Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged young people to step up as leaders of the present rather than being viewed merely as leaders of the future, describing university students as the conscience of society.
He said young people must take the lead in current debates and have the courage to fight corruption, exploitation and injustice within the system.
“Why do we talk about future leaders? What makes you think young people are not leaders today?” he asked during his speech at the third International Future Young Leaders Summit (iFUTURE 2026) at the World Trade Centre (WTC) in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday night.
Reflecting on his own experience as a student activist, Anwar said he had often questioned the older generation’s tendency to regard young people as future leaders, stressing that university students represented both the present and the future.
“You must represent the conscience of the present. Society today cannot compromise with corruption and exploitation, or accept injustice.
“That is the voice of conscience today, and young people must fight for these principles with all their strength,” he said.
Anwar added that true leadership must be grounded in moral values and empathy rather than academic qualifications alone. He cautioned young people against becoming arrogant because of their knowledge and achievements.
“You may have a PhD and hold a professorship, but something is wrong if your knowledge is not guided by the voice of conscience,” he said.
To give student leaders greater freedom to think critically and express their views, Anwar reiterated the government’s commitment to abolishing restrictive provisions under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU).
He also stressed that nobody would be charged simply for expressing opinions or criticism, including student leaders who chose to criticise the Prime Minister.
“That is not a crime. You must stand by your convictions, but criticising government policies is not a crime,” he said.
Themed Redefining Future Leaders Through Value-Based Leadership, iFUTURE 2026 is a flagship initiative by the Ministry of Higher Education, organised by the Department of Higher Education in strategic collaboration with Yayasan Perkasa Siswa and Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA).
The three-day summit, held from October 11 to 13, brings together 1,231 student leaders, including 813 Malaysians and 418 international delegates from 60 countries, to strengthen international student leadership networks through intellectual discussions and strategic engagement.
Also present were Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and his deputy, Adam Adli Abd Halim.
