In his speech to aspiring young leaders, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today quipped that an early taste of power by them could result in their reluctance to let go when it comes time to do so.
Without mentioning any names, Mahathir, who spoke at a ceremony this morning to handover 60 Perdana Leadership Fellowships, said: "If one becomes a minister at a very young age and does not want to resign as he or she gets older, that is a problem."
He then went on to remind the new fellows gathered at the Prime Minister’s Department this morning: "Once you get power, it is difficult to let go."
However, Mahathir gave credit to Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who was also present at the function, along with Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, other cabinet ministers and also the chief secretary to the government, Ali Hamsa.
He expressed hope that the attachment programme for the fellows, which will be conducted for a minimum of six weeks and up to three months - could develop another future young minister.
"With this programme, when it comes time for the younger generation to take over, they will be able to carry themselves in a manner expected of a leader.
"Now we don't have to wait very long to be a leader. At the age of 25, you can become a minister," said Mahathir who appointed Syed Saddiq the youngest ever minister in the history of the nation at age 25.
The Youth and Sports Ministry as the programme's secretariat had in total received 542 applications from graduates and university students both local and abroad. - Mkini
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