KUALA LUMPUR – Former Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Malaysia needs to focus on the generational shift in politics in era of post Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his designated successor, PKR president elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the country have many talented politicians and the emergence of this new generation of politicians will signal the change of politics in Malaysia.
“Tun Mahathir is a great man but he is 93 years old. I think he will serve as long as his health permits. Anwar needs to become prime minister, otherwise we would never hear the end of it. And we cannot move on.
“I think Anwar will become the next prime minister but I think we need to focus on Malaysia post- Tun Mahathir and post-Anwar,” he said in a forum “An Evening with Professor KS Jomo and Khairy Jamaluddin: The Way Forward for Malaysia” organised by The Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia, here, tonight.
He said that once Anwar becomes prime minister, then the generational shift would be more evident.
The Rembau MP added that for the next four years, both Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional should set aside petty politics and work together to implement institutional reforms in the country.
On another note, Khairy also reiterated that he would not quit UMNO, adding that he had even planned to contest again for the president post in 2021, if the party still exists by then.
He said based on the popular votes of the last presidential election in June, the majority of UMNO members are favouring reforms.
Meanwhile, Prof Jomo said there is a need for the current government to address the decadent political financing system in the country.
He said the issue should be a political priority for the government.
“It’s important to recognise that we have a system of political financing which is so abused that we cannot get ourselves out of this unless we develop a legitimate, accountable and transparent political financing system,” said Prof Jomo who is also member of the Council of the Eminent Persons.
— BERNAMA
