PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed concern over the growing use of state, racial and religious sentiments, warning that such divisions could threaten national harmony and security if left unchecked.
He said Malaysians should not become distracted by old political polemics or divisive identity-based narratives, as the country now faces more complex security challenges, including technological and digital threats.
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“I often remind my colleagues during parliamentary debates that we are still dwelling on old issues - race, religion, regional and state sentiments.
“These are not the issues that deserve our greatest attention when the country is facing much bigger threats. That is what concerns me,” he said when officiating the National Security Month 2026 programme, organised by the National Security Council (MKN), Thursday.
Also present were Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and National Security Director-General Datuk Raja Nurshirwan Zainal Abidin.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said leaders across government departments, agencies and ministries must adopt a more proactive approach instead of waiting for circumstances to change before responding to increasingly complex security threats.
“This is the responsibility of leaders in every department, agency and ministry. This is not routine bureaucracy. We must quickly understand emerging technologies and new security challenges,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar said Malaysia must shift from conventional security methods to a more comprehensive strategy to address rapidly evolving threats, including emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), post-quantum cryptography and drones.
He said the changing security landscape required close collaboration between the Government, private sector and the public to ensure the country’s security remained safeguarded.
“A whole-of-nation approach is essential. There can no longer be compartmentalisation where issues are seen as belonging solely to the private sector, a department or a ministry.
“We must foster synergy through a coordinated approach involving government departments and ministries,” he said.
Anwar also launched the National Cyber Security Summit (NCSS) 2026, the National Cryptography Policy (MyKriptografi), the MyKriptografi Action Plan and the AI Systems Cybersecurity Framework (AISCF).
He said safeguarding national security was no longer the sole responsibility of the military, police and enforcement agencies, but a collective responsibility that must be shared by all segments of society.
“We have moved beyond the conventional understanding of security, where it was seen solely as the responsibility of the military, the police and other enforcement agencies.
“Today, security concerns have reached every home and every individual,” he said.
Anwar said families should serve as the first line of defence in protecting children from harmful values and ideologies that could undermine national security.
“Just as digital systems have firewalls, every family should build its own firewall to safeguard not only the morals and values of children but also protect them from being influenced by ideologies that could threaten national security,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the Government had also introduced the National Cryptography Policy, the MyKriptografi Action Plan and Malaysia’s post-quantum cryptography sandbox programme to prepare the country for rapid technological advances.
He added that close cooperation with friendly countries remained essential in addressing cross-border threats, including cybersecurity, border security and the use of emerging technologies.
“If we do not have close cooperation with other countries, we will face difficulties,” he said.
