Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.
– Dionysius Of Halicarnassus, Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric
I tried to count the number of times that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mentioned the word ‘maha kaya’ (extremely rich) in his recent national address on Tuesday.
After the end of his 30-minute oratory masterclass, I lost count. His two other favourite words – tatakelola and ketimbang also made the list, among other jargons that are quickly shaping up his premiership.
I get what he is trying to say. Essentially, he wants to brief the rakyat on the economic situation and what the government is trying to do to reduce the national debt.
In his speech, which was broadcasted live on national TV, he revealed that the federal government is taking steps to remedy the situation through the implementation of a diesel subsidy rationalisation.
He said that the initiative will initially target users in Peninsular Malaysia only and will not involve those in Sabah and Sarawak.
“The Cabinet meeting today agreed to implement subsidy rationalisation for fuel. The rationalisation will start for diesel fuel,” he said.
Anwar also announced several measures to ensure that this move will not result in an abrupt rise in the prices of goods and services.
This is expected and has long been in the pipeline. It was the reasoning behind the implementation of the central database hub (PADU) which to be fair, did not take off as smoothly as the federal government had hoped.
I don’t mind the substance and I think all fair-minded Malaysians are thinking the same thing. It is a policy announcement and is an important one at that.
But the method in which he delivered it may have rubbed people off the wrong way.
Why is he insistent on being combative and conduct the policy announcement as if it is a political ceramah? To add to that, the script is starting to become a broken record.
Why pivot to the maha kaya angle when he could have just announced the rationale behind the decision in a stately manner?
He could have stopped at saying that the rationalisation was to reduce leakages and ensure it is felt by those who needs it most, but he didn’t.
Did anyone at the Prime Minister’s Office advise him against his method of political messaging or has the advice fallen on deaf ears?
I am not trying to be overly critical, but we are talking about the position of the prime minister and the sanctity of the highest executive office in Malaysia.
I have some experience in speechwriting and choosing the type of messaging is crucial to ensure the substance of the speech or policy announcement can be accepted by most people if not all.
This is to ensure it strikes a chord with the audience and for them to be able to connect with the speaker or at the very least, the message he or she is trying to deliver.
There is a certain mannerism or standard in speechwriting that must be observed for people in elected office, much more so for ministers, deputy ministers and senior government figures.
While this may seem very dull and par for the course, it is a standard that continues to be observed and is what the civil servants, senior officers and public relations practitioners are trained to do when tasked with writing speeches.
It is meant to make the speaker sound good, and look good when it is reported in the media. It is meant to display a sense of leadership, good communication as well as the sense of being grounded – understanding the issues affecting the people.
For the position of prime minister – the respect for and authority of the office must be reflected in the messaging from the incumbent. The speeches must be prime ministerial in quality and substance.
That is why a good speechwriter is important and judging from the way that Anwar delivered his address, I don’t think he has one. It really sounds like he is writing his own speech.
Otherwise, what kind of speechwriter worth their salt pivots heavily on maha kaya, tatakelola and ketimbang knowing it will not help the image of the prime minister?
The honeymoon period for Anwar and the government has been over for some time and whatever he says now will be viewed with much scrutiny – any good press secretary, PR officers and speechwriters know this.
The manner of his last address was a faux pas, he has to do better to capture the imagination of the people.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
