Gifts and souvenirs are a form of reward or appreciation, but this practice is often abused and can sometimes be perceived as a bribe. Due to this, Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged all parties to stop offering him gifts.
In a Facebook post, Anwar said that he has been receiving gifts from others after he was elected as the prime minister. However, he said that he wants to put an end to this ‘gift culture’.
“I appreciate the good intentions of all of you, but this is not compatible with the ethics of leadership and administration and it burdens the people,” he said.
Anwar’s announcement has since attracted the attention of many Malaysians, with many praising him for upholding his ethics. At the same time, netizens also agree that this ‘gift culture’ has to be put to an end.
“You are making a statement for the next PM and the PM before you! You are turning Malaysia into a nation where everyone can be proud of you and the country. No more grafts, no more “rasuah” (bribery) and no more extremism,” a netizen said.
“This is good! No gift policy. Hope all government departments and GLCd follow this!” another netizen said.
Saya setuju tapi budaya kita kena beri cenderahati atas penghargaan dan rasa hormat. Mungkin boleh buat peraturan cenderahati tak boleh lebih dari RM 50 dan mesti bahan makanan/buah buahan sahaja. At least penerima tu kalau tak nak makan pun boleh sedekah kat org yg x mampu
— Pravinbabu Baskaran (@Pravin_Baskaran) December 1, 2022
Scrutiny by netizens
Earlier, Anwar came under scrutiny after eagle-eyed netizens spotted him wearing a pair of black shoes, which is believed to have cost more than RM5,000.
Anwar explained that the pair of shoes were a gift from Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar two years ago.
“It’s fine if you want to question me, but avoid defamation,” he said in a tweet.
Nonetheless, Malaysians are glad to see Anwar is committed to serve the people and setting the new standards for the future leaders.
What do you think about this? Share your thoughts!
