PUTRAJAYA: Former Arsenal and Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil was among the guests of honour at the 11th edition of the Forum Ilmuwan Malaysia MADANI (FIM) held at Kompleks Seri Perdana here yesterday.
The forum, themed ‘Muslim Unity in Times of Geopolitical Crisis’, featured Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as moderator, alongside four panelists.
Joining the discussion as panellists were Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Ibn Haldun University, Necmeddin Bilal Erdogan, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan, Islamic Institute for Development and Research (IIDR) director Sharif Hasan Al-Banna, and Associate Professor Dr Khairudin Aljunied of the National University of Singapore.
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
Ozil, also a German former professional footballer, is expected to remain in Malaysia until Thursday to participate in several programmes, including a leadership summit in Kuala Lumpur and the “Klinik Bola Sepak bersama Mesut Ozil” in Perak.
In his welcoming remarks, Zambry described the forum, organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, as a meaningful platform that brings together professionals, academics and cabinet members from across sectors for direct and candid engagement with national leaders.
“Free from the constraints of rigid protocol, this platform enables genuine dialogue…thoughtful, critical and forward-looking.
“It is here that we see the convergence of ideas among government, government-linked companies, professionals and academia, all working collectively to address pressing national and global issues and to shape policies grounded in both wisdom and reality,” he said.
Zambry added that the evening’s theme reflects the profound challenges confronting the Muslim world today.
“Across political, economic and humanitarian dimensions, Muslim communities continue to face immense challenges.
“The recent tragedy in Iran serves as a painful reminder of a broader reality…a fractured world in which parts of the ummah remain weakened, fragmented, and too often subjected to external pressure, domination and humiliation,” he said. – BERNAMA
