KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the establishment of the International Institute of Futures Studies (IIFS) has the potential to serve as a catalyst for bold and innovative ideas.
He said such an institution can elevate the International Islamic University Malaysia’s (IIUM) standing as a global leader in futures studies and beyond.
“The creation of such an institution within a Malaysian and Islamic university is both timely and vital.
“Futures studies is no passing trend. It is a rigorous discipline whose importance grows with each passing year,” he said in his speech at the launch of “A Malik Bennabi Reader” and the IIFS established by the IIUM, here today.
The insights from futures studies, Anwar said have already influenced policy frameworks such as SCRIPT (Sustainability, Care & Compassion, Respect, Innovation, Prosperity and Trust) and Malaysia MADANI.
Therefore, the Prime Minister hoped that the IIFS would build on this foundation, producing thinkers and policy-makers ready to tackle challenges still beyond the horizon.
The IIFS is an institution that explores future perspectives of the Islamic world through strategic research and various disciplines of knowledge. It aims to become a leading reference centre in the fields of Islamic thought, philosophy, and global development.
Regarding “A Malik Bennabi Reader”, Anwar said the book compiles the ideas and thoughts of the 20th-century Muslim thinker Malik Bennabi, who emphasised the importance of intellectual and spiritual reform for the revival of Islamic civilisation.
“Intellectual endeavours such as A Malik Bennabi Reader and the establishment of IIFS are stepping stones towards reviving the spirit of Convivencia, that luminous era of knowledge and exchange that once defined Al-Andalus.
“It is my fervent hope that Malaysia, too, will embody this spirit, becoming a crucible of ideas, cultures and wisdom,” he added.
Present at the launch were Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan, and IIUM president Tan Sri Samsudin Osman.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post tonight, the Prime Minister said that Bennabi’s warning about the gap between moral principles and humanity should serve as a lesson in facing today’s world, where rapid advancements in technology and science are often misused as instruments of oppression.
“As seen in Palestine and many other places, power frequently hides behind the rhetoric of peace and progress when, in reality, it reinforces injustice.
“Therefore, a truly free and independent society must have the courage to reassess the narratives shaped by superpowers and uphold the principle of justice,” he said.
In the post, Anwar also described the launch of the “A Malik Bennabi Reader” and the establishment of the IIFS as an effort to sow the seeds of change and take responsibility for shaping the future we desire.
“Guided by the MADANI spirit and inspired by Bennabi’s ideas, we must move forward with confidence that a more just and dignified world is not merely a utopia but a possibility that can be realised for the betterment of all,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
