Country will be crippled if driven by anger, must be guided by knowledge instead, says Anwar

 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaking at the 3 Generations Appreciation Dinner: Continuing the Legacy of the Struggle. - Photo: Bernama

BANGI: A country will be crippled if driven by anger, but must instead be guided by knowledge, which forms the foundation for its strength, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Prime Minister said the strength of any struggle could not depend solely on spirit and emotion, but must instead be supported by the strength of knowledge capable of raising public awareness and instilling a sense of responsibility.

"My friend, the late Ustaz Fadzil Noor, reminded us that the Islamic cause does not rise solely through an outpouring of spirit, emotion and sentiment, but through the strength of knowledge that raises awareness and instils a sense of responsibility.

"And now, for example, when discussing the Madani nation, it must be strengthened with knowledge. This is what lays the foundation for building a strong nation," he said when speaking at the 3 Generations Appreciation Dinner: Continuing the Legacy of the Struggle, here Saturday (Sept 26).

Also present were the Prime Minister's wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan.

The event brought together more than 2,000 members of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim), the Malaysian Muslim Community Development Association (Wadah) and the National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students (PKPIM).

The Prime Minister said that in the context of building a Madani nation, change must be founded on conviction, idealism and noble aspirations to uplift the dignity of the people and the country, rather than on supremacy, racism or sowing discord.

Anwar said society must also have a strong understanding of religion and faith, as being born a Muslim does not necessarily guarantee an understanding of Islam.

“Being born Muslim or into a Muslim family does not guarantee understanding. The emergence of Islamic movements, associations and organisations does not guarantee the revival of the spirit of Islam beyond enthusiasm and rhetoric … which is why our great responsibility is to revive the tradition of knowledge,” he said.

Anwar said his experience in Islamic movements had also taught him that struggle must be built on conviction and the belief to act, rather than solely on the amount of support, votes or social media acceptance.

“Ultimately, the consideration is to seek and obtain the blessing and pleasure of Allah SWT. God willing, with your spirit, strength and support, we can continue to build the strength of the Islamic community,” he said.

The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of the tradition of knowledge, usrah and efforts to bring together new ideas in shaping public understanding, especially in a country with diverse races and religions.

He said nation-building efforts must also focus on education and mastery of new knowledge, including artificial intelligence (AI), while not neglecting fundamentals such as faith and moral values.

“We must reach for new knowledge, AI, but if we reach for the skies while abandoning our roots in the ground, we will certainly see imbalance in nation-building,” Anwar said.- Bernama