TO build a Madani (or civilised) nation, scholars and thinkers must first seek out the cultural roots of our country, says national laureate Emeritus Prof Dr Muhammad Salleh.
Referencing old Malay literature to describe Madani, he explained that the concept brings along several important values, such as damai (at peace, with the absence of war and conflict), tenang (calmness), aman (peace), makmur (prosperity) and senang (ease).
“These values are something that we should convey not just to ourselves, but also to the children in school,” he said during his speech entitled “The Role of Intellectuals in Building a Madani Nation” at the Perdana Madani Debate 2023, held by the Higher Education Ministry in collaboration with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) on Aug 21 to promote the idea of Malaysia Madani.
The Malaysia Madani slogan was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in January with the aim of leading the country forward.
Madani is an acronym for the government’s policy that embraces six core values: keMampanan (sustainability), KesejAhteraan (prosperity), Daya cipta (innovation), hormAt (respect), keyakiNan (trust) and Ihsan (compassion).
In his speech, Prof Muhammad also underscored the international thoughts of two social philosophy groups, namely, universal and Asian humanism, and how critical thinking is needed in order to build a Madani society.
“Asian humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasises human values and actions – either individually or collectively – and is in favour of critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over the acceptance of dogma or superstition.
“Universal humanism, on the other hand, is an encouragement to search for what we have in common as humans, which will reinforce and enrich our further discussion and peaceful coexistence,” he said.
He cautioned that when searching for the answer to the commonality in humans, it is important to be aware of proposing strong convictions as universal solutions.
“Universal humanism challenges us to look first for what we already have in common. That is the basis of humanity, taking care of individual human beings, as well as the community and the country, and looking for values that bring us closer to a Madani nation,” he said.
Also present at the event held in UKM was Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
In his keynote address, he said one of the important dimensions in organising the Perdana Madani Debate was to show that Malaysia Madani is a call for togetherness in providing the best for the country.
“This debate is a platform to detail strategies and actions in order to ensure that the national ethos of Malaysia Madani is conveyed in a way which is accurate, practical and strategic. Otherwise, it will only end up as an empty slogan.
“After listening to the speeches given by all the figures who were invited, we have a clearer opportunity to see the advantages of Malaysia Madani as a national idea.
“In fact, we will be able to identify the shortcomings which must be corrected and strengthened,” Mohamed Khaled said.
Among those who gave their presentations at the event were Qatar’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University College of Islamic Studies dean Prof Dr Recep Senturk, who delivered “Madani in the Context of Modernity”; and Jakarta’s Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Global Islamic Politics headmaster Prof Dr Muhammad Sirajuddin Syamsuddin on “Giving Meaning to a Madani Nation”.
