PUTRAJAYA: The practice of speaking out and criticising leaders should be ingrained as a culture within Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) to ensure that the party remains relevant.
Bersatu chairman, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said constructive criticism is important to prevent Bersatu from slipping into the same trap experienced by other parties.
In his winding-up speech at Bersatu’s second annual general assembly, he said this freedom is being practiced by its members, who are free to criticise its leaders when deemed fit.
“Throughout the debate sessions, some delegates pulled no punches in admonishing the supreme leadership council members. This is the freedom we have.
“We receive these advice in good faith as without being corrected, we will deviate from the course. In this party, we accept all admonishment, not matter how harsh,” he told a packed crowd at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
Some parties, said Dr Mahathir, prevent their members from speaking out or from broaching into specific matters, a practice which he said would eventually lead to a party’s destruction.
“This (speaking out) will become a culture within Bersatu. Our culture is to be able to be criticised by anyone, not just the delegates but even in the future.
“We can speak out against our leaders, and we should also be able to take in criticism. The most important thing is for the person to be sincere in wanting to rectify a situation, and not because he or she is simply lashing out,” he said.
