M-strong workers should be categorized in 3 groups, the top 20, the middle 70 and the bottom 10. The bottom 10 should be cut off from the system and compensated with VSS to increase competitiveness. I reckon this would cause a storm of protests from Government officers, Cuepacs and staff but personally, that would be the remedy to increase competitiveness, integrity and efficiency in the civil service. You either get a mediocre government by being nice to everyone or a more efficient and rewarding one by imposing higher standards. Of course, the high performers should be rewarded accordingly. Similar to a basketball team or other sports, the star players would be playing most of the time, the mediocre would go in and out and the under-performers would be bench warmers or water boys. That should apply in the work place! If this looks really harsh, try 20-75-5. Cutting some excess fat would not hurt.
Having said that, the package for employment should be continually looked at and improved to attract better talents into the massive machinery. This will directly improve how DSNR's policies are carried out. Teachers, soldiers and policemen included.
To be continued.....
(Part 1)
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1 comment:
you are spot on here.
we don't need an inflated government. the implications of that are things like the Tourism minister's statement today about failed "investments". we're bleeding funds left and right.
many ministries are rolling around in their own mess. the incoming minister, instead of grabbing the baton and bolting off, has to start all over again. sports ministry is the best example here.
we can't afford to allocate funds to ministries like that.
and i'm with you on the employment package reviews, especially for the cops and teachers. a strong police force and quality teachers are vital for our country.
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