Cowardly leaders the most dangerous of men, Johor crown prince says

KUALA LUMPUR — In yet another social media post on current affairs, Johor’s crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said today (June 29) that leaders must have the courage to take action when problems are identified, labelling those who are “cowardly” as the “most dangerous” of men.

Citing the advice of his late grandfather Sultan Iskandar, the Johor crown prince lamented the alleged lack of integrity in modern leaders, and said leaders must recognise problems before they become emergencies and have the courage to fulfil his vision by using his passion instead of his position.

“My advice to the leaders in every sector of government, NGOs and organisations in Johor is to lead and inspire the people.

“Do not try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed, but people must be lead by example and with integrity,” he said in an update on the Facebook page of the Johor Southern Tigers football club that he heads.

“Remember that the key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. There is no point having authority if you cannot influence the people. If you have authority but command no influence, it is a sign that you are not worthy of being a leader.”

The prince did not direct his remark at anyone in particular and said he had written it only in the context of Johor in order to not “ruffle any feathers”.

Earlier this month, the outspoken crown prince had poured scorn on the highly-anticipated “Nothing2Hide” forum that was cancelled at the last minute before a face-to-face confrontation between Mr Najib Razak and his vocal critic, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, over the prime minister’s controversial 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) project.

Mr Ismail said inviting someone who allegedly has “everything to hide” to such a dialogue session would obviously result in a no-show.

His remark had then sparked off a verbal joust between him and Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz who told the former to stay out of politics if he is not willing to let go of his royal privilege. MALAY MAIL ONLINE