This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 25, 2023 - December 31, 2023

Fahmi Fadzil is often in the news, whether by design because of his position as minister of Communications and Digital or simply for the things he says or writes on X (formerly Twitter).

Although receptive to media queries, he would also respond in discursive prose on certain occasions, particularly on critical government policies such as 5G infrastructure and the pricing of internet services.

In the recent cabinet reshuffle, his ministry was split into two, making way for one of his predecessors Gobind Singh Deo to be Digital Minister, while Fahmi was retained as Communications Minister.

The restructuring of his ministry came shortly after the government concluded a major deal with local mobile network operators (MNOs) for a series of transactions that effectively sees Putrajaya giving up substantial control of the 5G network to the private sector after building up the infrastructure.

Although the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) came under his purview, Fahmi may not have had a free hand in regulating the development of the 5G network, as Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), the entity tasked with rolling out the next-generation internet infrastructure in the country, is owned by the Ministry of Finance.

Apart from 5G, Fahmi was criticised for his ministry s move in blocking a news portal and blog. Given his portfolio, he often commented on issues circulating on social media, such as internet scams or fake news. Fahmi is also pushing for a self-regulating body   dubbed the Media Council   to govern the media industry, in addition to the existing Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, which is under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

With four years to the next national poll, it will be interesting to see whether Fahmi, given his performing arts and talk show host background before entering politics, will be remembered as the minister who tightened freedom of speech or remedied past authoritarian policies by liberating the media.  -- By Chester Tay

Rafizi Ramli perhaps has the toughest job among the ministers, after the prime minister himself, as he is tasked with coming up with a formula to equitably rationalise subsidies. This is a job that will not make him popular as a politician but one that needs to be done.

To ensure that subsidies are fairly distributed to those who need help, Rafizi, through the Ministry of Economy is developing the PADU central database, which will be the basis for determining who deserves subsidies and social assistance.

The approach is new to Malaysia, as the past approach of grouping people by income levels might not necessarily capture their real financial and economic situations. PADU is scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of next year.

Rafizi is also instrumental in coming up with the various economic and development frameworks, such as the National Energy

Transition Roadmap (NETR) as well as the 12th Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review, which all culminate in achieving the Madani Economic Framework.

 The Formula Man  is responsible for coming up with not only big national policies but also initiatives to improve income levels for the lower-income group directly through the Inisiatif Pendapatan Rakyat (IPR). His ministry is also working on the Progressive Wage Policy.

As election director of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, however, Rafizi could not reverse the so-called  Green Wave  that has been sweeping the country since the 15th general election. As evidenced by the results of the six state elections in August, the governing coalition still could not break through the Malay-majority seats, even in its own backyard.

Now that the campaigning is done and dusted, Rafizi s   and, by extension, the unity government s   last card to play to gain the support of the Malay electorate is to improve the economy.

Will he be able to turn the tide   in terms of the country s fiscal position and win the hearts of the Malay heartland   and lift all Malaysians?   -- By Kamarul Azhar

When one talks about the country s defence force, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said does not immediately come to mind. But she has been instrumental in defending Malaysia s assets and sovereignty against the ridiculous, but still dangerous claims by the now-defunct Sulu Sultanate over Sabah.

Azalina, a lawyer by training, has been instrumental in countering the Sulu Sultanate descendants  legal attack on the country.

From a defensive position, the Malaysian team, led by Azalina, turned the case on the sole arbitrator responsible for issuing the so-called Final Award against the Government of Malaysia   Dr Gonzalo Stampa   in Spain.

In June, Stampa was charged with continuing to hear the arbitration of the Sulu case despite a Madrid court s decision to annul his original appointment as the arbitrator. The court has yet to set the date to deliver the verdict, though.

Not only has Azalina successfully defended Malaysia s position in multiple jurisdictions in Europe, but she is also heading the government s institutional reform efforts.

From the  Second Chance Policy , which lifted 130,000 people out of the bankruptcy list, to The Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023, as well as the decriminalisation of attempted suicides, Azalina has certainly achieved a lot this year.

But Malaysia still has a long road ahead on the journey towards law and institutional reforms, which means Azalina is unlikely to experience a lull in 2024.  -- By Kamarul Azhar

As Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC), Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced the lifting of the blanket subsidy on electricity on the commercial sector, barely two weeks after he was sworn in as a cabinet member.

During the year, Nik Nazmi, together with his Ministry of Economy counterpart Rafizi Ramli, came up with the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), a master plan that will boost the adoption of renewable energy sources in Malaysia.

The change in outlook for energy transition is palpable; through NETR, the government is looking at energy transition not just to stem climate change and achieve net zero by 2050, but also to attract domestic and foreign investments to boost the economy.

Meanwhile, Nik Nazmi also lifted the renewable energy (RE) export ban, shook up the Energy Commission s board, reviewed the third-party access framework for the power sector, as well as got the ball rolling for the setting up of an RE exchange.

He was also developing a new water tariff mechanism for the peninsula and Labuan to improve the water supply infrastructure in these regions. Policies on how to safely develop rare earth materials are also being developed.

The cabinet reshuffle on Dec 12, however, saw the NRECC split into two.

Nik Nazmi managed to retain his seat in the cabinet, but for a smaller portfolio that only looks after natural resources and sustainability efforts, while Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusuf takes on the portfolio of energy transition and public utilities.

Does this mean Nik Nazmi will no longer be the poster boy for the country s energy transition effort?   -- By Intan Farhana Zainul

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