There have been moments in filmmaking where actors veer off script. Occasionally, this results in brilliance, with ad-libbed lines becoming some of the greatest moments in cinematic history.
One such example comes from the 1992 hit ‘A Few Good Men’ – the courtroom scene, where military lawyer Lt Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise), confronts Col Nathan R. Jessep (Jack Nicholson). Nicholson’s iconic delivery of “You can’t handle the truth”, improvising on the original line “You already have the truth”, turned the scene into a cinematic masterpiece.
But the Dewan Rakyat is no film set, and what happened on Nov 27 felt more like an ad-lib gone wrong. The ‘actor’ in question? Fahmi Fadzil.
The Communications Minister, while wrapping up the debate on his ministry’s 2025 budget, started strong when addressing queries about Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB). It seemed he was following the ‘script’:
“Baik saya ke topik yang terakhir walaupun Pasir Gudang meminta berkali-kali isu dan juga Ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat membangkitkan tentang isu DNB. Sebenarnya DNB bukan di bawah jagaan saya. DNB telah dipindahkan kepada Kementerian Digital. Jadi apa yang mungkin yang Yang Berhormat bangkitkan itu lebih baik sekiranya ia dijawab oleh Menteri Digital …”
(“I would go to the last topic although Pasir Gudang (MP) has repeatedly asked, and other MPs have raised the issue about DNB. Actually, DNB is not under my care. DNB has been shifted to the Digital Ministry. So what the MP raised is best answered by the Digital Minister …”)
If only Fahmi had stopped there. Instead, he went “off script”, creating far more questions than answers.
“… tetapi ada beberapa perkara yang saya boleh nyatakan di sini sewaktu saya mengambil alih portfolio ini yang agak menyeramkan dan agak mencemaskan pada ketika itu Tan Sri Pengerusi, yang mana kita dapati ia seperti tidak ada sesiapa dalam kementerian ataupun dalam MCMC yang mengetahui sebarang perkara yang berlaku dalam DNB pada ketika saya mengambil alih.”
(“There are several things I can state here, when I took over this portfolio, that were rather horrifying and concerning at that point in time, where it seemed as though no one in the ministry or the MCMC (Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission) knew what was going on in DNB when I took over.”)
In the subsequent 115-odd word ‘monologue’ , Fahmi claimed that even the then deputy secretary-general of the Treasury had no visibility into DNB’s activities. He also stressed his respect for the Ministerial Function Order.
Former lawmakers Ong Kian Ming and Jeff Ooi were among those who voiced concerns shared by many, who were dumbfounded by Fahmi’s remarks. The key question is this: DNB was under Fahmi’s ministry during the so-called “horrifying and concerning” period – so what did the minister do about it? Were there internal investigations? Were reports lodged with the relevant authorities?
Why didn’t Fahmi substantiate his claims and disclose steps taken, if any, to address these issues? Did Fahmi just tell Malaysia that he was ‘powerless’ to act against an agency under his purview?
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, speaking in Parliament yesterday, stated he had requested the books when DNB came under his ministry and had conducted a due diligence exercise. Following this, Gobind declared that everything in DNB was in order.
He also welcomed investigations and urged anyone with information about “issues” in DNB to come forward. Will Fahmi now furnish Gobind with information about the ‘horrifying and concerning’ period, given he didn’t address it when DNB was under his care?
Gobind further stated: “Malah, rangkaian 5G kedua negara tidak dapat dilaksanakan sehingga dana Menteri Kewangan (Diperbadankan) itu dipulangkan.” (In fact, the second 5G network cannot be carried out until the funds from the Minister of Finance Incorporated are repaid).
If Fahmi’s comments were an attempt to tarnish the Perikatan Nasional government, which allocated RM16.5 billion over 10 years for DNB’s first 5G rollout, the effort backfired. Some joked that the cancellation of Fahmi’s weekly media briefing (which was supposed to be held today) was to avoid questions about the contradictions between his and Gobind’s statements.
And don’t be surprised if people start speculating about infighting or ego clashes within the Cabinet.
If there’s a lesson to be learnt from this fiasco, it’s that ministers must carefully weigh their words, particularly in Parliament. Statements must be backed by facts, figures, and be followed through.
The last thing ministers need is to deliver an improvised rendition of Roxette’s ‘Crash! Boom! Bang!’:
‘Cause every time I seem to open my mouth
Crash! Boom! Bang!’
In short, if you’re no Jack Nicholson, it’s best to stick to the script.
