KUCHING, July 17 -- The achievements of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in leading Sarawak deserves more national attention and ought to make him a candidate to become Malaysia's next Prime Minister, said Voon Shiak Ni.

The former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak member said it was "intellectually lazy" for political loyalists in the peninsula to suggest that no one is suitably qualified to succeed Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the nation's leader.

"Such sentiments reveal an entrenched culture of political patronage that discredits the rich talent pool we have across Malaysia," she said in a statement yesterday.

Voon, who quit PKR in 2020 after losing faith in the party's leadership, said Abang Johari has demonst...