KUALA PILAH: Leaders who have been given the mandate by the people must possess sincerity to serve and put the interests of the country above their own, says Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir.
He said this is because the continuous conflict and narrow political culture only show Malaysia as a country which is unstable and fragile.
"Although there are differences in our ideologies and agenda among us, I am sure that there are similarities, especially in the agenda for development and people's welfare, to establish a more prosperous country,” he said.
He said this at the state investiture ceremony, held in conjunction with his 75th birthday celebration at Balairong Seri, Istana Besar Seri Menanti, near here, today (Jan 14).
Tunku Ampuan Besar of Negri Sembilan, Tuanku Aishah Rohani Almarhum Tengku Besar Mahmud, was also present.
Tuanku Muhriz also called on leaders to defend, protect and implement the principles of the Rukun Negara, in addition to paying attention to the principles of the supremacy of the Constitution and the Rule of Law, which are closely related to the concept of separation of powers.
"The separation of powers must continue to exist, so that responsibilities can be executed without any interference and disturbance, thus avoiding any form of abuse of power and ensuring justice for all parties,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said that the momentum of Negri Sembilan's economic recovery in 2021 is seen to continue to be strong, with a positive growth of 3%. This is due to the state government's proactive efforts in dealing with post-Covid-19 challenges, as well as the formulation of strategies to boost inclusive economic growth.
Tuanku Muhriz also congratulated the state government for successfully recording a total revenue collection of RM521mil in 2022, exceeding the initial target of RM432mil.
However, he said the outlook for the world economy this year is expected to be bleak and likely to experience a slowdown, with Malaysia not being spared from being affected by global economic uncertainty.
Therefore, he urged the state government to strengthen its cooperation with the Federal Government in dealing with the situation, thus giving serious attention to the challenges of recession for the good and well-being of the people.
Tuanku Muhriz also called on the public sector to further improve the efficiency of governance and management systems, as well as the delivery of services to the people.
"It (public sector) needs to realise this effort continuously, based on the principle of working transparently, ethically and with integrity.
“The public sector is an important machinery which plans the course of administration, the process of formation and implementation of all policies introduced by the government,” he said. - Bernama
