‘Don't be arrogant': Zahid hits back at critics of his NZ working visit, says Malaysia must be ready to learn from others
He said such criticisms were inappropriate and served only to undermine his efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and explore new opportunities for Malaysia.
'In every working visit, my primary objective is to acquire knowledge, exchange experiences, and identify strategic areas that can benefit the country and the people,' he said.
'Politics will always be a subject of discussion among politicians, be it ministers, deputy prime ministers, or even prime ministers who are abroad, but such cynicism should not be entertained.
'What is important in working visits, or official visits, are valuable opportunities to gain insights and discover areas not yet developed in Malaysia, which can then be explored,' he told Malaysian journalists at the end of a five-day working visit to New Zealand here today.
Also present were Malaysian High Commissioner to New Zealand Mazita Marzuki and John K Samuel, the Undersecretary of the Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Oceania Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said that sincerity and openness to feedback, and a willingness to learn from other countries should be prioritised-rather than being caught in a cycle of unconstructive criticism.
'If it's good, ask your friends. If it's not good, ask your enemies. Enemies are those who dislike us...whatever we do will never be good enough for them. But don't be arrogant. Don't be arrogant. Don't be arrogant,' he emphasised.
He also expressed disappointment that some of the cynicism came from individuals with religious backgrounds who, he said, voiced their opinions without prudence, ultimately undermining the spirit of cooperation and national development.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid said his five-day working visit to New Zealand had opened a new chapter in strengthening strategic cooperation between Malaysia and the Oceanian nation.
The visit covered various sectors, including education, the halal industry, disaster management, trade, agriculture, and the empowerment of the Orang Asli community through engagements with the Maori community.
During the five-day working visit, Ahmad Zahid held bilateral meetings with New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, Minister for Maori Development Tama Potaka, Minister for Agriculture and Trade Todd McClay and Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Dr Shane Reti.
The working visit is part of Malaysia's efforts to further strengthen bilateral relations with strategic partners in the Asia-Pacific region.
In 2024, the value of Malaysia-New Zealand trade amounted to RM10.72 billion, making Malaysia the second-largest trading partner among ASEAN countries for New Zealand. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Lamb-grab: New Zealand farmers fight back as pines take over pasture
WELLINGTON, July 28 — New Zealand sheep farmers are fighting to stop the loss of pasture to fast-spreading pine plantations, which earn government subsidies to soak up carbon emissions. Concern over the scale of the farm-to-forest switch led the government to impose a moratorium in December on any new conversions not already in the pipeline. But farmers say forestry companies are flouting the clampdown. Last month, farmers launched a 'Save our Sheep' campaign to reverse the loss of productive farmland. Sheep numbers have plummeted to around 23 million, down from a peak of around 70 million in the 1980s, according to official figures. Falling wool prices and rising milk and beef costs initially drove the decline, but the emissions trading since 2008 has added to the strain. The government is now investigating potential breaches of its moratorium by forestry companies, which have been buying up farmland as recently as June. Federated Farmers — a lobby group for rural communities — submitted to the government 'a list of properties we believe have been sold for carbon forestry' since the halt, a spokesman said. The federation is concerned about the sale of more than 15,200 hectares (37,600 acres) of farmland, he told AFP. Dean Rabbidge, who runs a farm outside the Southland town of Wyndham, said some of the newly purchased farms had already been planted with pine trees. 'Criminal' 'They're just ploughing on ahead, effectively giving the middle finger to the government announcement,' Rabbidge told AFP. The moratorium had created a 'gold rush', he said. 'It's criminal what's happening.' Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay said the government would change the law by October because it had become more profitable to plant pine forests than to farm sheep. 'The law will include clarity on what qualifies as legitimate evidence of a pre-December investment and enable any specific cases to be properly assessed,' McClay said. 'Anyone who has bought land since December 4, 2024, irrespective of whether they also had trees or not, will not be able to register this land into the emissions trading scheme.' Rural New Zealand once abounded with rolling pastures, rickety wire fences hemming in millions of sheep chewing on the green grass. But Rabbidge said those days were gone. 'You won't see anything now,' he said. 