Malaysian PM shares same opinion on U-turns as PM Imran

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Web Desk
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It looks like Prime Minister Imran Khan isn’t the only leader who believes taking U-turns is one of the qualities of great leadership.

His Malaysian counterpart, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, says it’s okay to take U-turns, too.

A few weeks after the Pakistani premier declared U-turns to be the "hallmark of great leadership," Malaysian PM Mahathir has said it’s okay for leaders to backtrack from their initial promises because “even angels make mistakes sometimes.”

Amidst criticism over several “U-turns” in his government policies lately, Mahathir said leaders are not “perfect people”.

“Sometimes, we go the wrong way, we turn around but only if necessary. We are not perfect people.

“Although most of us are angels, angels make mistakes. So, when angels make mistakes, they turn around,” he said, as quoted by local publication The Star.

Mahathir was responding to the public’s reaction to several backtracks made by the Malaysian government, one of which is the suspension of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation loan installment scheme that was supposed to take effect on January 1.

A similar statement was made by Prime Minister Imran last month, when he had said that a leader who did not take U-turns according to the requirements of the situation was not a real leader. The premier had also referred to Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte, saying that the two suffered huge defeats and caused losses as they did not take U-turns.

His statement was heavily criticised by members of the opposition, and defended by his party members.