Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi marked his third year in office yesterday. In 2003, he ushered in reforms on the basis of greater public space for intellectual discourse, greater transparency, public accountability and good governance. People all around had tremendous admiration for his policies and gave the Barisan Nasional (BN) a resounding victory in the 2004 general election.

On a personal note, Oct 31 is a very significant day for my family and me, as it is the birthday of my mother, Flora Jayaratnam, and my daughter, Jochebed. It also has tremendous religious and historical significance for protestant Christians as it is the day when Martin Luther, the German theologian, posted his demands for spiritual reform, which is ever since remembered as Reformation Day in Christendom.

My political awakening was kindled in the 1980s when there were tremendous restrictions placed on fundamental liberties. Most of us in civil society grew out of Operation Lalang and the repressive use of legislation by the state on free expression of public opinion. Most Malaysians were then under the climate of fear.

While there has been very little change in legislation since then to enhance fundamental liberties or strengthen judicial review, there is however more space for public discourse on alternative views. Furthermore new mechanisms have been created to enable people to voice their views through the Royal Police Commission and the various select committees established by Parliament to gather public views and input. These are initiatives of the Abdullah government since Oct 31, 2003. It has created some space for the common good and we must build upon them for social change.

It is within this framework that in the last three years many issues of discontentment, community concerns and issues have come to public light through journalists, opposition members or backbenchers in Parliament, and civil society leaders. The climate of fear experienced from the 1970s to the 1990s is less apparent today. More voices are being heard and alternate views expressed via informal and formal channels. This however does not mean that things are getting worse.

In this open policy environment certain public issues and concerns have emerged which, if not appropriately handled, could snowball into a major political distraction from the main agenda of the Abdullah government, namely the effective implementation and delivery of the 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP).

Abdullah must keep his focus on the National Mission Agenda and the 9MP, ensuring that the effective delivery and targets are in line with the aspirations of the nation. Like a captain of a ship in a storm, Pak Lah must chart the course. Whether it's against a storm or a sea monster or pirates, the crew must pledge their loyalty to the one and only captain whom they trust to see them through the storm. Furthermore the captain must remain selfless and keep the best interests of not only his crew, but also the ship in ensuring its safe passage through rough waters.

I am reminded of the extraordinary leadership abilities of Sir Ernest Shackleton on his ship, The Endurance, which was trapped in ice for 364 days during the Antarctica expedition in 1914. He exhibited outstanding ability to lead his team to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. This is well illustrated in Dennis Perkins book entitled 'Leading at the Edge'. Of the 10 leadership principles indicated, the first is of great relevance namely, never lose sight of the ultimate goal. Another is to instill optimism, since many negative thoughts have gripped the nation; therefore, there is an urgent task not to allow people to lose hope.

Delays in delivery

Daily, as I read the hard copies of the New Straits Times and The Star, the online version of Bernama and Malaysiakini, my heart sinks to see the political distractions taking centre-stage in Malaysian society. The national concern to attract more direct foreign investment and to ensure a vibrant economy are of utmost importance.

We must return to basics, return to strengthening the economy and ensuring fair and just inclusion of all Malaysians for socio-economic enrichment. We must not lose sight of the concerns of the poor, disadvantaged, marginalised and low-income families especially in empowering them through wealth creation initiatives.

Ultimately, ensuring that the promises made are delivered to ordinary people is what really counts. The 9MP was launched on March 31, over six months ago. I was shocked when I visited the Penan community in the Bintulu area; interacting with government officials at the district level, I found that none of the poverty eradication allocations in the 9MP have reached them.

It is a tragic shame that, while some powerful individuals are fighting for their right to be heard after so many years in power, the poorest of the poor are still struggling in their fight for a right to live. Why is there a delay? Why is the funding not being made available at the district level for the relevant agencies to act with a sense of urgency?

I am also working on Malaysian Indian concerns. Many policy promises and programmes are indicated in the 9MP but effective delivery mechanisms are not clearly identified at the implementation stage especially for equity and economic enhancement or urban poverty eradication.

In the case of civil service recruitment, entrepreneur development, skills training for youths, there are institutions. However the outreach is too small and the impact is not large enough for radical changes for the bottom 30 percent.

It is this aspect of effective and efficient delivery that must be addressed. There are so many good programmes such as urban poverty programmes which have not yet gotten off the ground due to bureaucracy, red tape and delays.

Effective watchdog

Effective monitoring is another area which requires tremendous thought and incorporation of civil society and grassroots input, in order for this to be an effective watchdog of the government.

While the 9MP has indicated the strengthening of the monitoring mechanism I still feel that in-house mechanisms alone are inadequate. There must be the creation of parallel mechanisms to ensure effective delivery. One possibility is a mini-Mapen team, which is multiracial and multi-disciplinary to enhance current approaches. Another could also be a series of select committees on specific matters relevant to the implementation of the 9MP in Parliament.

If Pak Lah continues to focus on the real issues of the ordinary people, give room for open dialogues and hearing of voices however unpleasant, then I would feel there is still hope for the future. Pak Lah must ensure that questions raised do not mean disrespect or disloyalty.

No issue must be allowed to be racialised but rationalised. It should be discussed in a rational way and a solution must be sought. Even in the case of very sensitive issues such as religious conversion or methodology in the measurement of poverty or equity ownership, there should be intellectual discussions to determine the best approaches for the common good of all Malaysians.

New avenues and platforms must be created for dissenting voices from within the BN to be heard. Their views should seriously be considered behind closed doors especially when raised by minority groups within the coalition, to minimise outbreaks of differing and dissenting views.

One way forward is for BN to establish Focus Groups where views and thinking out of the box can be effectively discussed. This avenue might cut down dissenting views that sometimes conflict with the BN manifesto, as component parties champion their specific community concerns in public.

My final appeal is for Pak Lah to return to the very themes that gave him the overwhelming support of ordinary people.

Return to the issues of effective delivery, public accountability, transparency, fight against corruption and good governance to ensure all institutions effectively fulfill the dreams and aspirations for a united and developed nation.

DR DENISON JAYASOORIA is executive director of Yayasan Strategik Malaysia. Views expressed in this article are his personal reflections of and do not necessarily represent the views of the organisations he is associated with professionally or voluntarily.