DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on the private sector and civil society to assume a more prominent role in dealing with universal concerns such as inclusivity, justice, better wages for workers and climate change.
He said politicians should not be the only ones to carry the burden and that the two parties must be held equally accountable.
“We must have a common vision which includes the private sector on corporate social responsibility, inclusivity, justice, better wages for workers and issues on climate.
“These are universal concerns. In business, it is my humble view that we lack humanity and compassion, we compartmentalise people, and we sow the seeds of deceit and deception. And, nothing has changed.
“I am appealing to you to help this cause. Present a new narrative. You can’t depend only on political leaders … some have succeeded to some extent, but some also failed miserably.
“We need a new configuration for the private sector to play a more dominant and assertive role, together with civil society for better democracy, participatory democracy, or people’s engagement,” he said during a question and answer session at the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (Apec) 2023 CEO Summit at the Moscone Center here.
China Global Television Network (CGTN) news anchor Tian Wei who moderated the session had earlier asked Anwar about his views on dealing with geopolitical difficulties.
Anwar said all parties must be held accountable, including business leaders, citing the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial scandal as an instance where private parties could also be complicit to crimes.
“We must all have humility. To accept that things have to change… let us accept the fact that to resolve issues of the world from AI to climate change, to poverty eradication, we have to make the necessary adjustments.
“We have to accept the fact that even in democracy, accountability is not only among political leaders but also business and civil society leaders.
“As the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad “all of you are responsible, and all of you, without exception, are accountable for your actions and your deeds” of course, the next question is do people actually implement these principles? I say ‘No’,” he said.
Anwar said he has taken initiatives to come up with the Madani framework since becoming the Malaysian premier, with clear policies and political stability on his part as a leader of the Malaysian government.
“For a government to have a Madani framework there must be clarity in policies. To acknowledge the fact that the country cannot move forward without the involvement of the private sector, without foreign investments. So all possible avenues including incentives must be considered to ensure there’s better employment.
Anwar said political stability is very critical and clarity in policies, as well as effective implementation, are what is required as a tool to promote investments and trade on the government's part.
“We know the ease of doing business. We know of one-stop agencies. I used to remind officers that a one-stop agency does not mean that it stops there.
“You have to facilitate and accelerate the process with clear policies and procedures,” said Anwar, adding that Malaysia has now reaped the benefits of such actions in various investments from China, the US and Europe. - The Vibes, November 16, 2023
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