Anwar: Malaysia must embrace AI, quantum technology without losing cultural roots

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 28 — Malaysia must continue to master emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, to remain competitive globally while preserving its religious and cultural identity, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said technological advancement was essential to ensuring the country kept pace with global developments, but must be anchored in religious faith, moral values, culture and literature.

“If we fail to master technology, others will overwhelm us. That is the principle. In the past, we fell behind because others mastered technology while we did not.

“But reaching for the sky must go hand in hand with being rooted in the ground. And what keeps us rooted? Our faith, morals, values, culture and literature,” he said.

He was speaking at the ‘Majlis Ilmu Madani’ programme at Kompleks Seri Perdana here today, featuring prominent Indonesian preacher Ustaz Dr Abdul Somad Batubara as a guest.

Also present were Anwar’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan, and Westar Group founder and managing director Tan Sri Dr Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim.

Anwar said the culture of seeking knowledge must be strengthened to address the tendency among some individuals to raise problems without offering solutions based on knowledge and rational thinking.

He said a lack of in-depth understanding across various fields, including religion, could lead to tensions when people pass judgment on issues without sufficient knowledge or careful consideration.

“Even today, some religious teachers create problems. They learn a little about religion and immediately pass judgment, becoming ‘takfiris’ who declare others apostates or accuse them of hypocrisy,” he said.

Takfir refers to the practice of one Muslim declaring another Muslim an infidel or apostate.

He said the government would continue to strengthen religious education institutions, including traditional religious learning and the study of turath, or the Islamic intellectual heritage.

Anwar said the government also organised the monthly Madani Scholars Forum for senior leadership, including Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, to encourage informed discussion on such issues.

“The forum is sponsored by a conglomerate, and we invite people to discuss these matters. We believe that without adequate preparation in knowledge and understanding, including in preaching, religious studies and jurisprudence, tensions will arise,” he said.

The Majlis Ilmu Madani programme, held at the Prime Minister’s official residence, is part of efforts to foster a society that values knowledge and appreciates the importance of proper conduct and good character.

Anwar conceived the programme after becoming Prime Minister in November 2022. It has since been expanded to venues nationwide. — Bernama

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布城，10月28日讯——马来西亚首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣表示，马来西亚必须继续掌握包括人工智能（AI）和量子计算在内的新兴技术，才能在全球保持竞争力的同时，维护其宗教和文化特性。

安华同时也是财政部长，他表示，科技进步对于确保国家跟上全球发展步伐至关重要，但必须以宗教信仰、道德价值观、文化和文学为根基。

“如果我们不能掌握技术，就会被他人超越。这就是道理。过去，我们落后就是因为别人掌握了技术而我们没有。”

“但是，志存高远必须与脚踏实地并存。而是什么让我们脚踏实地呢？是我们的信仰、道德、价值观、文化和文学，”他说道。

他今天在 Kompleks Seri Perdana 的“Majlis Ilmu Madani”节目中发表讲话，著名的印度尼西亚传教士 Ustaz Dr Abdul Somad Batubara 作为嘉宾。

出席者包括安华的妻子拿督斯里旺阿兹莎旺伊斯梅尔博士、首相署部长（宗教事务）祖基菲里哈山博士，以及Westar集团创始人兼董事经理丹斯里赛阿兹曼赛义德易卜拉欣博士。

安华表示，必须加强求知文化，以解决一些人只提出问题而不基于知识和理性思考提出解决方案的倾向。

他表示，对包括宗教在内的各个领域缺乏深入了解，可能会导致人们在缺乏足够知识或仔细考虑的情况下对问题做出判断，从而引发紧张局势。

他说：“即使在今天，一些宗教教师仍然会制造问题。他们对宗教了解不多，就立即妄下断论，成为‘塔克菲里人’，宣称别人是叛教者或指责别人虚伪。”

“塔克菲尔”指的是一名穆斯林宣布另一名穆斯林为异教徒或叛教者的做法。

他表示，政府将继续加强宗教教育机构，包括传统宗教学习和伊斯兰知识遗产（turath）的研究。

安华表示，政府还组织了每月一次的马达尼学者论坛，邀请包括政府首席秘书丹斯里沙姆斯·阿兹里·阿布·巴卡尔在内的高级领导人参加，以鼓励就此类问题进行深入讨论。

他说：“本次论坛由一家企业集团赞助，我们邀请各界人士前来探讨这些问题。我们认为，如果缺乏足够的知识和理解，包括布道、宗教研究和法理学方面的准备，就会出现紧张局势。”

在总理官邸举行的“Majlis Ilmu Madani”计划，是为培养一个重视知识、重视良好行为和品格的社会而做出的努力之一。

安华在2022年11月就任首相后构思了这项计划，此后该计划已推广至全国各地。——马新社

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