KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s democratic system is dependent on popularity over the competence of its leaders in administering a nation, claimed former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Despite expressing confidence that Malaysia has a good future, he said much of that would depend on its leadership, which he said does not look promising for now.
“Presently, we (Malaysia) are not doing so well, because the democratic system depends on popularity. The people elected are popular but are not necessarily competent in running a country.
“Although they are popular, if they do not know how to develop a country, it cannot develop well.
“But there is hope that in the future, a new government will be formed, maybe by younger people (who are) better qualified and educated,” he said during a Future of Asia forum with Nikkei in Japan, today.
He was responding to a question by an audience member about his projections for Malaysia’s future, considering the nation was facing its own issues.
During the forum, Dr Mahathir also said Asian leaders had not learned from their past mistakes, when they should be getting more experienced and smarter in governance, diplomacy, as well as problem management.
He attributed some governments’ “failures” to their inclination to wage wars instead of opting for peaceful negotiations, especially when it came to a difference in ideologies.
Dr Mahathir also urged all nations to be more tolerant of each other’s differences, an element multiple countries lack.
Speaking about tensions between China and the United States, Dr Mahathir reminded all Southeast Asian governments to remain neutral and avoid unnecessary conflict, which would lead to a waste of time and resources. – May 24, 2024