LETTERS: A former senior Bank Negara Malaysia official has spoken about the country seemingly lacking leaders of substance.
He was of the opinion that our leaders should be better at managing international issues and not be carried away by popular sentiment.
Without naming any leaders, he also called for a strategic approach in expressing the country's stand on critical issues, emphasising the importance of maintaining strong ties with economically strategic nations.
To a degree, he may be right on all counts.
Malaysia is a small country and we cannot be emotional in deciding to support or not support an issue, and big countries have an influence in matters of international interest.
We need all the investments we can get, especially from investors from big countries.
The only thing I can disagree is about being emotional due to popular sentiments.
I believe this is about what's happening in Gaza, but I doubt our leaders are being emotional just because of public protests.
The whole world is protesting the carnage in Gaza and rightly so. So, how can we in Malaysia not join the chorus of condemnation against the Israeli regime?
There are nations that have recalled their ambassadors from Israel, apart from breaking off diplomatic ties due to the bombing of civilians in Gaza, where half of the more than 12,000 dead are children.
Information and communication technology is helping the world see things more clearly on the tragedy befalling an occupied people, who have been oppressed for more than 75 years.
Nevertheless, I do agree with the former central bank senior official that our leaders need to show more evidence that their overseas trips have yielded more success for the nation.
At the same time, the one-year administration under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's leadership should not be fazed by these comments.
Previous administrations have been under the microscope from day one of their coming to power.
This goes with the territory. In this, I will say that the economic landscape is different from one era to another.
Post Covid-19 pandemic, the world is witnessing a change in geopolitical developments where the usual suspects (the West) are no longer seen as the best economic or political models.
We should be more aligned to BRICS nations, which include China, India and South Africa, as they have a better economic outlook for the near and medium terms.
Anyway, Anwar did say that on matters of national interest, Malaysia will continue to be balanced and not favour one bloc over the other.
We are on the right side of history when it comes to supporting the people of Gaza and being rational in our international relations, while taking into account the economic aspect of it is a common sense approach.
Of course, we need to do and achieve more to ensure people's wellbeing. That will always be the aim of any administration.
WAN AHMAD HUSSEIN
Bangi, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
