KUALA LUMPUR: A stronger, more resilient Asia can be achieved if countries in the region unite and exchange ideas on strategy and best policy practices, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Malaysia's unity government, he said, had introduced the Malaysia Madani concept out of a desire to create a "humanistic nation" in line with civilisational values.
"In this sense, it is also our national philosophy centred on six core values; sustainability, prosperity, innovation, respect, trust and compassion.
"These core values are not new, yet they are the most germane for Malaysia given our history, particularly the past few years."
Anwar said this in his speech at the 2023 Annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan, China, today.
He set out a patch on how the region could achieve solidarity and cooperation for development amid global challenges.
"First, we should focus on values that unite us as a human family, not those which divide us.
"Ethics, sincerity and integrity in dealings with partners in bilateral and multilateral situations must be paramount.
"The concept of democratic accountability should prevail rather than just trumpeting upon the slogan or term of 'democracy', which has been used as means of pigeonholing countries according to rather arbitrary standards," he said.
Democratic accountability, he added, was enjoined on leaders to be accountable to the people by providing improved standards of living, practising transparency in decisionmaking, and the overarching practice of good and effective governance.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, said while competition was good, there were times when cooperation was better.
"Today, geopolitical and geo-economic competition has become an inescapable feature of Asia.
"While geo-economic competition in the past was focused on commodities and resources, the current race is about cutting-edge technology as demonstrated, for example, in the competition in the semiconductor industry.
"The rivalry to be ahead in this can either take a productive or a destructive turn."
He said on one hand, it was important to recognise that countries would always seek to protect their intellectual property and try to stay ahead of the competition.
However, he said it was also important to establish certain guardrails so that the competition would not lead to a bifurcation in the technological world, which would raise costs and impede progress.
Anwar said this was why he believed that technological competition should be one of the principal agenda items for discussion at the highest levels together with discourses on security and general economic matters.
"Having said that, let me reiterate that unfettered competition must give way to spirited collaboration.
"We could go even further as we relate this principle of empathy to the Analects of Kong Fuzi and what comes to mind are the overarching themes of being humane, conscientious, and kind.
"The Prophet of Islam said: 'The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body'."
The theme of this year's Boao forum, "An Uncertain World: Solidarity and Cooperation for Development Amid Challenges", Anwar said, was apt given the "extraordinary and flow" of the state of geopolitics and power as well as the current state of geo-economics.
He said history reminded us that living in an age of uncertainty was but a "mere manifestation" of the cyclical nature of socio-political as well as economic evolution.
Taking an example of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, he said ensuing rapprochement signalled the end of the Cold War, but led to proclamations by the west about the triumph of liberal democracy and capitalism, being the be all and end all for progress.
"In the meantime, China and India undertook unprecedented socio-economic reforms, which resulted in phenomenal growth empowering them to reclaim their rightful place on the global stage.
"Asean too has grown, and now we have seen the new Africa.
"Indeed, what we have seen in the last three decades and continue to witness today is that there are other equally legitimate ways of viewing the world and different paths of interpreting and achieving socio-economic progress.
"China's 'Socialism with Chinese Characteristics', 'Chinese Path to Modernisation' and President Xi Jinping's idea of a community for the 'Shared Future for Mankind' are notable examples of this."
Anwar said translating lofty ideas into practical reality, solidarity and cooperation was best exemplified in the realisation of the Belt and Road Initiative.
"With the pandemic behind us, we should try to regain its momentum.
"I cannot overstress that if we continue to cooperate, speak in a unified voice and exchange ideas on strategy and best policy practices, we can work towards an Asia that is stronger and more resilient," he added.