Only positive reforms can safeguard nation's future, says PM

The Star

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday (June 26) reiterated that only positive reforms can ensure the nation's social stability, economic resilience and good governance.  Delivering the keynote address at the Asean Symposium 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar said the leaders and institutions need to commit to meaningful change to reverse societal decline and instil values rooted in justice and integrity.  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00How do you translate these impressive concepts and philosophical constructs

00:13in a society that is fragmented and polarized,

00:19in a society that has faced the issue of systemic corruption,

00:26where everyone, once he is given the authority or the privilege to lead,

00:34he must be corrupt.

00:36He must amess wealth.

00:39Otherwise, he is not known to be too smart.

00:45This changing mindset is a major problem.

00:50And we are not battling in a vacuum.

00:52I have huge problems here with some of our educated elites,

00:58who some, of course, calls for immediate reform and change.

01:03But I also detect some gross inconsistencies

01:08when it comes to anti-corruption drive,

01:12it's just against one man.

01:16Those who have squandered billions are being ignored.

01:20And nobody mentioned them.

01:23I find it odd, utterly hypocritical,

01:29to be talking about corruption

01:30and confining to one person,

01:33a former prime minister, for example,

01:35and ignoring the fact that billions are being squandered.

01:39And when the Anti-Corruption Commission went after them,

01:43not one word, not one sound,

01:45one support.

01:46What is wrong with our system?

01:50We should be able to then express.

01:53I'm not saying that you should be drawn to partisan politics,

01:58but you should be drawn to ethics and values.

02:02Just because this billionaire support you,

02:05or support your organization,

02:07or support your party,

02:08or support your civil society,

02:10does not mean that you should erase

02:15or ignore

02:17the corrupt practices of the past

02:20and center on the city

02:22with idealism,

02:24with values,

02:25with principles,

02:26with ethics.

02:27We want to achieve unity.

02:29With this unity,

02:30we want to propel growth.

02:32For the growth,

02:33we use it for the benefit of our society and mankind.

02:36We are grounded with idealism,

02:39therefore strong values and ethics.

02:42But one, two,

02:46third generation pass,

02:48then you find this degeneration

02:50of ethical values and principles.

02:53We have lost that idealism.

02:55Those in power would want to amess wealth.

02:59Those elites,

03:02for whatever reasons,

03:04either support on side

03:06or obsessed with their particular values

03:10or interests,

03:13disregarding the totality

03:16and the complexity of a problem.

03:19So corruption became endemic

03:22and later systemic.

03:23Beginning, of course,

03:26with the leadership.

03:28So our concern,

03:30particularly for younger generation,

03:33is how do you then protect this?

03:36How do you then

03:37stop this

03:40trend towards decadence

03:43by instilling values

03:45and calling for reform?

03:48And that is the only possibility to my mind.

03:53Do we have a choice?

03:54We don't have a choice.

03:56Malaysia,

03:57as many of the other countries in ASEAN,

04:00has enormous potential.

04:04Yes, we have problems.

04:06It's a very multiracial society.

04:09Islam is formed the majorities,

04:1160%.

04:1260%.

04:13Islam is the religion of the federation,

04:16but it is a multiracial,

04:18multiriligious society.

04:20There are calls from every racial group

04:23demanding

04:24to be protected

04:27and everybody

04:29and everybody will express

04:30some form of

04:31dissatisfaction.

04:33Probably that's the beauty of the society.

04:37And then there will be

04:39some

04:39demands from provinces,

04:44states.

04:44Well,

04:47we have to accept that

04:49and work

04:51and navigate

04:52wisely.

04:53Can we satisfy

04:54all at the same time?

04:55No.

04:56But

04:56we have to agree

04:58on one thing.

05:00This country,

05:02as most of our societies,

05:04do we then,

05:07can we just accept

05:08the fact that

05:09only through

05:10positive reform

05:13we can

05:14not only save

05:15society

05:17and the nation,

05:18but to propel

05:19the economy

05:20through

05:21growth

05:22and good

05:23governance.

