Opinion | How will Malaysia fight the coronavirus with no health minister amid political turmoil?

Interim Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad currently has no cabinet but Malaysia’s health system is resilient enough to excel despite the upheaval

The stability and skill within its Ministry of Health is one factor, as well as a tightly knit professional core that remains relatively independent of politics

Reading Time:3 minutes

Published: 6:00pm, 26 Feb 2020Updated: 12:39am, 19 Mar 2020

There’s no such thing as a good moment for a country to endure political chaos and instability but Malaysia’s timing seems particularly bad.

Malaysia is already dealing with a slowing economy, the ongoing corruption trial of former prime minister Najib Razak and stalling civil service reforms.

Now this week’s high-level resignations and shifting coalitions have created an extra layer of political turmoil. Interim Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has no cabinet, meaning Malaysia must handle the coronavirus outbreak – and the resulting disease, Covid-19 – without a health minister.

So how will Malaysia manage? There are three key areas for any country to build resilient health systems and these will be especially vital in Malaysia.

Outgoing Malaysian health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad. Photo: AP

A strong civil service

Politicians may come and go but civil servants remain. Outgoing health minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad won plaudits for his effective approach and human touch. During the coronavirus outbreak, his performance and demeanour have reassured Malaysians. The country had 22 cases, mostly involving Chinese nationals, and 20 of those have recovered.

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