DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim touched on education, economy, values and cultures when he spoke on ‘The Future Direction of Malaysian Economy’ at the PICC Sales Gallery in Bukit Jambul today.
Invited as the first speaker in the ‘Power Talk Series’ this year by the Penang Premium Business Enterprise Group (PPBEG), Anwar said the unprecedented political change in Malaysia gave rise to high expectations of the ruling Pakatan Harapan government.
“It’s a profound honour and rare opportunity for me to share my thoughts. It’s not easy for any new government to chart a new course.
“We have to dismantle structures and personalities, including some from within and also the civil servants.
“The 1MBD matter is not solved yet, but the strong message of Pakatan Harapan is that (we have) enough of abuse of power and corruption. Without good governance, the country suffers,” said Anwar, who is also the Port Dickson MP.
When asked in a Q & A session, why there are still a lot of racial quotas like in education, Anwar replied that affirmative actions have been taken.
He said that for instance if a student in Kapit, Sarawak, obtained 3As, it would not be right to marginalise him when compared to an urban student who got 9As. He explained that the Kapit student did not have the same facilities as those in the urban areas.
“I appeal to urbanites to understand the urban poor and rural poor. If you ignore a section of the society, there will be backlash. The marginalised must be supported. So, there is merit and there is also a need,” said Anwar, who challenged corporate companies to show compassion by going down to the ground to understand the marginalised and help them.
Anwar stressed the importance of enhancing the economy, suggesting that universities must work in synergy with industries. He is also very supportive of the establishment of startups.
“Digitalisation is an imperative, no two ways about it. We want to embark aggresively to promote AI (artificial intelligence) and the Internet of Things but we mustn’t lose the human touch.”
“We need economic planners. Whatever it takes to raise the economy, it must be done effectively and fast … not race or religion-based or it will involve a lot of hatred.”
On values and cultures, Anwar said it was beneficial to promote a good mastery of our national language and other languages.
Besides that, he added that it would take humility to acknowledge our limits and learn from other countries, such as Singapore. He said other states too could learn from Penang Skills Development Centre.
Anwar said although he is the Port Dickson MP, his heart is still with Penang.
“You can rest assured that I am bullish and optimistic of Penang’s future and I support Chief Minister Chow’s (Kon Yeow) efforts,” he said.
Chow, who was the guest of honour, commended PPBEG for organising the Power Talk and strongly supporting Penang2030.
The vision focuses on improving livability, economy, civil participation and balanced development for a family-focused, green and smart state that inspires the nation.
Chow also said that PPBEG, an entity comprising top businessmen with much experience in many industries, had submitted their proposals to the state government on how ‘To Make Penang Great Again’ during a dialogue recently.
PPBEG chairman Datuk Seri Khor Teng Tong said PPBEG was always looking into the training and creation of job opportunities and the lifting the income and economic status of the less fortunate so that all layers of the people would be able to enjoy better quality of life.
The talk’s moderator was Datuk Dr Kang Chin Seng.
Also present at the Power Talk were Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman, Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P. Ramasamy, several state executive councillors, assemblymen, and prominent businessmen.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad
Video by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis