KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 ― Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday said he will try not to allow this nation to flounder and fall, to lose dignity and sense of purpose, for long as he lives.
The prime minister said he was aware that the challenges seemed insurmountable at times.
“For long as I live, I will try not to allow this nation of ours to flounder and fall, to lose dignity and sense of purpose. We have prevailed in the past and we will hopefully prevail now and, in the future, Insya Alllah,” he said in his acceptance speech at the 20th Asian Association of Management Organisations (AAMO) Triennial Gala Dinner and Awards Night here last night.
Dr Mahathir also shared his experience in managing the nation, which he stressed was to find common grounds and common purposes.
He stressed on the need for common grounds and purposes that will become the rallying points to obtain unity in diversity.
“Since I was the Prime Minister in the first round, I was frequently asked what were my secrets for being able to manage a nation which is so diverse that almost each segment has a different set of demands and priorities.
“There are no secrets other than the most basic and logical concepts when we are dealing with a diverse group of people. Once we established the common grounds and purposes, we can build on them,” he said, adding that it was an honour to receive the Visionary Leader and Nation Builder Award last night.
Dr Mahathir said it was important to be sincere for the betterment of people and nation as well as following the principle of being duty-bound to defend the nation and sovereignty.
“Helping our own people to come together and agreeing to develop and build our country is our duty and it is an act of selflessness since we too will and have reaped the benefits of living in a successful nation,” said the 93-year-old prime minister.
Dr Mahathir says he was a doctor by training as he spends some good years practicing medicine and applied his professional experience to nation management.
“In a lot of ways, managing a nation requires similar processes as those of a doctor, and where and when necessary, leaders have to make drastic and decisive decisions so as to save the nation,” he added.
He also said Malaysia as a nation had come a long way since its independence as he witnessed how it struggled to find its footing, determined to become a confident nation. ― Bernama
