KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he was disappointed with the rigid views presented in Parliament, noting the country needed MPs who could debate well on economic and industry issues.
Anwar criticised discussions still bound by such narrow-minded and backward thinking when the country wants to “reach for the sky” by mastering artificial intelligence (AI) technology, supercomputers and high-performance computing.
"Without mastering these, we will only be left behind, and this is a big problem for our country," he said in his speech at the Industry Excellence Awards ceremony at Menara Miti.
“If you look for example at the debate in Parliament now, what is prioritised is ... nothing at all.
“The discussion is – ‘who is Islamic’, ‘who is not Islamic’, ‘who is a hypocrite’, ‘who is not’ – still bound by an old and outdated framework of thinking.”
Anwar referred to the theme of the 2027 budget tabled in Parliament recently, "Malaysia Madani: Reaching for the sky, rooted in the Earth".
The budget, among others, focused on digitalisation, AI development, research and development, digital infrastructure and security, as well as green energy.
Anwar said the nation’s economic dignity cannot be elevated with an approach stuck in the past.
"If this country is to be developed, there must be a willingness among the new generation and industry to build their capabilities."
Anwar also reminded that Malaysia is a pluralistic country, with various races, religions and sentiments.
“Our language, our culture, our manners and our humanity — including respect for the sensitivities of the various races and religions — are things we cannot afford to sideline.
"That is why we say we should reach for the sky but stay rooted in the earth.”
Anwar also spoke on the importance of supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) so that their capabilities are on par with other countries. He says SMEs are an important determinant in advancing the nation.
He said if thousands of SMEs are elevated to become important industry players, their perseverance, innovation and creativity would make Malaysia succeed in penetrating international markets.
This was why the finance ministry decided to focus on loans and incentives for SMEs in the 2027 budget, he added.