Malaysia 'thirsts' for young leaders - Paloh rep

 Paloh state assemblyperson Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali said young leaders need to be actively sought after and polished because Malaysians are hankering for young faces as many are tired of old leaders.

Sheikh Umar (above) said a prime example of such leadership was displayed by former Pakatan Harapan Youth chief, the late Shazni Munir Mohd Ithin.

“What we can learn from Shazni Munir is that young leaders need to be discovered and there has to be a good system to identify and hone it.

“This is because Malaysia is very thirsty for young leaders and at the same time we are tired of old leaders,” he said.

Sheikh Umar said that Shazni Munir’s talent was not born overnight but was trained and fostered during his time at Universiti Malaya.

He said this during a dialogue session yesterday entitled “Tribute Shazni Munir Series 1: Symbol of Sacrifice” hosted by NextStep Malaysia.

Apart from leading Harapan Youth, 34-year-old Shazni Munir was also the head of Amanah Youth during his lifetime.

He died on Aug 6 due to Covid-19.

Sheikh Umar, who was Shazni Munir’s former classmate, added that apart from being a leader, he was also a good follower.

“I remember this one incident when he was the head student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Segamat.

“He resigned from his position when the school refused to accept him punishing the naughty students,” he said.

Facing pressure at university

Sheikh Umar also narrated how Shazni Munir was willing to take risks and difficult paths during his journey into politics.

The late Shazni Munir Mohd Ithin

He said that at university, many political trainees eventually decided to pursue different paths. However, Shazni Munir was different.

“Not everyone can walk similar paths as Shazni Munir.

“He was deeply involved in politics and even risked being in the frontline to the point of arrest,” he explained. - Mkini