Anwar: Malaysia cannot rely on outdated legislation to face emerging challenges

Wednesday 22 Jan 2025

DAVOS, Switzerland (Jan 21): Malaysia cannot rely on outdated legislation to address the challenges posed by rapid technological advancements and must instead pursue reforms to foster greater opportunities for international collaboration, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

During a media briefing on "Unlocking Asean's Digital Future: Driving Inclusive Growth and Global Competitiveness" at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Summit 2025, the prime minister underscored the government's commitment to ensuring that legislation keeps pace with global developments.

“We take all the latest pieces of legislation all over the world and adjust accordingly, and push through.

“Fortunately, we have a two-thirds majority in Parliament. That helps immensely because people will see the array of things that we need to do to give meaning to effective collaboration and clarity of policies, and effective fast-paced implementation," said Anwar, who is also the finance minister.

The 30-minute session was moderated by the WEF head of media development and planning Dai Di. Other speakers included worldwide managing partner of Bain & Company, Christophe De Vusser; and WEF's head of regional agenda for Asia Pacific, Joo-Ok Lee.

When asked about unlocking Asean's full potential as chairman for this year, Anwar said all member leaders must continue to craft correct policies, especially regarding the rapid advancement of new technology.

“As for the collaboration, as far as I'm concerned, it must (begin with) humility to acknowledge that these new technologies are challenging. We don't have all the answers, and therefore, the collaboration must begin with the key players, including companies, and states.

He added that the task is not to impose prescriptions but to gather all the necessary input to determine what needs to be done. This includes fostering an ecosystem encompassing airports, ports, infrastructure, centres of excellence, research, and partnerships with universities.

He noted that collaboration among Asean leaders must extend to the private sector, as technological progress demands that governments and ruling elites recognise their limitations, and adopt a cooperative approach to succeed.

Anwar is currently leading the Malaysian delegation on a three-day working visit to attend the WEF Annual Summit 2025, here. This marks his first participation in the WEF since assuming office in 2022.

With the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age", the high-level summit, which began on Monday (Jan 20) and runs until Jan 24, will discuss, among other topics, the role and contribution of emerging technologies, and the latest innovations in addressing global economic issues.

Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy

Text Size