Dynamic leaders, not dinosaurs
The old guard needs to step down for young leaders to surface.
“WILL Malaysia get a young prime minister?”
That’s one of the most popular questions I was asked by foreign embassy officials when they met me for coffee during the 15th General Election (GE15) campaign period.
From the PM candidates whom the major coalitions have put forward, the answer is ‘no’ – not unless the unexpected happens on election night tomorrow.
Barisan Nasional has announced that its PM candidate is caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, 62. Pakatan Harapan has put forward Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, 75; while Perikatan Nasional has Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, 75.
The diplomats asked me why a young politician could not emerge as the leader of Malaysia. I explained that the political dinosaurs here controlled politics.
A diplomat listed some of the youngest world leaders: Chile President Gabriel Boric, 35; Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin, 37; New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, 42; and France president Emmanuel Macron, 44. The list goes on.
She joked that at 38 years old, North Korea Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un was also a ‘young leader’.
We discussed the young Malaysian politicians who could lead the country in the future. Interestingly, she named someone who was not one of the usual suspects.
The European diplomat named Isham Jali, 46, an Umno supreme council member. She said Isham, who has a Master’s from Harvard University, is the new face of Umno.
She asked me what his chances were of winning Shah Alam. I said the parliamentary seat that Pakatan Harapan won with 33,849 votes is the second-largest margin that Umno lost, out of the 115 parliamentary seats it contested in 2018.
Malaysians go to the polls tomorrow. It is an opportunity for them to give young politicians a chance.
It is 2022, and it is time for young leaders to emerge. We have many potential ones from across the political divide.
I’ll list some whom the diplomats said were politicians under 50 to watch in GE15: Umno’s Khairy Jamaluddin, 46, who is contesting in Sungai Buloh; Muda’s Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, 29, in Muar; PKR’S Nurul Izzah Anwar, 41, in Pematang Pauh; and PKR’S Rafizi Ramli, 45, in Pandan.
They also named Umno’s Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, 49, who is in Kuala Selangor; DAP’S Hannah Yeoh, 43, in Segambut; MCA’S Datuk Nicole Wong, 42, in Tebrau; Umno’s Shahril Hamdan,
37, in Alor Gajah; and MCA’S Datuk Chong Sin Woon, 48, in Raub.
After the air clears (hopefully) from GE15, we will be entering 2023, and the challenges for Malaysia in the new year will be more demanding. We would need capable and proven leaders like Khairy and Tengku Zafrul.
The caretaker Health Minister has tackled the Covid-19 pandemic competently (some will say ‘terbaik’ or the best as Malaysia had one of the fastest vaccination rates in the world). Arguably, as Finance Minister, Tengku Zafrul has done an excellent job handling the tough economy.
These two leaders have proven their mettle in the past two years.
The challenge for the next government – whichever coalitions or party combination takes the helm – is ensuring we get dynamic leaders, not dinosaurs.
As we go into 2023, Malaysia should be ‘No Country for Old Men’, as the young put it.
A 26-year-old female Grab driver told me that her generation wants young leaders.
“The old generation doesn’t understand what we need. We’re struggling to buy a house and a car. We are struggling to make a living,” said the Sabahan, who will be voting in Kota Kinabalu.
“The old generation already has what they want. They tell us, ‘can la, you can make it’, but the reality is that it is tough for us.
“I am going to vote for a young politician. I hope she can make a difference. I want to give her a chance so that my generation has a chance.
“It is our future which we are voting for. Every vote counts.”
Down with the old, up with the new.