MALAYSIA must move decisively to adopt a more sustainable, diversified and cost-effective energy strategy to safeguard its long-term resilience amid mounting global uncertainty, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
Delivering his keynote address at the Kuala Lumpur–Ankara Dialogue 2026, Anwar warned that the country remains vulnerable to external shocks, particularly disruptions to global energy supply chains, but assured that measures are being taken to shield households from rising costs.
“For Malaysia, this means acknowledging that we are not immune to disruptions in global energy supply.
“We remain firmly committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of our people.
“In the immediate term, my government has taken steps to manage exposure to volatility, balancing the need to ensure adequate supply with the imperative of mitigating pressures on the cost of living,” he said.
He noted that long-standing assumptions about the resilience of the global economic system have been fundamentally challenged by intensifying geopolitical tensions, particularly in strategically critical regions.
“For too long, we assumed that the foundations of the global economy were resilient by default.
“That assumption has now been decisively challenged.
“When tensions intensify in a region as strategically vital as the Gulf, the consequences are felt far beyond the immediate theatre of conflict,” he said.
Drawing parallels with the oil crises of the 1970s, Anwar cautioned that present-day risks are far more complex due to the deeply interconnected and digitised nature of modern economies.
“The oil shocks of the 1970s were not merely episodes of energy disruption. They triggered inflation, constrained growth, and reshaped the global economic order.
“Yet today, the risks are more profound and pernicious. Our economies are more integrated, more digitised and far more dependent on uninterrupted flows than at any point in the past,” he said.
He warned that any prolonged disruption in the Gulf, particularly involving the Strait of Hormuz, would have sweeping consequences beyond energy prices.
“The Gulf, and in particular the Strait of Hormuz, remains central to global energy security.
“Any sustained disruption would not simply raise prices. It would reverberate across production systems, supply chains and the daily cost of living for hundreds of millions across both advanced and developing economies,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of long-term cooperation, Anwar invoked a Turkish proverb to highlight the value of sustained partnerships.
“A Turkish proverb, 'Minareyi yaptırmayan yerden bitmiş sanır', reminds us that ‘he who did not help build the minaret thinks that it merely sprouted from the ground.’
“Our partnership did not emerge by chance. It is built on sustained effort and commitment to deepen cooperation.
“It is a profound conviction that has grown from the foundations of mutual trust, respect and shared values,” he said.
He added that diplomacy must extend beyond governments to ensure its benefits are widely shared.
“Diplomacy must therefore extend beyond governments. It must be carried forward by our institutions, our industries and our people, so that its benefits are widely shared,” he said.
Posing a broader challenge to the international community, Anwar urged collective and purposeful action to prevent long-term instability.
“Ultimately, the question before us is simple. Do we act, collectively and with purpose, to avert a crisis whose consequences will be felt across generations?
“Or do we allow short-term calculations for quick gains that would eventually lead us to long-term instability?”
He stressed that lasting peace requires sustained effort and shared responsibility.
“Peace is not sustained by silence, nor secured by force alone, but by the quiet, persistent work of those who refuse to accept that conflict is our destiny,” he said. - April 7, 2026
