SPEECH BY

YAB DATO’ SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM

PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

 

STRATEGIC VISION GROUP MEETING: RUSSIA – ISLAMIC WORLD

16 MAY 2025 | KAZAN, TATARSTAN, RUSSIAN FEDERATION

 

Theme: Experience of Russia and the Islamic World in Youth Policy:

Common Challenges and Joint Actions

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a honor being given this privilege to participate in a very important initiative by the Rais personally, Republic of Tatarstan with the full support of President Vladimir Putin.

I had interested engagement with the President two days back, but he made a clear message and emphasis that encouraging countries and particularly me, Malaysia to support the Kazan Forum to ensure that the Russian Federation and Tatarstan continue to engage in a fruitful manner for development, for peace, for economic sustainability and of course for inclusiveness.

And I therefore commend these efforts because it’s time that Muslim scholars or Lama and leaders view this proactively and positively.

Enough of despair and dissolution of our youth. Our youth cannot see the leaders, the Ulama having continuous rancorous exchanges on our differences and looking at despair what’s happening to Gaza. We have to give them hope and opportunities.

And this hope should cover our understanding. The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned about values in politics, in governance, in geopolitical understanding. There’s a deficit. What is the deficit? Trust, values, issues of character; ‘Akhlaq’ and therefore the opportunity given to the youth in terms of correct values.

We in Malaysia use this frame of MADANI Nation, which means economic progress, semiconductor, artificial intelligence, energy transition, but with values, with character, with ‘Akhlaq’, and then to say to them that we have higher hopes among the youth. We need to allow them to participate effectively.

I commend my brother Rais Rustam, because other than this session, the strategic group discussing and giving their vision and their views. He will then encourage the participation of our youth themselves to then evaluate what we have to say, give alternative suggestions and I think in the next session, we should also take into consideration what the youth feel, what the youth think that we should give priority too.

Thank you again. Jazakallahu Khairan Kathira.