Ambiga suggests Malaysian leaders look at New Zealand PM

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's latest video detailing her government's achievements in the past two years has taken social media by storm.

And former Bar Council chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan believes that there is a lesson in there for Malaysian politicians as well.

Speaking to Malaysiakini this evening, she said while Malaysian leaders have their strong points, it would also be good for them to look at their counterparts abroad.

“The New Zealand prime minister is so on top of her game as we can see in the video. A good grasp of her facts, inclusive, compassionate and she sets such a good example. Of course, you can see she is a good sport.

“Our leaders have their strong points but sometimes it is good to look at how other leaders carry themselves. We always look to the past for the good examples but sometimes we should look at current leaders to see how they deal with the world as it is today,” Ambiga (photo) added.

According to Ardern, her team had issued a test to commemorate the administration's second year in office.

The challenge involved the 39-year-old premier listing down the policies which her government had implemented in the past two years.

“Ardern, sitting at her desk, spoke about how her government created 92,000 jobs, banned semi-automatic and assault rifles, built more than 2,200 state houses, introduced the zero carbon bill, deployed over 1,600 new police officers, and banned single-use plastic bags.

“She also spoke about the 140 million trees that were planted, the free lunches in schools programme, and increased wages for police, nurses and teachers,” reported New Zealand's Stuff news portal.

Ardern became a household name following the manner in which she had reacted to the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, which left 50 dead and 40 injured, in March this year.

Denouncing the attack as an act of terrorism, she had also dismissed an Australian lawmaker's statement linking Muslim immigration to the shootings as a “disgrace.”

The next day, Arden visited members of the refugee and Muslim community, dressed in black and wearing a headscarf.

Amid tears, she told them that the whole of New Zealand was “united in grief.”

Four days after the shootings, DAP lawmaker Charles Santiago penned an article that Asean leaders could learn from her actions. 

“In 2017, upon becoming the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern acknowledged there will be 'good days and bad days'.

“She did well on the good days - a young leader who was compassionate when needed and gutsy when the situation called for it.

“But she has done even better in the dark days following the shootings in Christchurch that killed 50 people,” he wrote. - Mkini