Open letter to the incoming Prime Minister from Malaysia Think Tank

Open Letter to the Incoming Prime Minister

31 March 2009

Dear Sir

We at the Malaysia Think Tank look forward to your upcoming appointment. We apologise for not being able to address you by name yet, as that would transgress the prerogative of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Your judgment and wisdom will affect the fate of our democracy and the future of 27 million Malaysians. We urge and beseech you to lead Malaysia to greater heights in your new office by pursuing the ideals espoused by our Proclamation of Independence and other founding documents, and by continuing the narrative towards freedom and prosperity that our various histories have woven to get to where we are today.

We implore you to act upon the following:

1. Defend the rule of law. Observe, protect and advance the Rule of Law, by: respecting the independence of the judiciary; restoring dignity to our courts; and upholding the Supremacy of the Constitution so that Malaysians from every background may understand and uphold it too

2. Liberate the people. Free the people from the despair of poverty and the crutches of dependency, by: encouraging entrepreneurship, cutting bureaucracy and ensuring that the tax regime does not stifle growth and innovation; allowing individuals to mature and develop, to make mistakes and learn from them, and to be able to work and play in an environment that suits them best; and by allowing Malaysians to Believe in God and to be Loyal to King and Country in their own manner

3. Limit the role of government. Reinforce our federal structure, by: acknowledging that central government does not have the answers to everything; restoring the rightful powers of the state governments; further decentralising power where it will result in greater competition and efficient delivery of services; and to gain the cooperation of states run by different political parties

4. Free the market. Uphold our inclination towards free markets; let the rakyat access the goods and services they prefer without the protectionism that cripples competition; and recognise that the welfare of the people can be advanced with the help of civil society collaborating with the private sector

We believe passionately and resolutely that effective leadership and urgent action on your part on these four principles will unite the people and ensure continued peace and prosperity, and enable Malaysia to become the envy of the world, so that every Malaysian citizen can confidently say, as YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman so proclaimed upon the ancient fields of Malacca, that we are a nation "founded upon the principles of liberty and justice".

Yours faithfully,
Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz
Wan Mohd Firdaus Wan Mohd Fuaad
Wan Saiful Wan Jan

Malaysia Think Tank

F6, Taman Tunku

Bukit Tunku
50480 Kuala Lumpur

www.WauBebas.org