Speaking at a roundtable session on the Middle East crisis here, the Terengganu menteri besar said the effectiveness of a policy cannot be judged only by whether or not it produces results.

“A good policy can fail if it is not implemented effectively, including in terms of delivery and explanation to the public,” he said in his opening speech.

Samsuri cited the poll tax introduced by then UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that eventually led to her fall in 1990.

The poll tax was replaced with a council tax after Thatcher stepped down.

“Although the quantum was not very different, the council tax was considered fairer (than the poll tax),” he said.

“In the end, the main issue was not solely the quantum of the tax but also how the message was communicated to the people,” he added.

He stressed that Malaysia must formulate long-term policies to not only enhance resilience in the economy but also ensure that it is not vulnerable to future global crises.

The session was attended by economists and professionals from various fields, including Barjoyai Bardai of the Malaysia University of Science and Technology, AmBank Group chief economist Firdaos Rosli, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Afzanizam Abdul Rashid, and Mazli Zakuan Noor, a fellow at the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia.