KUALA LUMPUR — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has declared that Malaysia’s economic narrative is no longer defined by uncertainty and crisis management but by recovery, reform and proactive restructuring.
Delivering a special address at the Khazanah Megatrends Forum 2025 today, Anwar – who also holds the finance portfolio – said that while growth has remained steady, inflation contained and unemployment low, success cannot be measured by stability alone.
“What defines success is not the comfort of stability but the readiness to confront the next disruption,” he told an audience that included Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Khazanah Nasional managing director Datuk Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir and Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong.
Anwar stressed that investors now understand Malaysia’s fiscal consolidation strategy as one of stewardship, ensuring that every ringgit of public funds is channelled with purpose.
“Confidence grows when governments show the courage to reform, while going in lockstep with the propensity to spend strategically,” he said.
“Capital growth must always be in tandem with expansion efforts in the name of social justice, true to the spirit of Malaysia MADANI.”
The prime minister underlined that Malaysia’s approach to risk is anchored in good governance, which he described as the dividing line between recklessness and innovation.
“Institutions like Khazanah must continue to embody this philosophy of stewardship — their task is not simply to seek profit, but to balance commercial returns with national development,” Anwar said.
He urged the sovereign wealth fund to keep championing inclusive growth so that “the benefits of growth reach ordinary Malaysians.”
Against the backdrop of global economic headwinds, Anwar said Malaysia’s challenge lies in navigating uncertainty with “clarity and composure.”
The Khazanah Megatrends Forum, now in its 20th year, runs over two days under the theme “Debugging Uncertainty: Lessons from the Grasshopper and the Ant on Living with Risk.” — October 6, 2025