05:24Well,

05:25the answers,

05:25of course,

05:26aren't equivocally

05:28yes

05:29in the positive.

05:31We then,

05:31within our limits,

05:33within our societies,

05:35Malaysia,

05:35ASEAN,

05:36for example,

05:37promote this.

05:38And nothing

05:39stopping us

05:40from getting

05:40the Muslims

05:41together

05:41having

05:43in-depth study

05:44and understanding

05:45because we too,

05:46in the internal dynamics

05:47among Muslim societies,

05:49can't do,

05:50face problems.

05:51So,

05:51we must also

05:52accept the fact

05:54that reform

05:55to it

05:56within Muslim societies.

05:57Then,

05:58we accept

06:00the fact

06:00of the

06:01complexity

06:02and plurality

06:04of our societies

06:05by engaging.

06:07You want

06:07this country

06:09to proceed

06:10ethically

06:11and

06:12with the

06:13right values

06:14and particularly

06:14because

06:15of the Islamic

06:16concept

06:17and framework,

06:18but you do

06:19nothing

06:19to interact

06:20with the rest.

06:22You do

06:22nothing

06:23to interact

06:23with the

06:24Buddhists

06:25and the

06:25Hindus

06:26and the

06:26Buddhists

06:26and the

06:28Christians.

06:29It's a flaw.

06:31So,

06:31you have to

06:31get that

06:32and understand.

06:33Now,

06:33in order

06:33to engage

06:34well with

06:35the Hindus

06:35and the

06:35Confucianists

06:36and the

06:37Christians,

06:39you just

06:39don't go

06:40and lecture

06:40to them.

06:42You have

06:42also to

06:43listen to

06:43them.

06:44That's

06:44what

06:44engagement

06:45and dialogue

06:45is all

06:45about.

06:46Let us

06:47rejoice,

06:51embrace

06:51the values

06:55that we

06:55share

06:56because

06:59we cannot

07:00have an

07:01effective

07:02meaningful

07:05society

07:06without

07:06understanding

07:07dialogue.

07:09To me,

07:10why do

07:10I go

07:11to

07:11extend,

07:13expand

07:14this

07:14also

07:14in my

07:15arguments

07:15because

07:15I want

07:16to understand

07:17that the

07:18Madani

07:18concept

07:19and framework,

07:19of course,

07:19you can

07:19read about

07:20it,

07:21but more

07:21important

07:22is that

07:22how do

07:23you

07:23translate

07:23this?

07:25How do

07:25you

07:25translate

07:26this

07:27into

07:27practical

07:29purposes

07:30and

07:31action?

07:32and may

07:32Allah

07:33help us

07:35and I

07:36thank all

07:36the

07:37foreign

07:37participants

07:38for

07:40joining

07:41us

07:41and

07:44since

07:45we have

07:46excellent

07:46relations

07:47in ASEAN,

07:49all these

07:51prime ministers

07:52and king

07:53and presidents

07:54are on call

07:55all the time

07:56that make

07:57use of

07:58this

07:58to forge

07:59understanding

08:00to strengthen

08:02our bond

08:02we should

08:03not learn

08:04from the

08:06others

08:06from the

08:07hatred

08:08and

08:08other

08:10regions

08:11we should

08:12show cause

08:13that ASEAN

08:14can be

08:14unique

08:15because

08:15we have

08:16not lost

08:17our sanity

08:18whilst

08:20we take

08:20pride

08:20in our

08:21belief

08:21we want

08:23our country

08:23to succeed

08:24economically

08:25but we

08:26want to be

08:26culturally

08:27vibrant

08:28and ethically

08:29grounded

08:30in proper

08:31values

08:31and faith

08:32symposium

08:32this afternoon

08:33we have

08:34the honor

08:34of inviting

08:35and berbahagia

08:36Dato' Ahmad

08:36Zabu Rahman

08:37Presiden

08:37of WADA

08:38of WADA

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