The Sultan of Kedah, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, said today a leader backed by foreign powers or funds could expose the country to colonisation.

He said an individual who wanted to become a national leader should not allow himself to be a puppet of any foreign power.

"It is better for the country to have the option of making its own policies rather than policies forced upon it by a foreign power or country," he said at the 23rd convocation of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) in Sintok, Kedah, today.

The sultan said many countries had become the puppets of foreign powers because their leaders had been bought over or were subjected to blackmail.

"These leaders are inclined to introduce policies demanded by their so-called masters, and these policies do not meet the people's needs," he said.

The sultan said that everywhere the people wanted freedom and to make their own decisions instead of being controlled.

He said that the more the options available, the more the freedom and the happier their life.

"I am raising this matter so that the graduates will prepare themselves to enjoy the freedom to choose and not do so because they are forced to.

"A good leader will free the people and give them various options because in this way we become more flexible," he said.

The sultan referred to the late Abdul Razak Hussein and said the

country's second prime minister had made available comprehensive education opportunities through the New Economic Policy.

- Bernama