Government Communication Should Not Rest Solely With the Responsible Minister

Malaysia’s government should stop treating public communication as the responsibility of one minister, former PKR vice-president Tian Chua said.

Speaking on The Tiger Show Podcast, Chua argued that the government should draw on the authority, energy and creativity of the wider party and movements aligned with PKR’s ideas. He said concentrating the task in the communications portfolio made the effort look outdated and centralized.

“I think that is the current shortcoming because we still use the old format, relying on the Communications Minister,” Chua said. He added that he did not blame Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who was simply carrying out his duties, but said the government’s overall approach needed to change.

Chua, a former Batu member of parliament, was asked about concerns over the government’s communication weaknesses. Fahmi recently apologized at the PKR Congress and said poor communication had meant that some information failed to reach the public.

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I think that is the current shortcoming because we still use the old format, relying on the Communications Minister.