'You're just driving through long pine tree tunnels — shaded, wet, and damp.' New Zealand sheep farmers are fighting to stop the loss of pasture to fast-spreading pine plantations, which earn government subsidies to soak up carbon emissions. — AFP pic New Zealand is one of the rare countries to allow 100 per cent of carbon emissions to be offset by forestry. 'We're not anti planting trees,' sheep farmer Ben Fraser told AFP. 'There are areas of land that should be retired, that aren't necessarily productive.' But the trading scheme had driven an excessive loss of sheep pastures to forestry, he said. 'That's the issue here.' 'So short-sighted' Fraser, who farms near the North Island town of Ohakune, said he had seen an exodus of people from the district in recent years. 'Since 2018, there've been 17 farms converted to forestry,' he said. 'That's about 18,000 hectares gone. So you're looking at about 180,000 sheep gone out of the district, plus lambs.' The loss of sheep impacted the region. 'If the farms thrive, then the towns thrive because people come in and spend their money,' he said. 'You've got farm suppliers, your fertiliser guys, your supermarkets, your butchers, all of that stuff struggling. 'The local schools now have less kids in them. The people who stayed are now isolated, surrounded by pine trees.' Rabbidge said the same was happening in Southland. 'This whole thing is just so short-sighted,' Rabbidge said. 'Businesses here are forecasting anywhere between a 10 and 15 per cent revenue reduction for the next financial year, and that's all on the back of properties that have sold or have been planted out in pine trees,' he said. 'Lamb on a plate' 'Think of all the shearers, the contractors, the transporters, the farm supply stores, the workers, the community centres, the schools, rugby clubs. Everything is affected by this.' Government figures from 2023 show agriculture accounted for more than half of New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions. But farmers argue they have been working hard to reduce emissions, down more than 30 per cent since the 1990s. 'I could put a leg of lamb on a plate in London with a lower emissions profile, transport included, than a British farmer,' Rabbidge said. 'We just use our natural resources. We're not housing animals indoors and carting feed in and manure out. 'Everything's done outside and done at low cost, low and moderate intensity.' — AFP
The Sun
17 hours ago
- The Sun
Umno decisions focus on national stability, says Ahmad Zahid
RAUB: Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stated that the party's decisions, even if unpopular, are made to safeguard the nation's stability and future. Speaking at the Raub Umno Division Delegates' Meeting, he emphasised that leadership roles demand responsibility and principled choices. 'No matter how high our position is in the party or government, we must realise that every post is a trust that must be carried out with full responsibility,' he said. Ahmad Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and Deputy Prime Minister, called for unity and resilience among members to rebuild the party's strength after electoral setbacks. He urged Umno members to learn from past failures, referencing the party's inability to form the government in the last two general elections. 'Enough of the divisions, quarrels, shooting at each other, and hidden saboteurs within. Let us learn from past weaknesses and fix Umno and Barisan Nasional from within,' he said. At a press conference later, Ahmad Zahid addressed concerns about Umno members participating in a recent rally in Kuala Lumpur. 'Umno is now part of the MADANI Government, and we must strengthen, not undermine, the government that is in place,' he said. – Bernama
Barnama
18 hours ago
- Barnama
UMNO's Decisions Are For Nation's Stability, Future, Says Ahmad Zahid
RAUB, July 27 (Bernama) – UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that in today's challenging political landscape, decisions made by the party are aimed at ensuring the country's stability and future, even if those decisions are unpopular. Explaining the matter when officiating the Raub UMNO Division Delegates' Meeting, he emphasised that in any struggle, not all decisions taken will be comfortable — but they must be principled. 'No matter how high our position is in the party or government, we must realise that every post is a trust that must be carried out with full responsibility,' he said. bootstrap slideshow Ahmad Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and Deputy Prime Minister, said what UMNO needs most right now is unity of purpose and strong fighting spirit, without faltering when tested. He also reminded party members to take UMNO and BN's failure to form the government in the past two general elections (GE) as a lesson and turning point to rebuild the party's strength 'We have been tested twice in the general elections… enough of the divisions, quarrels, shooting at each other, and hidden saboteurs within. Let us learn from past weaknesses and fix UMNO and Barisan Nasional from within… hopefully, we can be dominant once again,' he said. bootstrap slideshow At press conference afterwards, Ahmad Zahid said UMNO would look into whether any of its members had participated in the rally held in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. 'UMNO is now part of the MADANI Government, and we must strengthen, not undermine, the government that is in place,' he said. -- BERNAMA
