TANJUNG MALIM, Dec 21 — Ignorance or lack of knowledge, especially among the younger generation, makes them susceptible to the beliefs and views of others or certain parties, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
With limited knowledge, Anwar said anyone would be prone to accepting any views presented by others, hence falling into the trap of narrow-minded thinking.
“When our knowledge is limited and people say that if we don’t do this, we will (sin and) go to hell, all we ask is if it’s true. We wouldn’t dare to ask more. At the end of the day, we are trapped in conservative and narrow-minded thinking and tend to be judgmental of others,” he said when opening the National Book Award 2023 ceremony at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) here today.
Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir and National Book Development Foundation Board of Governors chairman Tan Sri Prof Abdul Latiff Abu Bakar.
The event was attended by over 5,000 UPSI students.
Anwar said to increase knowledge, especially among students and the younger generation, they must cultivate the habit of reading books to enhance and master knowledge, including the developments in new fields of study.
“Take this message home with you, our culture, the Malay culture, and our civilization will only progress with the strength of knowledge.
“If we want to advance, if we want to make this country a civilised nation, we must enhance our knowledge, compete with other countries, and with the culture of reading to increase knowledge, Malaysia will transform into a great nation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar also expressed concern about the current generation’s culture, which easily falls for brief and incomplete ideas presented on social media.
He said that topics such as economics, national policies, and the ideals of struggles require in-depth exploration and consideration of complex perspectives, taking into account the concept of Al-Kuliyah.
“The concept of Al-Kuliyah is that knowledge should be mastered in-depth and extensively, not just a brief overview on social media or formulated in a one or two-minute talk on TikTok,” he said.
Anwar also pointed out that it is a challenge for today’s youth to delve deeper into knowledge and information to formulate ideas rather than accepting them at face value.
He added that the older generations should also continue seeking new knowledge in line with the development of current technology, including artificial intelligence.
At the event, Anwar also approved an allocation of RM250,000 for the National Book Development Foundation.
