A leader leads by action, not words

Jacob Sinnathamby
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 26, 2012

It is really interesting how our last two prime ministers – Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak – have felt the need to talk about themselves as leaders of all Malaysians.

The truly great and effective leaders of countries and businesses never need stand on the roof top and tell people what they are. It is plain for people to see. In short, their track record and actions speak volumes about them, their character and their decency.

Abdullah loved to talk about being a leader of all Malaysians, but we all know now that it was just spin for political expediency.

He hoodwinked many of us into thinking that he actually cared for non-malays and malays equally.

Now, we know that it was just a charade to get Malaysians to believe that he was different from Mahathir Mohamad and give him a huge mandate in 2004.

With the mandate in the bag, Abdullah reverted to type and became Umno’s servant, not the servant of Malaysians.

From sending personalised greetings to Christians, he seemed scared stiff to protect the interests of non-Malays/non-Muslims, most noticeably by doing squat over the conversion issue and by treating Hindraf as terrorists.

Now, we have to hear how Najib is also the Prime Minister of all Malaysians.

I am all for Malaysian PM’s looking after the interests of everyone, but here’s the rub: that is the minimum job description of anyone who wants to be PM.

It is like a father proclaiming that he is the father of his whole brood. Surely, that, too, is the minimum requirement of a parent’s job.

Like a Malaysian Insider reader pointed out, actions always are better than words.

Till today, the Utusan Malaysia, Umno politicians and Perkasa have not been held accountable by the country’s leadership by the demonisation of Christians here.

It is akin to a father claiming that he is the protector of all his children and then do nothing when all and sundry beat them up.