Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim calls for independence from Western models, urging nation-building based on local values and identity
BANGI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged Malaysians to break free from a colonial mindset that regards Western systems, language, culture and development models as inherently superior.
Instead, he called on the public to give true meaning to independence by building the nation on its own values, identity and strengths.
He said the responsibility of today’s generation extends beyond enjoying the nation’s hard-won independence, as they should also ensure that Malaysia’s continued development is driven by strong values and a clear national identity.
Anwar said some Malaysians born after independence still viewed Western models as the benchmark in many aspects of life.
“There are those from the first generation after independence whose thinking remains half-English. They may have brown skin, but when it comes to education, they believe it must be in English. The language must be English. The culture must be English. The economic system must be Western. Our political and governance systems must also follow the West.”
Anwar said this at the gathering with civil servants from the Central Zone alongside the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, at Universiti Islam Selangor today, which was also attended by Director-General of the Public Service Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.
