Rally an attempt to remain politically relevant says PM's aide
He asserted that the demonstration, scheduled to take place in the federal capital on July 26, was not a genuine expression of public discontent as claimed by its organisers.
"This protest is not about the rakyat, it is about a small group attempting to reverse what they failed to achieve through the ballot box," he said in his speech at the National Economic Forum organised by the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia here on Thursday (July 17).
He said the government had been given the mandate through a free and fair election and had been working tirelessly since then to resolve long-standing issues left by previous administrations such as institutional decay, weaknesses in governance and fiscal mismanagement.
"If a change is desired, contest the next election, that is the democratic way... Malaysia must not be distracted by this noise. What we need now is maturity, unity and delivery," he added.
Shamsul Iskandar said what the country needed most was wise leadership and not leaders chasing headlines or popularity contests, but those who think beyond themselves, who ask, "What will this country look like when I am gone?" A wise leader, he said, is a leader who "builds institutions, not ego; builds trust, not tribes; builds for the next generation, not the next election".
"This is precisely the leadership style of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim: restrained, principled and focused on service – leading reforms one by one, rebuilding trust, strengthening institutions and ensuring that no one is left behind. "It is the same leadership that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar commands at the regional level as Asean chair, which gathered top diplomats of the United States, China and Russia in Kuala Lumpur recently, an impressive diplomatic achievement," he said. – Bernama
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Cambodia PM agrees to ceasefire proposed by Anwar
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Anwar: Malaysia won't ignore Thai-Cambodia conflict
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