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SHAH ALAM - The Regent of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, once again drew attention when he took a swipe at certain politicians who appear to enjoy creating a popular image on social media in order to gain public support.
Speaking on the "Casual Evening Podcast with His Royal Highness the Regent of Johor and Johor Youth" on Saturday, he stressed that young people should be wiser in assessing leaders and not be easily influenced by the image portrayed on digital platforms.
Tunku Ismail said the trend of admiring populist politicians who enjoy “performing” on social media should change because it does not necessarily reflect a person's actual ability to govern.
“As politicians, they have to publicise themselves on social media to ensure there is engagement with the people and so that you can see their hard work. I understand that.
“But before making any decision, make an assessment first because we have many ‘Hollywood’ actors and the biggest ‘Hollywood’ one is in Muar. So I do not like ‘Hollywood’, but I like people who carry out duties that can improve the lives of the people,” he said.
The statement is believed to refer to a political leader associated with the Muar parliamentary constituency, attracting widespread attention.
At the same time, His Royal Highness reminded the people of Johor to make mature assessments of the leaders they choose, particularly those entrusted with governing responsibilities.
He said that his experience working with various individuals has shown that not everyone who speaks loudly and criticises others is capable of performing well when given authority.
“To identify issues, find faults and become the opposition is easy, but when given a seat to govern, not everyone is capable of governing. The people of Johor must be wise in making their assessments,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tunku Ismail stressed that his primary responsibility at present is ensuring Johor’s development continues and that the welfare of Johor is safeguarded through cooperation with a government that is capable of delivering results.
He also revealed that the Johor Royal Family spends more than RM100 million annually on various forms of assistance, including support for hospitals, education, the needy, food aid and sponsorships for the haj pilgrimage.
“But you do not see us publicising it on social media because those actions are carried out sincerely,” he added.