It is not age that matters, Syed Saddiq
Raja Sara Petra
Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has just turned 29. Somehow, many Malaysians believe that someone who is not even 30-years-old yet make better leaders. Hence Syed Saddiq is touted as the future for Malaysia.
Nurul Izzah Anwar was 28 when she became a member of parliament. Rafizi Ramli was 36. Thus far they have proven to be only good talkers but underachievers.
Anwar Ibrahim was 35 when he joined Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s cabinet, 44 when he became Malaysia’s finance minister, and 46 when he became the deputy prime minister. What are Anwar’s achievements in his 16 years in government? Can you remember anything great and historical that Anwar has done?
Hitler was 45 when he led his people. Stalin was 44. Mao Zedong was 50. John F. Kennedy was 44. Fidel Castro was 39. Tun Abdul Razak Hussein was 48. Lee Kuan Yew was 36. And Prophet Muhammad was 40.
On the other hand, Winston Churchill was 77 when he led Britain to victory in WWII. Nelson Mandela was 76 when he led South Africa to victory. And Mahatma Gandhi was 78 when he led India to victory.
History has proven that age or youth is not a criterion for great leadership. The fact that Pakatan Harapan chose a 93-year-old man as their prime minister proved that it does not mean if you are 30 you are better than someone who is 90. Education, upbringing, and experience matters more, not someone who is manipulative, exploitive and a smooth talker.
In the short four years since GE14 when Syed Saddiq achieved fame he has proven he is wanting in many areas, is very economical with the truth, and lacks certain qualities. The mark of a good leader is accountability, transparency, sincerity, and honesty. Forming a fan club with you as cult leader does not mean you qualify to lead the nation.
So grow up Syed Saddiq because you can fool some people some of the time but not all the people all the time. You are beginning to appear like a snake-oil merchant peddling your one-cure-for-all medicine. You cannot solve Malaysia’s problems with mere talk.
