Putrajaya, October 13, 2025 – The Europe Today: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for Malaysia’s education system to strike a balance between academic achievement and moral and humanitarian values, warning that overreliance on Western-oriented models risks neglecting the ethical dimension of human development.
Speaking at the Monthly Assembly with staff of the Prime Minister’s Department on Monday, Anwar said the country’s education legacy remains too closely tied to Western thought, which places excessive emphasis on material gain and capital accumulation.
“We have inherited an education system and an economic understanding tied to the thinking of Western economists,” he said. “If Western thinking is used as a reference, it must be understood in its entirety and not taken selectively. If we only scoop up the dominant thinking — namely capitalism as an ideology — then our children’s understanding will be influenced.”
The Prime Minister pointed out that the most evident weakness in today’s education system is its tendency to prioritise academic performance over the cultivation of moral and ethical principles.
“Education is only based on knowledge — not on values, not on moral and ethical principles. So there is a weakness,” he said.
Anwar added that this imbalance has contributed to rising social issues, including the growing problem of bullying in schools. “I just announced (Budget 2026) on Friday, and made an announcement about bullying. The decision has been made. The minister has mentioned it. That is why I emphasise the issue of bullying,” he said.
He stressed that such problems demonstrate the failure of the education system to produce individuals who possess empathy, compassion and a sense of social responsibility.
“Human development must begin with an education system that balances knowledge and moral values to produce a generation that excels academically and is of good character and just in spirit,” he said.
Anwar noted that genuine progress must be guided by holistic development that nurtures both intellect and character, not just economic growth. “This development must first drive growth, but for what concept? For the holistic development of the human being,” he said.
He further underlined the importance of grounding education in Islamic values such as justice (‘adl’), compassion (ihsan’) and concern for the less fortunate, so that students understand the true purpose of knowledge and progress.
“Moreover, for us as Muslims, the understanding of zakat, justice and ihsan, the greatness of the Khulafa al-Rashidin, or the special strength of Umar Abdul Aziz lies in their compassion,” he said.
Anwar concluded by emphasising that values and morals must be the foundation of every education policy to ensure that students do not merely chase academic excellence but develop empathy and integrity.
“The building of the whole human being is also determined by values — not materialism, not capital, but values,” he said.
