MADANI CONCEPT CAN BE EXPANDED TO ASEAN LEVEL - JEMILAH

KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia MADANI concept introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as a framework to drive the nation towards becoming a developed, prosperous and competitive country can be expanded to the ASEAN level.

Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University executive director Prof Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood said this is because the core values emphasized in the concept such as justice and humanity are aligned with ASEAN's aspirations, with Malaysia serving as chair this year.

"To the Prime Minister, I would say I love the Malaysia MADANI concept because it is in line with planetary health, it's in line with sustainability. We need an ASEAN MADANI.

"I think that begins with looking at the whole issue of climate, peace and security. We need him to come out of his chairmanship, winning the whole issue around conflict, finding a peace resolution," she said during Bernama TV's "ASEAN: Dari Kuala Lumpur ke Dunia" programme, hosted by Gerard Ratnam tonight.

Dr Jemilah said we have to find a peaceful end to the conflicts in the region, particularly in Myanmar.

"It's an appeal to him. As tough as it is, we are all behind him and we want him to succeed. We want him to take on climate change, biodiversity loss and the planetary crisis we are facing very, very seriously.

"We need to look at a rapid energy transition for the region and that these crises are intergenerational. We owe it to the future generations to put into place now the mechanisms that will help make their future lives better than ours," she said.

Dr Jemilah added that Malaysia's image as a respected nation on the global stage can be used as a form of soft power when engaging with any international country on arising issues.

She said that Malaysia's position as the ASEAN Chair also provides an advantage, as countries in the region are currently situated between two global superpowers, Malaysia therefore, has a role to play in ensuring the region’s economy and businesses continue to grow.

Anwar introduced the concept of Malaysia MADANI on Jan 19, 2023, an initiative that is inclusive of all groups and races, to restore the country’s dignity and glory on the world stage and aim to propel the nation towards development and prosperity. 

Dr Jemilah has previously served as the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Public Health and has been a member of both the Economic Action Council and the Climate Change Action Council of the Malaysian Government.

In 2020, she was appointed as a Senior Fellow at the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, an institution focused on climate change and human security challenges, to make one billion people more resilient by 2030.

-- BERNAMA