A country's success depends on good leadership - Dr Mahathir

Leaders who want to lead must also have a high sense of identity and adhere to noble values, he said when delivering a public lecture organised by the NASDEM Party (Parti Nasional Demokrat), here, today.

Dr Mahathir arrived in Jakarta this afternoon for a short visit at the invitation of NASDEM Party's Leader, Surya Paloh. NASDEM Party is one of the parties in the coalition government of President Joko Widodo.

The former Malaysian prime minister said some countries, whose democracies were far more mature, had deviated from national aspirations when their leaders became masterminds to commit war crimes against other countries.

"Such leaders, who deserve to be called war criminals, are an example of how the corrupt and deceitful leaders are able to make the countries that are democratically matured slip off the rails," he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said a stable government is necessary for a leader to develop his country despite being often misunderstood as encouraging authoritarianism and dictatorship.

For him, a stable government means a national leadership that has been elected through fair and transparent elections and does not continue to wallow in party politics.

"Democracy should be understood as accepting the decision of the majority of the people, and those who lose respect that decision and do not engage in political actions that cause instability to the Government," he explained.

Dr Mahathir went on to say that the opposition, on the other hand, has to carry out its responsibilities as a constructive critic and an effective observer, and it is only in exceptional circumstances that the opposition pressures for government leaders to resign and not necessarily the entire government.