THE practice of double standards must be avoided at all costs when the government implements certain rules, regulations and standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the country.

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said to get the support of the citizenry, there must be leadership by example.

"These rules and procedures demand a lot from the populace and if they were made to feel that these are only applicable to them and not to those in power or the elites, efforts to impose these rules and regulations would be met with resistance if not outright protests.

"Indeed, during a crisis, you cannot have one set of rules for one half of society and another for the other half," he said in his speech during the Asian Leadership Conference 2021 (Hybrid) today.

Dr Mahathir said the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which spared no nation throughout the world demands a leadership that is among others visionary, decisive, intelligent, experienced, creative, courageous, empathetic and selfless.

"Of course, the criteria do not end there but suffice to say if a leader has most if not all of these qualities, he or she would be able to help ease the burden suffered by their citizenry and resolve most of the recurring problems besieging their nations during these truly difficult times," he added.

Earlier this week, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed has apologised for breaching the SOP of Phase One of the Movement Control under the National Recovery Plan and is leaving it to the police to take necessary action.

According to a statement from the Minister's Office in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) today, Jeli district police chief DSP Ahmad Arifin contacted Mustapa at noon, after photos of the minister at Alfath Cafe in Jeli went viral on social media.

It said Ahmad told Mustapa that the police had opened an investigation paper regarding the matter.

By : NUR HANANI AZMAN - TMR

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