Pakatan should not mix up Govt and party

by uppercaise

What is wrong with this picture?

It is thinly disguised party propaganda produced by a State Government

Outside it looks like an official State Govt brochure

This is a picture of politicians forgetting their place and their principles. It may be inconvenient to say so, at a time when the Chief Minister of Penang has been engaged in a spat with the federal pro-consul, the State Development Officer. But the same principle applies to both.

In that spat between CM and SDO various commentators screamed about the basic principle of civil service neutrality being flouted. This brochure violates another principle, that a constitutionally-instituted government is an apolitical institution.

As with civil service neutrality, there is a separation of party from government: political parties have no part in civil administration, are not part of the civil establishment, and not part of the government structure.

The brochure looks on the outside like an official State Government publication. But inside, it’s thinly-disguised party propaganda.

It lauds the achievements of the so-called “Pakatan Rakyat People-Centric Government”.

Penang belongs to the people, not to parties

There is no such thing as a Paktan Rakyat government, just as there is no such animal as a Barisan Nasional government (but we’ve been mauled by it all the same because in practice there is).

If Pakatan Rakyat believes there is such as thing as a Pakatan Rakyat government, they should set up their own country called Pakatan Rakyat.

Until then the State Government of Penang and the State of Penang belong to the people of Penang. Not to Pakatan Rakyat. Taxes are paid to the federal government, not to Barisan Nasional. State and local taxes are paid to the state and local authorities, not to Pakatan Rakyat.

If Pakatan Rakyat wants to publicise what they have done while in charge of the state government, print your own publicity materials. Don’t use taxpayer funds. Don’t use State Government machinery. Don’t print official State Government materials which are merely party propaganda.

Respect the constitutional separation between party and government. Recognise that the Constitution does not speak of political parties.

If you don’t, what difference is there between Umno-BN and Pakatan Rakyat and all its distinguished upholders of other principles? Are they principles or just marketing tactics?

Pakatan Rakyat is a party not a government

This basic principle, that party is not government, has been flouted by Umno-Alliance and Umno-Barisan Nasional ever since the Young Turks of Umno shouted down Tunku Abdul Rahman over “Does the Government Run the Party? Or Does the Party Run the Government?”

Tunku Abdul Rahman, brought up in Westminster traditions of parliamentary government, recognised that he as Prime Minister must represent and act in the interests of all the people, and not just his party. That is why he stepped down (twice, I think) to campaign during elections, and Tun Razak took office as caretaker Prime Minister. (That means his son should officially be the 10th prime minister of Malaysia.)

Similarly, the Chief Minister of Penang is paid by the people of Penang and must act in the interests of all the people of Penang no matter what their political affiliation.

The Pakatan Rakyat is not part of the State Government establishment, nor is the Pakatan Rakyat being paid by the people of Penang.

• They are wrong to use taxpayer funds for a party political brochure.
• They are wrong to call the State Government of Penang the “Pakatan Rakyat government”.
• They are wrong to use the state crest and the state flag.
• They are wrong to use the offices of the State Secretary of Penang for their brochure.
• The State Secretary is a civil servant paid out of taxpayer funds, and the head of the professional civil service of Penang. He is not a Pakatan Rakyat employee.

The Pakatan Rakyat of Penang are dead wrong in principle.

The SDO and the Chief Secretary

Just as wrong as the State Development Officer for flouting the principle of civil service neutrality and attending a press conference organised by the state Umno for the president of Umno.

That civil servant should have been chastised by the Chief Secretary.

As the head of the professional civil service and head of the Permanent Establishment, it is the Chief Secretary’s task to uphold service principles — ironically, he had expounded on this just a week before, in an article in the Star.

Principles must apply universally, and not be chosen to suit political advantage.

It is wrong of the Umno president to use the civil service, and to blur the line between party and government.

It is just as wrong for the Pakatan Rakyat to use taxpayer funds for party publicity, and also blur the line between party and government.

And the State Secretary should be chastised for not standing up to the Pakatan Rakyat.

Stand by for flaming from Pakatan Rakyat supporters.