Kuala Lumpur:Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called on youths to take on leadership roles today, rather than waiting for the future, emphasizing their importance as society's moral compass.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar addressed university students at the 3rd International Young Future Leaders Summit 2026 (iFUTURE 2026) at the World Trade Centre, urging them to lead public discourse and advocate against corruption, exploitation, and systemic injustice. He questioned the notion of referring to young people as "future leaders," asserting they are leaders now.

Reflecting on his own experience as a student activist, Anwar highlighted the need for youths to embody the conscience of the present. He stressed that society must not tolerate corruption and injustice, and young people should lead these causes with conviction.

Anwar also emphasized the importance of moral grounding and empathy in true leadership, beyond academic achievements. He warned against intellectual arrogance, suggesting that knowledge must align with moral conscience.

To support student leaders in expressing their ideas, Anwar reiterated the government's intent to amend restrictive provisions in the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, ensuring that criticism, even of the Prime Minister, is not criminalized.

The iFUTURE 2026 summit, themed 'Redefining Future Leaders Through Value-Based Leadership,' is organized by the Higher Education Department in collaboration with Yayasan Perkasa Siswa and Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah. The three-day event, from October 11 to 13, gathers 1,231 student leaders, including 813 Malaysians and 418 international delegates from 60 countries, to promote international student leadership networks through intellectual discourse.

The summit was attended by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Deputy Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim.