Dear YBs - be wary of the overkill!

IT'S now two weeks after the general election, and almost two months after the Federal Cabinet has been formed. It's been a roller-coaster kind of two months. For some, it's also been a very talkative one.

Talkative? Yes, I see a few of our ministers have not stopped talking from the day they took office. Scan the newspapers or wait for the TV news bulletin and they are there. Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Ahmad seemed to be neck-to-neck in recording column inches and airtime.

Minister in the PM Dept Datuk Zaid Ibrahim too have been quite talkative, with frequent reports in the media, as do Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

The more experienced ones like Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Shafie Apdal, Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein and Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar also make regular statements but they've been at it for a long time. Therefore, they are less likely to be caught with slip of the tongue misquotes and other fumbles.

I do understand the need for new ministers to be seen and to be heard. This, I assume, is one way of telling everyone that they are on top of things, that they are busy at work. Which is fine and acceptable.

Zaid seems to be taking on a big task, one which is intended to have far-reaching implications. Ahmad Shabery's fresh attempts at reinventing his ministry and engaging media practitioners, traditional and new, seems to be bearing fruit though its early days yet.

As for the new sports and health chaps, they seem to be the ones most talkative. Being new, they may have a lot to say on matters pertaining to their ministries. I have one small, unsolicited advice for them - maybe it's good for them to slow down a bit and not rush into making media statements.

My reasons are simple - they have up to five years to make statements. Don't run out of ideas. After a while, the media may get tired of repeat statements. And if there's no real action after such statements, the very media that gives space may turn their back on them.

Of course there's the old reason for such frequent media exposure - overkill! My dear YBs, let's be sparing in making statemnets but make each and everyone of them count and meaningful.