MalayMail/Bernama-Nov 20
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged young Malaysians and Africans to consciously break free from a lingering “colonial mentality” and imperialist cultures to secure a just and progressive future based on their own strengths. He stressed that societies and countries that have achieved independence should be free to shape their own destinies, adding that young people must be directly involved in reconstructing their countries and economies. “Hence, youths must deliberate and decide for themselves in shaping Africa and Asia’s future,” he said, highlighting the importance of youth participation in national development. Such a mindset is crucial, he added, because “even decades after the end of colonial rule, many societies still carry psychological and cultural remnants of subjugation”. “The colonial mentality persists, with independent countries sometimes behaving more like colonial masters,” he said when delivering his lecture ‘Bridging Civilizations, Building Futures: Strengthening Afro-Malaysia Partnership for Shared Prosperity’ in the Ethiopian capital today. Anwar is currently on an official visit to Ethiopia, which is the first stop of his Africa tour that also includes South Africa and Kenya. He warned that failing to break away from such a mindset could lead nations away from the values of justice and freedom they once fought for. “If Asia and Africa truly want to chart a better future, then its people, especially the youth, must have the confidence to let go of the mentality that once kept them subdued,” Anwar said. The Afro-Malaysia Youth Forum, titled “Youth Partnership for Shared Prosperity” and co-organized by the Ethiopian Youth Council, Pan-Africa Youth Union and the Malaysian Youth Council, drew 250 participants. Read more at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/11/20/anwar-calls-on-youth-in-malaysia-and-africa-to-shed-colonial-mentality/199145
