On 31 August 2057, Malaysia will celebrate its 100th
anniversary of independence.
That milestone is just over 30 years away. Regardless of
our political landscape - whether the current Unity Government remains or a new
administration takes the helm in the years ahead - we must come together as a
nation and think seriously about 2057. It is time to ask ourselves a simple but
momentous question: Where do we want Malaysia to be when it turns 100?
To answer this, we must first have the courage to
undertake an honest assessment of where we stand today. We need to clearly
recognize our strengths and our weaknesses, celebrating what we have done well
while confronting where we have fallen short. More importantly, we must
identify the habits, attitudes, and behaviors that continue to hold us back.
What are the repeated actions preventing us from reaching our full potential?
We must determine what mindsets to preserve because they have served us well,
and what mindsets to abandon because they no longer serve us. We must ask what
we should continue doing, and what we must stop doing.
Only with this clarity can we begin to define what we
want Malaysia to become by 2057. We must ask: What does an excellent and great
nation look like? What kind of society do we want to build, what kind of
economy do we want to create, and what kind of citizens do we hope to nurture?
Most importantly, what concrete goals should we set for ourselves over the next
30 years?
This crucial conversation cannot be left solely to
politicians, political parties, or the government of the day. To lift this
dialogue above partisan politics, it is time to establish a non-partisan
national council under royal patronage. This council must bring together
Malaysians from every corner of society: representatives from both government
and opposition, academia, business, labour, youth, civil society, the
professions, and stakeholders from every state and federal territory.
Standing above election cycles, its ultimate loyalty
would not be to any party or ideology, but to Malaysia and future generations
of Malaysians.
The task of this council would be focused and profound:
to study where Malaysia has come from, to understand where it stands today, to
revisit the foundational spirit and principles of our Federal Constitution, to
identify the challenges and opportunities ahead, and to propose a shared vision
of what Malaysia should aspire to become by 2057.
Once we have clarity on that destination, we can begin
the hard work of getting there. Thirty years is a long time - it is long enough
to transform a nation, correct past mistakes, build new strengths, develop
talent, and fortify our institutions. But we cannot journey without a
destination, and we should not be afraid to dream big. Very big.
A nation celebrates its 100th birthday only once. The
goals we set for Wawasan 2057 must be ambitious enough to inspire us to rise
above daily political quarrels, narrow communal interests, and short-term
thinking. They should compel us to think not as members of political parties,
ethnic groups, religious communities, professions, or regions, but first and
foremost as Malaysians.
Great nations are built when their people are willing to
look beyond personal, communal, and partisan interests and ask what is best for
the nation.
Wawasan 2057 must challenge us to think in exactly those terms. What kind of
Malaysia do we want to leave behind for future generations? What sacrifices are
we willing to make today so that our children and grandchildren can inherit a
better nation tomorrow? If we are going to chart the next 30 years, let us not
think small. Let us set goals worthy of a nation approaching its first century.
The time to begin is now.
Peace,
Anas Zubedy
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