PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday briefed the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara on key national and regional developments, including preparations for the upcoming 47th Asean Summit and Budget 2026.
Anwar said the session also discussed the expected visit of United States President Donald Trump later this month and Malaysia’s position on Trump’s proposed Gaza peace plan.
“It was a normal pre-council meeting of the Conference of Rulers discussing current developments, such as Trump’s upcoming visit, various policy issues and preparations for Budget 2026,” he told reporters after officiating at the Asean Conference on Future-Ready Public Service yesterday.
In his keynote address, Anwar urged Asean nations to build civil services that are efficient, technologically advanced and rooted in moral purpose and integrity.
He said public service, although often overlooked, forms the foundation of civilisation and must evolve to meet
modern challenges.
“Public service is seldom glamorous, yet it is the unassuming architecture of civilisation. The question before us is how to make that architecture future-ready, strong enough to withstand shocks and flexible enough to
serve citizens whose expectations are constantly changing.”
He said Asean is facing shifting global realities, from trade tensions and climate change to rising demands for transparency, adding that stability alone would not prepare the region for the future.
He also said morality must anchor governance, and “progress without compassion or justice is hollow”.
Highlighting Malaysia’s reform agenda, Anwar cited digital identity systems,
data-driven subsidies and the National Energy Transition Roadmap as examples of
how policies are being aligned to better
serve citizens.
He said a future-ready civil service must operate transparently, uphold integrity and use technology responsibly.
“Digital government should lighten the citizen’s day, never add to the burden.”
