KUALA LUMPUR: National leaders have been criticised for spending excessive time on foreign relation ventures that may not yield significant economic benefits.
A former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) deputy governor, Sukhdave Singh, said the government lacked the qualities of true international statesmanship, often reacting emotionally to global developments instead of offering a balanced perspective.
Without directly naming specific leaders, he pointed out the risk of alienating crucial economic partners, stressing that Malaysia, a smaller country, should avoid antagonising nations vital for its economic progress.
"Malaysia has had too many leaders who have not been international statesmen.
"They have failed at providing a balanced perspective on international developments, and rather than seeking to reconcile and understand, have instead reacted emotionally.
"They have undermined themselves and the country by playing to popular sentiments of gullible citizens domestically and internationally to countries with a minimal stake in Malaysia's economy," he said in a LinkedIn post.
He has called for a strategic approach in expressing the country's stance on critical issues, emphasising the importance of maintaining strong ties with economically strategic nations.
"Failing this, and if things continue as they have, it is not unforeseeable that Malaysia itself will need global financial assistance in the future.
"Now, we have leaders who are more interested in pulling self-glorifying international relations stunts rather than addressing core issues hurting economic progress.
"There is no more incredible symbolism of the growing national mediocrity than the tendency of the country's leadership to indulge in this type of belly-button gazing behaviour."