Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, the Prime Minister’s political secretary, was recently involved in a dispute exposing tensions between UMNO and Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR, now warns the party risks the same fate as Nokia—a once-dominant telecom giant that faded into obscurity due to its failure to adapt.
He emphasised that while PKR leads the Unity Government today, this leadership must be safeguarded and strengthened, adding it should engage with youth and address today’s public needs.
Very popular in early 2000s, Nokia has since declined due to its failure to heed the desires of young people in mobile phone innovations, despite once dominating the global mobile phone market.
“Who remembers using a Nokia phone? If we look at how Nokia fell, we can learn a guiding lesson.
“What caused Nokia’s downfall? They didn’t respond to the needs of the next generation, convinced that their customers would stay loyal because of their successful keypad phone design.
“Meanwhile, the new generation was captivated by Samsung’s approach of touch screens, with no need for keypads,” he said during his opening remarks at the Annual General Meeting of KEADILAN Ampang Branch in Selangor yesterday.
To keep Keadilan at the forefront, Shamsul encouraged grassroots members not to hesitate to voice their opinions or criticisms.
Similarly, he cautioned members not to be complacent just because the party, after 25 years of struggle, now governs Selangor and the federal government.
“Now is the time for us to gather our strength to serve the people.
“In the next 3-4 years, we will face elections, and the game has changed. We’re dealing with young voters who are 18 years old.
“If we don’t respond to their needs, we could end up like Nokia,” he warned. – Oct 27, 2024
Main image: utusanmalaysia
