Kuala lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged Malaysians to break free from a colonial mindset that regards Western systems, language, culture, and development models as inherently superior. Instead, he called on the public to give true meaning to independence by building the nation on its own values, identity, and strengths.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar emphasized that the responsibility of today's generation extends beyond enjoying the nation's hard-won independence. He noted that Malaysians should ensure that the country's continued development is driven by strong values and a clear national identity. Anwar highlighted that some Malaysians born after independence still viewed Western models as the benchmark in many aspects of life.

"There are those from the first generation after independence whose thinking remains half-English. They may have brown skin, but when it comes to education, they believe it must be in English. The language must be English. The culture must be English. The economic system must be Western. Our political and governance systems must also follow the West," Anwar stated at the gathering with civil servants from the Central Zone at Universiti Islam Selangor.

In conjunction with the National Day celebrations next month, Anwar stressed that Malaysians should use the occasion to strengthen the nation by embracing local values, identity, and culture while remaining open to progress and innovation. He advocated for this change to begin with character-building and moral integrity, in line with Islamic teachings that emphasize self-purification as the foundation of human development and national progress.

"If we want to build the nation, as we have outlined through the MADANI framework, it must be grounded in values and good character. We must reach for the skies by embracing new technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. If we fail to do so, we will be left behind," he noted.

Anwar concluded by asserting that as Malaysia reaches for technological advancements, it must remain rooted in its faith, moral values, compassion, culture, and national identity. "That is how we give meaning to independence," he affirmed.