محضير: تياد ڤڽلساين باءيق كڤد كتيدقستابيلن منروسي ڤرو15، إندونيسيا مندهولوي مليسيا
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad told Nikkei Asia that the previous Barisan Nasional led administration thought that by holding elections, Malaysia “would have a strong government and be more politically stable.
But, according to Mahathir, the general election did not result in any party having enough seats to form a government.
“Before elections if you work together, that’s fine. But after elections … that’s a marriage of convenience. Sometimes the [newlyweds] get along well, sometimes they don’t,” Mahathir was quoted as saying.
According to Mahathir, Indonesia’s political stability as well as Widodo’s strong and efficient leadership have allowed Indonesia to overtake Malaysia in recent years in attracting foreign investment and “many projects.”
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad told Nikkei Asia that the previous Barisan Nasional led administration thought that by holding elections, Malaysia “would have a strong government and be more politically stable.
But, according to Mahathir, the general election did not result in any party having enough seats to form a government.
He said that the result — opposing political forces coming together to forge a government — “is not a very good solution to the problem.”
“Before elections if you work together, that’s fine. But after elections … that’s a marriage of convenience. Sometimes the [newlyweds] get along well, sometimes they don’t,” Mahathir was quoted as saying.
Mahathir also compared Malaysia’s political shake-ups with what Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has accomplished since first being elected in 2014.
According to Mahathir, Indonesia’s political stability as well as Widodo’s strong and efficient leadership have allowed Indonesia to overtake Malaysia in recent years in attracting foreign investment and “many projects.”
He said Widodo “is much stronger” than recent leaders.
“Indonesia has a much more efficient government under Jokowi,” he said, adding, “There are many projects … there are also a lot of foreign investments.
“When a country has a good, steady and stable government, foreign investments will come in. [And] that contributes to the growth of the economy.”
Since 2008, Indonesia has attracted more foreign direct investment than Malaysia in every year except 2016. And although the gap narrowed in 2021, the overall trend has been for it to widen.
Mahathir said Widodo has done a “better job” than some other Indonesian presidents. He also called Widodo a leader who loves his country and is focused on developing it, saying that in this respect he and Widodo are similar. “We both want to do our best for our countries,” he said.
“So far his family does not interfere, doesn’t demand anything,” Mahathir said. “He is able to carry out his work without interference from his family.”
Experts agree. Yeah Kim Leng, an economics professor at Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur, said Indonesia is winning over more investors than Malaysia “because Jokowi’s leadership has continued with the drive to bring down corruption and elevate the country’s governance system, and [along the way, Widodo has] greatly enhanced the quality and effectiveness of [Indonesia’s] institutions.”
Mahathir mentioned that Indonesia is not easy to govern, given its more than 17,000 islands and 270 million people who make the archipelago the world’s fourth most populous nation.
He marveled at Widodo’s ability to “hold [Indonesia] together, which is very difficult for a country of that size.”
RJ RITHAUDEEN
Adapted from Nikkei Asia
