'Our country': Anwar calls on Malaysia to move past racial politics nearly 70 years after independence
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called on all parties to stop exploiting racial issues for political gain, saying Malaysia cannot afford to remain trapped in communal divisions nearly 70 years after independence.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged Malaysia to discard racial politics, addressing an audience at the Chinese Cultural Night 2026 in Melaka. The Malaysian leader argued that the nation cannot persist in communal disputes that alienate children from various communities. Steven Sim Chee Keong, the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, and Datuk Salhah Salleh, Melaka State Secretary, were among the attendees.
Anwar traced the origins of Malaysia's racial political landscape, from the communalism of the 1950s and 1960s to its exploitation by politicians in subsequent decades. He emphasized that while acknowledging the rights of the Malay Rulers and the Federal Constitution, the country's children should not feel like strangers in their own land.
Anwar framed the issue as a matter of national survival, questioning how any country could exist in such a state and how many years it had been independent without resolving these issues. He cited the founding leaders of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Tan Siew Sin, and Tun Sambanthan, as examples of politicians who prioritized the nation's well-being over their respective communities.
Anwar stated that Malaysia is at a critical juncture, and all parties must have the courage to reject practices that threaten national unity.
Written by urgent.news from The Independent Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
