KUCHING: It is timely that the country shifts the focus of national political leadership to Sabah and Sarawak and elect senior politicians from these two states to lead the country out of the current morass of economic fiasco, political turmoil, and racial and religious bigotry.
Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin said the recent amendment of Sarawak State Assembly to replace the designation of ‘chief minister’ as ‘premier’ could be an assertion of independence and autonomy, and to emphasise that Sarawak has its own mind.
He viewed that this may generate a feeling of pride among the Sarawakians, a perception that the chief minister is a notch or two above the rest, which could even be on a par with the prime minister. This assertion of autonomy could be the indication of claiming absolute power over its territories.
“Abang Johari is an astute politician, and if he successfully handles the issues plaguing his state, he will emerge as one of the few statesmen in Malaysia,” he said when in an article published by Twentytwo13 today.
“He knows that he needs to focus on alleviating poverty in Sarawak, which is conspicuous in the rural areas such as Baram and Bario, where there is a dire need for economic, educational and infrastructure developments.”
Mohamed Ghouse said Abang Johari has to rectify the inequalities in wealth distribution as the wealth of Sarawak, with quality leadership and governance that is transparent, accountable, and that benefits the people.
He said as an emerging statesman, Abang Johari Tun Openg needs to extricate himself from this myopia of provincialism and assume the mantle of a Pan-Malaysian statesman.
“If he can do that, he would not only have earned the designation of premier, but would have the necessary credentials of a prime minister.”
“Perhaps, it is time for a politician from Sabah or Sarawak to lead the country as prime minister,” he said.
Mohamed Ghouse opined that thus far, except for the four prime ministers since independence, the subsequent ones elected to this position have not lived up to the credentials of their predecessors.
He said there were political parties in the peninsula that are still condoning and justifying leaders who have been charged with, and sentenced for corruption while quite a number of them use religion to serve their political agenda.
“It is time that we shift the focus of national political leadership to Sabah and Sarawak and elect senior politicians from these two states to lead the country.”
“Abang Johari and (Parti Warisan Sabah president) Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal are two senior East Malaysian politicians who fit the bill for the premiership.
“This is a good move, not only for integration, but reflects a paradigm shift, from a provincial, to a national presence, discarding the provincial, and embracing the larger spectrum of national mentality.”
Mohamed Ghouse said perhaps, by giving a chance to these two politicians, Malaysia can forge a new, and meaningful beginning.
