BANGI: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has advised youths to choose the right leaders who could take the country to the path of prosperity.

He said leaders were a crucial factor in determining the fate of a nation, whether they would bring it to greater heights or bring disaster to it.

“When we have charismatic leaders with good values, the society will also prosper; the same is true for bad leaders who abuse their power and will bring disaster to the country.

“We have such an example in our country,” he said at the Alumni Malaysia Future Leaders School (MFLS) convention at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia today.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the Alumni Malaysia Future Leaders School (MFLS) convention at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia today. -NSTP/EIZAIRI SHAMSUDIN

Dr Mahathir said the youths who would one day become leaders must emulate the traits of good leaders, including those mentioned in history books and biographies.

Citing the leadership of Peter the Great, also known as Peter Alexeyevich who ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire as an example, he said: “From an uncivilised society, (he transformed) Russia (into) a nation that was successful in many fields.”

Earlier, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in his speech said some 26,000 people had taken the MFLS training and 29,000 would have participated in the programme by year end.

“We target some 36,000 participants next year,” Syed Saddiq said, adding that the programme was conducted in three stages, with the first involving a selection process by the Education Ministry of potential youth to enrol in the programme.

The second and third stages involve shortlisting of applicants and sending of 200 successful candidates to countries like Japan, New Zealand and Qatar.

“The participants get to meet Malaysia’s top leaders, as well as CEOs and chairmen of big companies, so eventually they will have the capabilities to replace them when the time comes,” he said.

Some 1,600 MFLS alumni were present at the event.

MFLS, which was created to replace the National Service Training Programme and the National Civics Bureau (Biro Tata Negara), is aimed at equipping Malaysian youth with skills and coaching that will enable them to become successful leaders.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/11/541240/choose-right-leaders-dr-m-advises-youths