The Centre of Regional Strategic Studies (CROSS) and the Petaling Jaya Member of Parliament Office, in collaboration with the esteemed Gerakbudaya, proudly launched the much-anticipated book, “Anwar Ibrahim: Tenacious in Dissent, Hopeful in Power”, authored by the distinguished Khoo Boo Teik. The launch took place on January 6, 2024, at the Crystal Crown Hotel Petaling Jaya.
Khoo Boo Teik, Professor Emeritus at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo, and Research Fellow Emeritus at the Institute of Developing Economies, Chiba, Japan, guides readers through the transformative journey of Anwar Ibrahim. The narrative delves into Anwar’s multifaceted roles as a Malay nationalist student, an advocate of Islamic activism, a reformist, and a resilient opposition leader. The book artfully captures Anwar’s evolution from a political prisoner to achieving the pinnacle of Malaysian politics as Prime Minister, symbolizing resilience and change.
The book launch was graced by the presence of Prof. Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Research Advisor at Khazanah Research Institute and Visiting Fellow at the Initiative for Policy Dialogue, Columbia University, who officially unveiled the book.
The event garnered enthusiastic participation from a diverse audience, with over 120 attendees, including representatives from local and international universities, institutes, academia, associations, NGOs, and the media. Guests actively engaged in exploring the societal transformation depicted in the book through the lenses of history, biography, and politics.
Professor Dr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram emphasizes that Malaysia should critically assess its own challenges instead of solely relying on foreign narratives. He said that if Malaysia wishes to get out of the middle-income trap, the country must abandon the colonial model of the past that does not tax the wealthy. “We import a lot of discourse from Washington (United States) and Davos (Switzerland) since that is the fashionable thing to do, but we need to get away from all that by studying and recognising our own problems and overcoming them.”
Special guest speakers offered profound insights into Anwar Ibrahim’s journey and its significant impact on Malaysian politics. The distinguished speakers included Dr. Lee Boon Chye, Former Deputy Minister of Health; Lee Chuan Chung, Communication Director of KEADILAN, and Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin, ABIM President.
