Similar challenges to Mahathir, Imran govts need akin actions

ISLAMABAD: After assuming the government in 2018, some three months after Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed, Prime Minister Imran Khan had called the former as his inspiration.

Interestingly, it was not because both the leaders had similar views regarding the local and regional issues but both the leaders also inherited the governments with almost identical challenges, be it the corruption, fragile economy, devalued currency or extreme poverty.

A few days ago, Mahathir Mohamed had written a blog titled “KERAJAAN PAKATAN HARAPAN” in which he recalled the conditions when the Pakatan Harapan coalition had formed the government, the challenges it faced and the impact his government had made so far.

Amazingly, the whole of the picture drawn by Mahathir of Malaysian economy, governance, security as well as the industry was startlingly similar to what was inherited by Imran Khan in the same year who had also liberated the country from the clutches of the corrupt elite.

“It took over from a kleptocratic government which had raped the nation for years, destroyed its finances, undermined its administrative agencies, abused its laws, borrowed well beyond the ceiling permitted, placed the country on the path to bankruptcy, made the people dependent on the government with bribes and generally undermined the moral of the people,” the Malaysian prime minister wrote what Imran Khan had been frequently telling his people from his electioneering to now.

In their journeys of reformations, both the leaders faced similar resistance as what Mahathir said a lot of people would like to continue corrupt practices to enjoy corrupt money.

Like Prime Minister Imran Khan, Mahathir also rubbished the notions of his government being the directionless and claimed the credit of reducing the debt burden and bringing stability to the national economy.

Imran Khan had also announced that the year 2020 would be the year of progress as the national economy had been stabilized with improving stock market and appreciating local currency and the investors being lured to Pakistan.

Mahathir narrated his government’s plan to boost the local industry as well as the agriculture sector. Likewise, Imran Khan always lamented the nationalization of industries in 1960s and had been strongly advocating the wealth creation to beget job opportunities and alleviate poverty through industrialization. The PTI government is also in the process of getting Chinese agriculture technology to multiply the agri and dairy production.

Like Imran Khan’s repeated call of 'Ghabrana Nahi' (Don’t be perturbed), Mahathir also told his people that the plans could be formed within a week but their implementation might take “at least two years or more.”

“For the observers it would seem that nothing is moving. Rome was not built in one day…The transition will take time – perhaps two years or more from now. But believe me it will happen. Indeed in some ways it is already happening,” the Malaysian premier wrote.

He said even for him it was frustrating to wait but it was a must as the ministers were adjusting to being in the government instead of the opposition.

Just like the PTI government, he also highlighted the digitalization plans, improved security environment and better governance.

“Give the government a little bit of time and participate fully in the shared prosperity policies and in two years time you will realise that the direction of the government is right,” Mahathir concluded.

While facing the amazingly identical challenges and leadership with similar pro-people and honest mindset, it was high time both the government further strengthen their cooperation in multiple spheres and learn from each other’s experiences to rid their nations of corruption and poverty and achieve what the two leaders had committed with their peoples.