Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s surprise midterm review declaring that “all ministers performed distinctively well” has stirred more questions than confidence.
At a time when the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition is still reeling from its crushing defeat in the Sabah state election - where PKR won only one seat and DAP was wiped out entirely - the government’s self-assessment risks being seen as tone-deaf to the sentiments of the rakyat.
Anwar, speaking at the Rancakkan Madani event in Putrajaya, insisted that ministerial performance should not be judged purely by data but by “values of humanity” - an approach he said focuses on dignity, poverty reduction, and leaving no one behind. While noble, such subjective criteria raise a critical question: who is doing the evaluating, and what exactly are they measuring?
Because without clear evaluation criteria, transparent appraiser data, and publicly disclosed KPIs for each ministry, any praise - especially self-praise - risks becoming meaningless. As the saying goes, general self-praise is no praise.
The Missing Pieces: What Malaysians Need to Know
For any credible performance review, three elements are essential:
1. Clear Evaluation Criteria
Each ministry should have published KPIs tied to measurable outcomes such as policy delivery timelines, budget efficiency, poverty reduction numbers, investment inflow, crime statistics, education quality indicators, healthcare access metrics, environmental targets, and service delivery ratings.
Without clear benchmarks, “excellent performance” is empty rhetoric.
2. Independent Appraisal Data
Malaysia cannot rely solely on internal assessments conducted by the Chief Secretary or ministerial leadership. Independent bodies - Parliamentary Select Committees, the National Audit Department, policy think tanks, academia, civil society and public satisfaction surveys - must be part of the evaluation ecosystem.
If ministers mark their own exam papers, the results will always look perfect.
3. KPI Results That Are Public and Comparable
Every minister should have quarterly performance scorecards published online, allowing direct comparison year-on-year and ministry-to-ministry.
This empowers the rakyat to judge for themselves, rather than relying on curated narratives from political events or government town halls.
A Midterm Review That Ignores Public Sentiment
Anwar’s assertion that “none of the ministers lagged behind” clashes with on-the-ground frustrations:
• Persistent cost-of-living pressures
• Rising housing unaffordability
• Public healthcare congestion
• Sluggish education reforms
• Public transportation disruption
• Slow public service digitalisation
• Inconsistent implementation across ministries
• A widening urban-rural expectations gap
The Sabah state election outcome was not an anomaly; it was a political alarm clock. Yet the government’s response - a blanket thumbs-up - suggests a preference for internal comfort over external accountability.
General appraisal statements like this are more likely to breed complacency than to push for real performance.
Stability Is Not Enough
Anwar credited economic growth, a stronger ringgit, and successful ASEAN events as proof of success. But these national achievements, while important, do not erase the everyday struggles of Malaysians.
Political stability is valuable, but stability must translate into visible, measurable improvements in people’s lives - not just speeches about them.
Rakyat Must Be the Final Evaluators
If the Madani government truly embraces the “values of humanity,” it must trust the rakyat with full transparency. Let Malaysians see each minister’s scorecard. Let independent auditors publish assessments. Let Parliamentary committees cross-examine performance indicators.
Until then, any midterm review - no matter how glowing - will remain incomplete and unconvincing. Without evidence of real performance, doubtful voters may choose to vote them out when acting as evaluators at the ballot box.
Accountability is not achieved through applause from within the Cabinet.
It is earned through measurable results and the trust of the people.
By: Kpost
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