At Malaysian cooperative meeting, PM Anwar highlights Bung Hatta's spirit

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA) - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim highlighted the spirit of cooperative figure, proclamation figure, and Indonesia’s first Vice President Mohammad Hatta, or Bung Hatta, while attending an annual cooperative meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on Sunday. Anwar was present at the 10th Annual General Meeting of Koperasi Profesional Putrajaya Berhad (KOPROJAYA), a cooperative body for young professionals in Malaysia’s public service sector. “I view cooperatives from a broader perspective than merely profit or dividend distribution,” Anwar said at the start of his explanation at the meeting in Putrajaya. He said that in essence, cooperatives carry a grand idea: building the economic strength of the people through wider participation and fairer distribution of benefits, compared to wealth monopolised by a handful of parties with capital strength and influence. From this, Anwar said, debates about social justice and social democracy were born. Because true democracy is not just about competing for power, but about opening space for the people to participate in economic life and enjoy the fruits of national development. He then highlighted the spirit championed by Bung Hatta in Indonesia to make cooperatives the pillar of the economy. “That is why Bung Hatta in Indonesia viewed cooperatives as an important means to realise economic equality and social justice,” Anwar said. Anwar Ibrahim said Bung Hatta believed that the future of an independent Indonesia must not be built on the control of wealth by certain groups, but must rest on broader public participation in the economy. He also highlighted the spirit of Indian figure Dr. Ambedkar, who warned that democracy has no meaning if it fails to dismantle oppressive systems and maintain the inequalities that divide society. According to Ambedkar, true democracy must provide space for groups that have been marginalised to enjoy the opportunities and progress achieved by the nation. “The same principle has long been reflected in Islamic teachings through the spirit of ta’awun, or mutual assistance in goodness,” he explained. He emphasised that this spirit teaches that the weak should not be left to face challenges alone. Instead, the weak must be gathered so they can stand more firmly and together build a better future. “Therefore, I view cooperatives as one of the important instruments of social democracy. Cooperatives expand participation, empower the people, and ensure that the benefits of economic growth do not only circulate among a handful of people, but can be enjoyed by as many members of society as possible,” Anwar said. Further, he conveyed that his administration wants to drive growth, attract investment, and explore new fields such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and energy transition. However, such progress is only meaningful if the results can be distributed fairly and felt by the majority of the people. Anwar asserted that justice does not mean giving the same thing to everyone, but ensuring every citizen obtains opportunities according to their respective needs and conditions. “This is what is meant by social justice and ‘adil wal ihsan’ - ensuring national progress upholds human dignity and brings prosperity to all the people,” Anwar said.