SPEECH BY YAB PRIME MINISTER: MCOBA ANNUAL DINNER 2024

SPEECH BY

YAB DATO’ SERI ANWAR BIN IBRAHIM

PRIME MINISTER

MCOBA ANNUAL DINNER 2024

30 NOVEMBER 2024 (SATURDAY) | 7:45PM

GRAND BALLROOM, SHANGRI-LA HOTEL

KUALA LUMPUR

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Board of Governors of MCKK,

President of MCOBA, Tunku Dato Ahmad Burhanuddin,

Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad,

Our distinguished guest from Thailand, Honorary Secretary of Old Vajiravudh, Mr. Chaivudi Pungthong,

Tan Sri, Dato’ Seri, Dato’, and all fellow Budak Koleq.

Alhamdullilah kita dapat bersama-sama. Mohon maaf kerana melanggar disiplin sebab saya ada acara awal dijadualkan di Dewan Bahasa, tapi oleh kerana arahan Presiden, Tunku Dato Ahmad Burhanuddin, saya tidak dapat elak, kerana kalau saya elak inilah dia, bila sudah jadi Perdana Menteri, lupa. Jadi saya tidak ada pilihan.

Tapi memang satu perasaan bangga dapat pendedahan di Kolej Melayu Kuala Kangsar cuma 7 tahun dari Tingkatan 1 sampai Tingkatan 6 Atas diberikan pendedahan dan pengajaran yang sangat bermakna. Jadi guru-guru Melayu dan bukan Melayu, rakyat Malaysia dan guru dari luar Malaysia yang memberikan kita latihan yang sangat bermakna kepada kita.

Saudara-saudari,

Kita tahu sejarah, lakaran sejarah yang mengasaskan Kolej Melayu, tetapi kekuatan kita ialah bahawa perencanaan yang juga termasuk daripada gagasan dan penjajahan dengan kerjasama Raja-raja Melayu itu tidak melarikan dari kekuatan asas tradisi budaya mengakar ke bumi. Kalau kita lihat umpamanya rencana Stamford Raffles, noted the establishment of a Malay College written in Singapore earlier, their message, a Malay College that will produce elites, essentially birocrates that will render service to the nation, to the colonial masters. But as and true consistent to the colonial viewpoint, maybe brown in colour, a very British at heart. This enthought of empowerment fortunately has not misplaced us.

Those of you who have the opportunity access to the education and the college, you would realize that the tradition and experience has not derailed us from our groups. The early nationalist leaders, prominent leaders like almarhum Tun Abdul Razak, birocrates, and academicians are impeccable credentials from Malay College have shown the way that once we have benefited immensely from the traditional cultures of the West, we remain true to the Malays, to Islam and to this great nation, Malaysia. So, Alhamdullilah.

The challenge now is of course more delicate, more sophisticated in terms of moving forward to preserve our identity, at the same time to be inclusive. Malaysia will not be able to accept without this determination to be an inclusive nation. The constitution provides basic guarantees and I think it’s important for us then to move with that sense of confidence, preserving our identity back to our groups. At the same time, move forward towards the dictates of the period, including what YB Nik Nazmi we’ll be talking about energy transition or digital transformation. It is critical for then the Malays and for the nation. Only that sense of confidence we can discard all those identities of the scourge of racism and religious bigotry, which can remain to be a challenge in our society.

I like to reflect on this point because many of my colleagues, my batch and the other batch and I believe some of you are a little concerned about the position or the policy in government seem to be more inclusive, more tolerant and therefore may sacrifice the interest or the Malays. I think these wise ideas appreciate the concern, but it is clearly misplaced.

The government, the MADANI government performing for coalition partners. Made it very clear that constitutional guarantees are in place. The position of the Malay rulers, Malay privileges and Bumiputera privileges, Islam as a religion to the federation and Bahasa will never be compromised.

In fact, under this government, for the first time, when we took back Bandar Malaysia, the old Sungai Besi airport from a foreign entity, we made it clear that a portion minimum 50 acres would be preserved as Malay reservation. The first time since independence. Which to me portray a sense of confidence, because not only the Malays support is ventured. The non-Malays, including my cabinet, they understand because this position, the government policy, above government policy makes it very clear that we here to be fair, to consider every single Malaysia as one great member with one great family. We don’t believe in discrimination, although we do support the policy of affirmative action.

Social mobility requires our input in education. But we also have to accept and acknowledge, and I think Budak Koleq must acknowledge the fact that there were excesses using the Bumiputera policy to enrich the few. Using the Bumiputera policy to enrich families, family members, party leaders.

And these excesses have unfortunately condemned the Malays. I’ve seen records now the billions of dollars of shares absconded by a few in the name of Bumiputera

We have seen major contracts and privatization given, not transparent and in the process have only enriched the few. Now do we necessarily discard a policy that will favour the beliefs, basically entrepreneurship and business. The answer is no. But why can’t we introduce this and implement this? According to the dictates of the time and be more transparent and allow more Malays to benefit from this as we have seen in the social mobility in terms of education.

That’s it is the reason why I think we need to give this necessary message and exposure to the Malays, the words we can preserve some elements of the economic policy. We cannot expect to succeed if we discuss the principal inclusivity and transparency and ensuring that these policies benefit the vast majority of the Malays, including the urban poor and those from the rural hunt land.

Demikian kuliah saya petang ini. Dia tentunya orang yang dah berumur macam saya ni kan nostalgik sikit (nada bergurau) kerana banyak orang mungkin kalau sebahagian daripada golongan menengah atas di bandar tidak merasa manafaat seperti kita. Saya dilahirkan di Sungai Bakap, dibesarkan di Cherok Tok Kun. Saya tidak fikir saya akan berjaya. Dan bukan tidak fikir, rasa tidak mungkin tercapai kedudukan sekarang tanpa asuhan dan pendedahan di Kolej Melayu Kuala Kangsar.

Ini yang menyebabkan saya bertambah yakin untuk menjamin masa depan anak-anak bangsa. Tumpuan dalam bidang pendidikan itu sangat kritikal. Jadi marilah kita sambut MCOBA tahun ini. Dengan mengimbau sedikit sejarah dan pengalaman dan menghargai jasa bapa-bapa kita termasuk terutamanya Almarhum Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja-Raja Melayu dan Almarhum Sultan Idris, Perak. Bukan sekadar menggagaskan, tetapi menyediakan tempat dan prasarana awal. Keadaan berubah, tuntutan zaman memaksa kita membuat penyesuaian. Tetapi asas pendidikan masih diberi keutamaan.

Akhirul kalam, saya ucap terima kasih kepada MCOBA kerana MCOBA menunjukkan sikap dan pendirian untuk kenang jasa di Kolej Melayu dan saya kagum dengan komitmen Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin kerana Tunku Dato Ahmad Burhanuddin ini memang seorang yang passionate betul pasal Kolej Melayu. Dan orang yang berumur seperti saya tahu bahawa mahu berjaya dalam politik, berjaya dalam profesion, berjaya dalam kehidupan, berjaya dalam MCOBA mesti bersama And you have the passion.

Thank you very much.

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