The five-term Asajaya assemblyman says politicians must be willing to let go when their party decides it is time to introduce new faces.
The Sarawak tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister said he had previously told premier Abang Johari Openg that he believed he had served long enough, having reached a significant milestone in his political career.
“I have been telling Abang Jo, ‘I think enough, okay, 25 years.’ After my third term, I told him, ‘Three terms, 15 years is enough,” Dayak Daily quoted him as saying during an IIUM Alumni Ummatic Gathering in Sarawak.
Karim first won the Asajaya seat in the 2001 Sarawak election and has retained the constituency in every election since.
However, he said that he continued serving after being entrusted with additional responsibilities, including overseeing the tourism portfolio and the former youth, sports and entrepreneur development portfolio.
Speaking to reporters after the event, the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief said elected representatives must be prepared to step aside when the time comes, regardless of how many terms they have served.
“Anyone who becomes an elected representative in Sarawak, whether we are serving our first term or fifth term, third term or sixth term, we must be prepared when the situation requires us to stop, we stop,” he said.
Karim also said politicians should not threaten to contest independently if they were not selected as candidates.
“There should not be any feeling of not wanting to let go (of the position) or saying, ‘if I am not selected, I will fight back’. There should not be any of that,” he said.
“As a politician, when it is time for you to go, and the party feels that new blood should be brought in, then you just have to accept that.” - FMT
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