PROFESSIONALS cannot wash their hands of wrongdoing and weak governance by leaving accountability solely to political leaders, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
Citing past controversies including 1MDB and FELDA, Anwar said professionals who possessed expertise and influence also had a responsibility to speak out when they knew of misconduct, corruption or leakages.
“Yes, political leaders are responsible. However, professionals are not exempt,” he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
He said there had been situations where many people were aware that something was wrong but remained silent despite the country suffering substantial losses.
“Many knew, but could not speak out. Many of them were leading professionals in their respective fields.
“It is another manifestation of ‘barbarism of specialisation’ – when a person becomes so confined within their own professional sphere that they fail to confront problems affecting society as a whole,” he said.
Anwar said professional expertise and excellence must therefore be accompanied by values, ethics and the courage to reject corruption, leakages and wrongdoing.
“Expertise must be paired with ethics, excellence with ‘itqan fil amal’, and professionalism with the courage to speak the truth and firmly reject all forms of corruption, leakages and wrongdoing,” he said.
He said the pursuit of specialisation could lose its meaning if knowledge became confined within professional or ideological boundaries without regard for wider social and humanitarian concerns.
Anwar cited Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset’s warning about the “barbarism of specialization”, referring to a person becoming highly knowledgeable in one field while remaining detached from wider societal and humanitarian problems.
He said professionals should understand their responsibilities beyond technical expertise, including their impact on society, families, the environment and the wider world.
“How can we talk about professionalism when narrow and deep-rooted racial attitudes still exist?” he said.
Anwar said Malaysia would not advance simply by having highly intelligent people, but when knowledge and expertise were combined with wisdom and a sense of responsibility towards society.
He also urged professionals to become agents of reform and catalysts for new ideas, saying their specialised knowledge placed them in a position to offer solutions that might not otherwise be available.
Anwar made the remarks in conjunction with Malaysia’s Professional Day, observed annually on Sept 29, which he said should serve as more than an occasion to recognise professional achievements.
He said it should instead remind Malaysians that knowledge was not merely a route to personal or professional excellence, but a means of elevating the country and shaping the future of generations to come. - September 30, 2026
