THE late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein’s warning about the dangers of communism, communalism and corruption remains relevant to Malaysia today, Prime Minister Datu Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
Anwar said although the armed communist threat that confronted the country during Tun Razak’s era had disappeared, Malaysia must not underestimate foreign ideologies that could influence society, while communalism and corruption remained serious challenges.
“Corruption remains a major problem. Hopefully, we will not overlook the message of a national leader who was able to look beyond his time and identify things that could save the country and which should be avoided by present and future generations,” he said.
Anwar was speaking at the Remembering Statesman Tun Abdul Razak programme at the Tun Abdul Razak Memorialin Kuala Lumpur today.
He said Tun Razak had identified the three ‘Cs’ as major challenges facing a young Malaysia in the 1970s.
“The first C was communism. The threat from the communist groups at that time could not be underestimated because it was an armed threat that resulted in members of the armed forces and police being killed.
“The second C was communalism. This was a very painful process because this country comprises various races, and people could easily be swept up by strong racial sentiments if they were not controlled.
“The third C, imagine that in the 1970s, Tun Razak identified the third threat that was dangerous to the country — corruption,” he said.
Anwar said Tun Razak had also warned university students about the dangers of communalism, including the distortion of Malay nationalism into narrow racialism.
He said Tun Razak had reminded young people that the struggle against corruption had to continue, particularly when they eventually entered positions of power.
Anwar said Tun Razak’s warnings should not be regarded merely as historical records, but as guidance for present and future generations.
“I believe the National Archives not only tells the important stories of Tun Abdul Razak, but also his ideas. I think to do justice to a statesman is to rekindle the flame, ‘rekindle its flame’,” he said.
Anwar also highlighted Tun Razak’s contribution to the formulation of the New Economic Policy (NEP), particularly its objective of eradicating poverty regardless of race.
He said the NEP remained an important framework for restructuring society and addressing poverty, although its implementation needed to be aligned with current circumstances.
Anwar said Tun Razak’s legacy should be understood not merely through his historical achievements, but through the principles and ideas he championed in confronting challenges to national unity, integrity and development.
He said these lessons remained important as Malaysia continued its efforts to strengthen the country and improve the wellbeing of its people. - September 8, 2026
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