PETALING JAYA: The government is expected to provide a better picture of where the nation is at its “One Year with the Madani Government” celebration event.
“It will be an opportunity to counter weaknesses of agencies and give better explanation on the government’s plans and agendas,” Ilham Centre executive director Hisomuddin Bakar said yesterday.
“The anniversary celebration, in my view, is an additional way to explain the government’s direction and roles played by the ministries,” said the head of the independent research firm.
He said the event, to be held at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, from Dec 8 to 10, would be a positive step in providing explanations on what the government had done in the past year and its future goals.
However, he is sceptical as to whether the event would have an impact on the problems faced by the government’s delivery machine.
Besides highlighting the government’s achievements, the event will also highlight the direction it is taking in terms of nation-building.
There will also be engagement sessions between the public and ministry officials, including a “Mega Madani” sales event.
Political analyst Dr G. Manimaran said it would be more suitable for the government to hold strategic engagements at the grassroots level.
“Yes, it is good that they will have engagement sessions during the event, but it would be much better if it is done in a more strategic manner,” he said.
He added that, with smaller scale events at the district level, the government would be in a better position to showcase its achievements and the direction it is taking.
“The government should go back to the traditional approach of meeting the people at the grassroots level,” he said.
Meanwhile, the country’s persistent economic woes have led to a dip in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s approval rating a year into his administration, says independent think-tank Merdeka Centre.
The approval rating for the Prime Minister has fallen to 48% now compared with 68% when a survey was done in December last year.
Nearly four out of five (or 78%) voters polled felt the biggest problem faced by the nation was the economy.
“They cited economic concerns as the number one issue faced by the people today,” the centre said in a statement.
Among the top five economic concerns were an unfavorable economy in general, the high cost of living, the weakening ringgit, low minimum income and economic development.
“In our view, the movement in voter sentiment was largely driven by concerns over the economy and how it affects their livelihoods,” the pollster added.
The survey also found that rating for the Federal Government currently stood at 41% compared with 54% in December last year.
The self-funded survey polled 1,220 registered voters comprising 52% Malays, 29% Chinese, 7% Indians, 6% Muslim bumiputras, and 6% non-Muslim bumiputras from Sabah and Sarawak to provide a reflection of the nation’s electoral profile.
