SUNGAI PETANI, Kedah: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants the traditional martial art of silat to be strengthened and not forgotten, particularly among the Malays, in tandem with the rapid national development driven by technological and digital advancements.
He said that although the country is making progress in various fields, including artificial intelligence (AI), digital technology and the development of data centres, silat must continue to be preserved as a cultural heritage and a symbol of national identity.
“On behalf of the MADANI government, which I am entrusted to lead, we will continue striving to ensure that Malaysia emerges as a strong and successful nation in the Asian region.
“However, we also want this country to remain rooted to the ground, for the Malays not to lose their identity, to uplift the dignity and standing of the people by acquiring new knowledge, while remaining firmly anchored to our historical roots, including silat,” he said.
He said this at the closing of the Northern Zone ‘Gema Pendekar’ MADANI Gathering and the Pendekar Utama Negara Dato’ Dr Raja Abdul Majid Cup Open Silat Championships here on Saturday night (Jan 24).
Also present were Home Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and Youth and Sports Minister, Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari.
Anwar said every school, village and suburban area should have a silat group to nurture spirit, discipline and fighting spirit, particularly among the Malays.
However, he said silat practitioners must uphold good morals, adhere firmly to the Islamic faith, strengthen ties of brotherhood, and accept the reality that Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-religious country.
“The world is changing; there must be strength in knowledge and understanding of technology… but when we remain rooted to the ground, we will not lose our Malay culture, we will not forget our identity and the history of our people,” he added. – BERNAMA
