GEORGE TOWN: Honesty and integrity are the two main characteristics that make a person a good leader, according to former Cabinet minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.
In fact, Rafidah, who is popularly dubbed Malaysia’s Iron Lady for her strong stand on issues affecting the nation, said these two characteristics would create a subset of positive characteristics.
“A leader is not to be linked to any post. To be a leader you must have a qualification. Qualification doesn’t mean you must have a degree. Qualification means the quality, the good values and the characteristics in the person.
“Whatever you want to do, you must be honest and have integrity. With these two, if you are in the government, for example, it will impact the society in a good way,” she said during her presentation titled ‘What Leadership Means’ at the Inspiring Future Leaders Conference organised by Penang Women’s Chamber of Commerce (PWCC), here today.
The one-day conference served as a platform to enable stakeholders who wield influence in government, the private sector, academia, the professions, civil societies and entrepreneurs to strategise and pull their act together towards a common goal of achieving sustainability for the participation of women in the economy of Penang.
Rafidah said a leader must also be a person who could ‘take charge’ of the situation instead of just being ‘in charge’.
Meanwhile, she also reminded the leaders to take advantage of the new technology by using them prudently and wisely.
“A leader must be future proof, applying the new technology correctly with integrity. Do not use technology to escape from income tax, for example,” she said.
Rafidah, who was Minister of International Trade and Industry for 21 years until 2008, also said that any business that had been carried out must now have a sustainability agenda.
“Business must not harm the environment. Now, people are more concern about the sustainability agenda. Penang is an island and surrounded by the sea, which is your asset.
“If your asset is spoiled because of lack of care of the environment, Penang will no longer deserve its nickname as the ‘Pearl of the Orient,” she said. – Bernama
