This is a summary of the original article by Najmi Syahiran Mamat and Aqil Haziq Mahmud that may be found here
Malaysia’s new Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has introduced a new slogan – Malaysia Madani, or Civil Malaysia – which aims to guide government policies and distinguish his tenure from that of previous Prime Ministers. This slogan is about reforming Malaysia into a country that believes in humanity and good values such as fair, just and effective governance.
The word Madani is an acronym made up of six core values, namely sustainability, prosperity, innovation, respect, trust and compassion. According to the Prime Minister, this is part of a strategic framework that is comprehensive and can respond to changes after the pandemic. He stated that growth and development must be attained through a larger context of the humane economy that prioritizes the needs of the people, and that Malaysia must be known as a Madani nation that is prosperous, fair and rejects any form of cruelty towards any individual or race.
The Prime Minister explained that Malaysia must stop its obsession with measuring success solely through economic development and numbers, and that aside from economic and material development, it is also important to develop the country’s humanity. He believes that the Malaysia Madani slogan will help in creating a more inclusive and compassionate society that promotes unity and mutual respect among all Malaysians.
The Prime Minister’s new slogan is not the first of its kind, as previous Prime Ministers have also introduced similar slogans to guide their government policies and distinguish their tenure from their predecessors. The ninth Prime Minister, Mr Ismail Sabri, introduced the Keluarga Malaysia or Malaysian Family concept, which called on the people to uphold family values while setting aside differences and mobilizing their energy to face the challenges as a family. Before that, the Kerajaan Prihatin (Caring Government) slogan was introduced by Mr Muhyiddin Yassin, which was about the government’s concern for the welfare and well-being of the people.
The Malaysia Baharu or New Malaysia concept was founded by Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he returned from retirement to lead the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition to victory in 2018. This slogan was seen as a rejection of the ways of the previous government “in practicing kleptocracy, rejecting democracy as well as not guided by the rule of law,” according to Bernama. When Malaysia was led by Najib Razak, he put forth the idea of 1Malaysia in 2009. With his slogan of ‘Rakyat didahulukan, Pencapaian diutamakan’, (People first, Priorities achieved), it became his guide for his premiership to re-orient Malaysia toward a new direction geared towards greater unity and success.
In conclusion, the Malaysia Madani slogan introduced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim represents a new direction for the country, emphasizing the importance of humanity, good values, and inclusive governance. The Prime Minister’s vision is to create a more compassionate society that promotes unity and mutual respect among all Malaysians. This is in line with the previous slogans introduced by previous Prime Ministers, which aimed to guide government policies and distinguish their tenure from their predecessors while articulating their vision in terms of tackling current and future challenges.
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