Samsuri not fully tested, not ready to be PM, says MP

 Umno's Isam Isa doesn't see Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as a viable PM candidate yet since he has not been subjected to national-level scrutiny.

Under menteri besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Terengganu ranked a lowly 12th in GDP size in 2024, and was the third poorest state in the country. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Perikatan Nasional chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar may struggle if elevated to the premiership, as he has yet to undergo the full range of political tests expected of a national leader, says an Umno MP.

Tampin MP Isam Isa said Samsuri, the Terengganu menteri besar, is often perceived as a capable technocrat who has successfully transitioned into politics.

However, he said the PAS vice-president has yet to face public scrutiny as a national leader, especially one said to have the makings of a prime minister.

“He has not been fully tested. To immediately be seen as someone capable of being a successful prime minister — I don’t see that in him yet.

“Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, on the other hand, has been tried and fully tested, both during his time in Umno and outside the party. Now he continues to face various tests in leading the unity government.

“These are the types of tests that actually determine someone’s level of readiness to become the nation’s number one leader,” he told FMT.

Isam however acknowledged that Samsuri does not appear to come with any baggage.

“To me, he appears clean, and he is one of the figures who could potentially be pushed forward. In fact, I acknowledge that he is qualified to become a future prime minister.”

Samsuri spent a decade serving as PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s political secretary before contesting and winning the Rhu Rendang state seat in 2018.

He was subsequently appointed Terengganu menteri besar and retained the post for a second term after the 2023 state election which saw PN make a clean sweep of seats.

However, despite benefiting from oil and gas royalties and recording consistent state budget surpluses, Terengganu continues to rank in the mid-to-lower tier nationally in several economic indicators.

In 2024, the state’s gross domestic product growth stood at 4.5%, placing it below the national average of 5.1%, and its GDP size ranked a lowly 12th among the 15 states and the federal territories.

The east coast state also recorded the third-highest absolute poverty rate in the country.

Can Samsuri steer the national economy?

Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof questioned whether Samsuri’s leadership approach would translate effectively at the national level, particularly when it comes to economic performance.

Dismissing Samsuri’s now-deleted Facebook post in which he played down low GDP growth and claimed the state topped the Malaysian Happiness Index, Azli said:

“(Samsuri) once said that it does not matter if our GDP is low, as long as we are happy. But if he becomes prime minister, would he be able to say that?”

The Amanah MP said voters in Terengganu and across the country need to carefully consider the type of leaders they want in power.

Azli said the country needs leaders who are capable of combining Islamic values with competence and the ability to work across communities.

“We want Islam to be respected by the people in our country and by foreigners. Yes, we want Malays to lead, but they must be Malays who are capable, competent, able to work with other races and are respected by both friends and rivals,” he said. - FMT