SIBU: Most Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) component leaders here agree that senior and ageing politicians must know when to exit to make way for fresh blood.
This idea was put forward by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) senior vice president Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof in an exclusive interview with this tabloid last Friday.
“Politicians must not overstay or hang on to their positions, whatever those might be,” he said.
He was glad that PBB has a tradition of getting politicians to step down when it is their time to go.
“They have been trained to hand over the baton to the younger people. In other words, politicians must not overstay their welcome.”
Christopher Gira (Tamin assemblyman)
‘Senior leaders should groom younger people to become leaders. When the time comes, they could then hand over the baton to these younger leaders. We are not short of capable young people to administer our country for a better future.
Younger people always have fresher ideas and more energy to lead. They are eager to learn and explore new things.
Anyway, about half of the voters in the country are young.’
Senator Robert Lau (also Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Bawang Assan chairman)
‘This idea of stepping time at the appropriate time applies not only to politicians but to any organisation where leadership is essential.
Young people grow up physically and mentally and as they do so they undergo different experiences depending on their environment, needs, expectations, time, and so on.
If leadership is now replenished, it causes stagnation, lack of new ideas, and loss of trust.
One of the most important roles of leaders is succession planning. It is essential to seek potential leaders from among the young who have the best talents, those with passion, those willing to work hard, and those who have been trained in and exposed to for leadership roles.’
Romeo Christopher Tegong (PBB Bawang Assan branch chairman)
‘The practice of having young leaders taking over from their seniors is not new in PBB. We have practised it in every general election. It is for continuity of leadership, hence for the general wellbeing of the people they lead. It is also for the sake of the party and political stability of the state.’
