The Middle East continues to roil. Despite the ceasefire announced by Israel and Hamas following the recent bloodletting that began on the final days of Ramadan, peace remains an elusive construct.
Like any other democratic nation that upholds human rights and dignity, Malaysia cannot help but weigh in on this conflict.
The Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration appointed PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang as the special envoy to the Middle East, with full ministerial status.
Aside from Malaysia’s condemnation of Israel’s atrocities and support for the Palestinians, there seems to be a disconnect between the measures taken with regard to this conflict, and the reality on the ground.
One example was the decision to send a million face masks to the embattled Palestinians, when what they really needed were medicines, food and other basic necessities. Safeguarding against Covid-19 would be furthest from the minds of Gazans dodging bullets, bombs and arrest from Israeli soldiers.
Who could have given such ill-conceived advice? It could not have been from Wisma Putra, whose Middle Eastern division is managed by qualified, career professionals.
One would expect the special envoy to the Middle East to at least make some cogent statements and observations, besides advising the prime minister on viable diplomatic options.
Normally, such a position would be filled by people who are well-versed in the geopolitics of the area and have had prior experience in conflict resolution and restitution, as well as the social and economic imperatives of the area in question.
It does not reflect positively on PN when it appoints leaders to high government positions based on political affiliations rather than on professional capability. To do so could adversely affect the country and the people.
Malaysia needs to migrate from political governance to professional governance, in which qualified personnel, professionals or politicians, are appointed to high leadership positions.
Ministerial positions should not be confined to elected representatives, many of whom are not qualified for the job, which requires a certain level of intellectual and professional acumen.
Morally and ethically upright professionals from the public and private sectors, as well as academia, should run the country, provided they qualify, leaving the politicians to concentrate on their political agenda.
Only then, will this nation regain its dignity and her place on the world stage.
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.
