Khaw Veon Szu, Executive Director of Sedar

Pak Lah’s administration will be one remembered for opening up the democratic space and encouraging Malaysians to speak up. It's near impossible to reverse the openness and the ideas of freedom that he introduced. The new administration headed by Najib can't go back to what happened before Pak Lah took over. That's a legacy of Pak Lah that we Malaysians enjoy

There are two highlights of Pak Lah’s administration. Firstly, when he first came to power, his message was refreshing. He pushed all the right buttons, addressing issues of corruption and saying how the people should “work with me, not for me”. He fired up the people's imaginations.

Secondly, he made amends to the jurists disgraced by the events in 1988, where six Supreme Court judges were suspended. You have to give him credit for that; few dare to look into the ugly side of politics but he did.

Although it was only towards the end of his administration that he pushed for reforms such as the formation of the MACC, one shouldn't discount his boldness in proposing it in the first place. He may have failed to deliver the promises he set out at the beginning of his tenure as PM, but one has to remember that these ideas were unthinkable under the previous administration. He may have been inefficient but intentions were noble. 

Pak Lah's biggest weakness is that he was not strong-will and determined enough to push hard for whatever well-meaning reforms he promised, thus the frequent flip-flopping in some policies and measures.

Written by Melody Song & Lam Jian Wyn
Source: http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/highlilghts/3275-khaw-veon-szu-executive-director-of-sedar.html

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