'Turun Anwar' protest an attempt to remain politically relevant, PM's aide says

Shamsul Iskandar Akin, political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, has dismissed the upcoming “Turun Anwar” protest as a political ploy by a “small group” seeking to maintain relevance.

He asserted that the demonstration, scheduled to take place in the federal capital on July 26, is not a genuine expression of public discontent as claimed by its organisers.

“This (protest) is not about the rakyat, it is about a small group attempting to reverse what they failed to achieve through the ballot box,” he said in his speech at the National Economic Forum organised by the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said the government was given the mandate through a free and fair election and had been working tirelessly since then to resolve long-standing issues left by previous administrations, such as institutional decay, weaknesses in governance and fiscal mismanagement.

“If a change is desired, contest the next election, that is the democratic way... Malaysia must not be distracted by this noise. What we need now is maturity, unity and delivery,” he added.

Shamsul said what the country needed most is wise leadership and not leaders chasing headlines or popularity contests - but leaders who think beyond themselves, who ask, “What will this country look like when I am gone?”

A wise leader, he said, is a leader who “Builds institutions, not ego; Builds trust, not tribes; Builds for the next generation, not the next election.”

“This is precisely Anwar’s leadership style: restrained, principled, and focused on service - leading reforms one by one, rebuilding trust, strengthening institutions and ensuring that no one is left behind.

“It is the same wise leadership that Anwar commands at the regional level as Asean chair that gathered the top diplomats of the United States, China and Russia in Kuala Lumpur recently, which was an impressive diplomatic achievement,” he said.

- Bernama

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