KUALA PILAH: Leaders who have been given the mandate by the people must possess sincerity to serve and put the interests of the country above their own, says the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir.
He said this was because the continuous conflict and narrow political culture only showed Malaysia as a country that was unstable and fragile.
“Although there are differences in our ideologies and agendas among us, I am sure that there are similarities, especially in the agenda for development and the people’s welfare to establish a more prosperous country,” he said at the state investiture ceremony in conjunction with his 75th birthday celebration at the Balairong Seri, Istana Besar Seri Menanti, near here, yesterday.
Tunku Ampuan Besar of Negri Sembilan, Tuanku Aishah Rohani Almarhum Tengku Besar Mahmud, was also in attendance.
Tuanku Muhriz also called on leaders to defend, protect and implement the principles of the Rukun Negara, in addition to paying attention to the principles of the supremacy of the Constitution and the Rule of Law, which are closely related to the concept of separation of powers.
“The separation of powers must continue to exist so that responsibilities can be executed without any interference or disturbance, thus avoiding any form of abuse of power and ensuring justice for all parties,” he said in a Bernama report.
Meanwhile, he said the momentum of Negri Sembilan’s economic recovery in 2021 was seen to continue to be strong, with a positive growth rate of 3%.
This is due to the state government’s proactive efforts in dealing with post-Covid-19 challenges as well as the formulation of strategies to boost inclusive economic growth.
Tuanku Muhriz also congratulated the state government for successfully recording a total revenue collection of RM521mil in 2022, exceeding the initial target of RM432mil.
However, he said the outlook for the world economy this year is expected to be bleak and likely to experience a slowdown, with Malaysia not being spared from being affected by global economic uncertainty.
Therefore, he urged the state government to strengthen its cooperation with the Federal Government in dealing with the situation, thus giving serious attention to the challenges of the recession for the well-being of the people.
In addition, Tuanku Muhriz also called on the public sector to further improve the efficiency of governance and management systems, as well as the delivery of services.
“It needs to realise this effort continuously, based on the principle of working transparently, ethically and with integrity.
“The public sector is an important machinery that plans the course of administration and the process of formation and implementation of all policies introduced by the government,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim extended his warm wishes to Tuanku Muhriz.
Anwar prayed that Tuanku Mukhriz, Tuanku Aishah Rohani and the rest of the royal family would be blessed with good health, wisdom and a sterling reign.
“It is my prayer that Tuanku will continue to rule Negri Sembilan in a fair and just manner.
“Dirgahayu Tuanku,” Anwar said in a Facebook post yesterday.