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©The Sun (Used by permission)
by Pauline Puah

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 13, 2007): Good governance involves active public participation, and citizens today are more educated and equipped, demanding more from the government but trusting it less, the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah said today.

"They demand a progressive and representative form of government. They want to be part of decision-making that affects their lives and livelihood," he said in his keynote address at the international conference on "The Challenges of Democratisation and Good Governance in the Malaysian Public Sector" organised by Universiti Malaya.

Raja Nazrin noted that society today was more interested in achieving results than merely obeying rules.

"They welcome and appreciate a government that is approachable and consultative; one that guides rather than one that directs," he said.

Therefore, he said it was only logical that the call for good governance should and must go hand-in-hand with the call for greater democratisation, as both were intertwined.

He said democracy provided the various constituencies the avenue to voice their views on the way they wanted to be governed.

"It is government by consent. The democratisation process must also recognise the important role of non-governmental organisations," he said.

"Their participation should be encouraged to the extent that they assist the institutions of power to function better."

Raja Nazrin described good governance as the process by which public goals were achieved in an efficient, effective and ethical manner.

He also said the eradication of red tape and bureaucratic procedures will help stave off high economic costs and inhibit opportunity for illicit payments.

"The amount of regulation, permits and licences must be reduced. By using the Internet, for example, there should be complete transparency for all permits and licences retained. Tendering processes need to be made more competitive and transparent."

He said whistle-blowers should also be protected against retaliation from those complained about.

He also noted that good governance entailed accountability by those in authority.

"While public officials should be accorded sufficient power to deliver good governance, there must be effective restraints on the arbitrary exercise of that power so that the general interest and not special interests are served," he said.

"The importance of judicial independence and the formal separation of powers among different branches of government cannot be over-emphasised."

Raja Nazrin said that although Malaysia has survived and prospered in the last 50 years, largely due to political resolve, pragmatism and effective implementation of policies, it did not mean we have closed in on the type of governance that is needed for the future.

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