Malaysian premier calls for dialogue in 'multi-culturally complex' societies

ANKARA

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim Wednesday called for dialogue in the "multi-culturally complex" societies and said the idea of a dialogical community is important when societies are "becoming more culturally complex."

Speaking at an event "The Islam-Confucianism dialogue on enlightened leadership," he said: "Confucianism and Islam shared similar emphasis on the idea of moral empowerment and the way to its realization and the idea was integral to enlightened leadership in both traditions," Kuala Lumpur-based Bernama News reported.

"As we grapple with issues such as climate change, inequality, cyber security, and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, we find that these challenges are deeply ethical in nature," he said.

"By embracing the wisdom of Islam and Confucianism, we can work towards a future that is not only technologically advanced but also morally enlightened," Ibrahim said.

Confucianism, an ancient Chinese belief system, is often characterized as a system of social and ethical philosophy rather than a religion, according to Asia Society.

Malaysia is a multi-cultural country with Muslims in majority while ethnic Chinese constitute the third largest minority.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid