Samsolbari Jamali says public acceptance depends on staying relevant and serving all generations, not just age.
JOHOR BAHRU: The success of Datuk Samsolbari Jamali in retaining the Semarang state seat for a sixth consecutive term proves that public acceptance of a leader is not determined solely by age or being a familiar face,
Instead, the 66-year-old Semarang assemblyman, who was the oldest candidate to win in the recently-concluded Johor State Election, said the ability to remain relevant, serve the people and understand the aspirations of various generations are the key measures, without dismissing the need to introduce new faces.
The former Deputy Speaker of the Johor State Legislative Assembly made history in the 16th Johor State Election when he secured 17,374 votes to defeat candidates from Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) with a majority of 14,679 votes.
The figure was an increase from the 5,846-vote majority he achieved in the 2022 state election, enabling him to retain the seat under the Ayer Hitam parliamentary constituency, which has been held by a Barisan Nasional (BN) representative since 2004.
Samsolbari said he has always supported the process of leadership renewal, but candidate selection should not be based solely on age or length of service.
“I agree with the rejuvenation process because I also started as a young leader. But the most important thing is a person’s ability to continue to remain relevant.
“Older people need to understand the aspirations of young people, and young people also need to understand the aspirations of older people. What is important is that a leader is accepted by young people, older people, men, women and all segments of society,” he said in an interview with Bernama.
To engage with the younger generation, he said leaders need to dare to be on the sepak takraw court, join the motorsports community, meet billiards and snooker players and participate in various youth activities so as not to be seen as being disconnected from that generation.
“Even though we are older, we need to be among them and understand their world,” he said.
Commenting on the development of Semarang, he said his focus remains based on the approach of “Membangun Potensi, Memperkemas Prasarana” (Developing Potential, Streamlining Infrastructure), with emphasis on economic development, agriculture, entrepreneurship, youth development and the provision of basic rural facilities.
He said that in the past, residents’ priorities focused on the construction of roads, ditchese, bridges, community halls, mosques and suraus, but today their needs have shifted towards the provision of street lighting, Internet access, facilities for young families, and higher-quality infrastructure.
“Development is a continuous process. Roads that were once wide are now narrow, facilities that were once new are now ageing and the population continues to grow.
“Previously, people asked for roads, ditches and bridges. Today, they need street lights, Internet access, and facilities that keep pace with changes in their way of life,” said the former chairman of the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board.
He said the increasing number of houses in villages also shows that more young people are choosing to remain in or return to live in Semarang as basic facilities such as water, electricity, telecommunications and roads become more complete.
He added that these changes require the government to look at new needs, including the provision of childcare centres, educational facilities and support for young families, without having to wait for requests from the people.
Commenting on his future, Samsolbari said the sixth term would be his final term as an elected representative.
“I have informed the people in my constituency that this will be my last term. This does not mean I will stop serving the community, but we need to know the right time to give space to others,” he said.
