Big ideas: (From left) Prof Leong, Kamarul, Nazir and Fahmi during the MyIDEAS forum in Putrajaya. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
Young talents must act on their creativity to achieve greatness
TURNING ideas into reality is crucial in shaping a forward-thinking nation equipped to navigate future challenges, leaders say.
And, every Malaysian, regardless of their social standing, can contribute to Malaysia’s intellectual growth, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.
He said this is contrary to the belief that good ideas can only be formed by academics and elites. Inclusivity, he stressed, is therefore important.
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Malaysia, he said, comprises hundreds of thousands of very creative individuals of all ages and backgrounds who are brimming with great ideas.
“Every human action throughout history starts from an idea.
“Those ideas can inspire creativity and critical thinking among students, educators, and intellectuals, fostering a knowledge-driven society capable of driving national progress,” he said at the opening of the inaugural Putrajaya Festival of Ideas (PFOI), an initiative aimed at popularising ideas and higher education on a large scale, positioning Malaysia as a regional and global hub for intellectual discourse and innovation.
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Held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre from Nov 27 to 29 last year, the festival provided over 2,000 job opportunities, bringing together experts, thinkers, leaders, academics, industries, and the public to engage in meaningful discussions and share innovative solutions to current challenges.
PFOI, said Zambry, will be an annual event and aims to boost Putrajaya as the the country’s “City of Ideas”.
Zambry
“With the PFOI, we envision a platform for Malaysians to showcase their innovation, creativity, and discoveries that can transform the nation and the world.
“The festival’s objectives also extend beyond idea generation. It aspires to foster a culture of continuous learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.
“This generation is developing new knowledge and technologies, and they are the teachers for us today,” he said, in his speech highlighting the importance of intergenerational learning in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation, on Nov 27.
Over the course of three days, five forums were held, focusing on the introduction and success stories of new ideas, public service reform, and various critical issues.
Additionally, 10 parallel sessions covering a broad range of topics, including the economy, education, international diplomacy, health, AI, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), digital transformation, food security, environmental sustainability, and the Madani concept, were organised.
Acting on ideas
Lauding Zambry for organising the PFOI, Capital A Bhd chief executive officer (CEO) Tan Sri Tony Fernandes emphasised the importance of the festival which encourages Malaysians to act on their ideas.
Fernandes, who is best known for co-founding the first Malaysian budget airline, AirAsia, shared his journey in transforming the airline, purchased in 2001 for just RM1 along with its RM40mil debt and two airplanes—into the successful global brand it is today.
“If you don’t allow yourself to dream, you’ll never have aspirations. Sure, not all of your ideas will work out, and many people are scared of taking risks.
“My philosophy is if you don’t try, you will never know. I’d rather take the chance and fail than not try at all,” he said during the PFOI Malaysia Ideas Summit (MyIDEAS) forum titled, “The success story of Malaysian ideas” alongside Ikhlas Capital chairman Tan Sri Nazir Razak, Aerodyne Group chief executive officer Datuk Kamarul A. Muhamed, and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) Institute of Noise and Vibration director Prof Dr Mohd Salman Leong on Nov 27.
Fernandes, who attended the forum virtually, said staying optimistic is just as important as pursuing ideas, as outcomes can be unpredictable.He was sharing his experience from the financial challenges and uncertainty he faced while trying to acquire AirAsia.
“Days after signing the deal on Sept 5 with DRB-Hicom, which owned AirAsia, the 9/11 attacks happened. But me and my co-founders decided to move forward anyway.“We mortgaged our homes, got about RM1mil, and we took over AirAsia on Dec 8 in 2001,” he shared, before advising youths not to let others influence their decisions and to seize the opportunity to act on their ideas.
“When I said I wanted to start an airline, everyone said I was crazy. But there is a fine line between brilliance and being mad,” he said.
The forum was moderated by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil who also called on youths to take a more open-minded approach to career or business opportunities that can end up changing their lives.“With so many unique business ideas and companies popping up everyday, youths must be more open and daring if they wish to stand out from the crowd.
“We must always remember that ideas can come from places we don’t expect, which is exemplified by the origin stories of many of today’s biggest players such as AirAsia.
“While not all ideas work out, youths must be willing to take risks. Never give up,” he told thousands of youths in attendance.
Agreeing, Nazir said without taking risks, ideas can never come into fruition. He, however, said, taking risks also means being willing to accept failure as part of the process.
Nazir, who chairs the Asean Business Advisory Council Malaysia, led CIMB Group as its managing director and chief executive officer from 1999 to 2014 and served as the group’s chairman before stepping down in 2018. He is currently the chairman of Ikhlas Capital, an Asean private equity fund manager.
Sharing his experience at the bank, Nazir said years ago, CIMB was just a modest subsidiary in Malaysia.
“I then had the idea to transform it into an international investment bank, building on the solid foundation the company already had.
“With determination and faith, I believed we could do it. A decade on, my belief paid off.
“CIMB became the leading international investment bank in Malaysia. By 2003, after acquiring GK Goh in Singapore, CIMB had grown into the top international investment bank in Asean,” he said, adding that the period marked the first pivotal idea that shaped CIMB’s trajectory.
“What’s important is the process and implementation. In this country, we have to encourage young people to take risks.
“There are a lot of creative ideas that are left to die at the implementation stage, which is what makes action absolutely necessary,” he said.
Genius minds
“One’s future depends on whether they dare to dream and act on ideas and new possibilities, no matter how scary the journey may seem. For most of my life, I didn’t really think about why my ideas should matter. I stayed in my comfort zone, and did things I loved and was used to doing, like reciting literary compositions, being the master of ceremonies, and participating in public speak -ing events, because it felt right. But that all changed when I joined a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competition where students aged between 11 and 19 were tasked with designing, creating and building a miniature Formula 1 car. I used to say I didn’t like STEM and wasn’t interested in it. Why? Because I never gave it a try—I never explored anything related to STEM. That’s why I felt like it wasn’t for me. But one thing I’ve come to understand is that everyone has something they’re meant for, and ideas can come around when you take a chance in embracing new experiences.”
Permata@Pintar Negara Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia student Putri Anis Dayana Norsahiat, 17
“I was diagnosed with mild autism at a young age, which meant I had to face challenges in communication and motor skills. I love numbers and alphabets, and because the periodic table had both, I spent hours staring at it. My parents noticed my interest and started teaching me about it, which helped me learn chemistry. When I was two years old, they taught me addition and subtraction, and from there, I learnt multiplication and division. I hope to graduate from Univiersiti Malaya (UM) and be a math lecturer. I want to share the beauty of math and to inspire my students to love math the way I do. Math, to me, isn’t just about numbers — it’s about patterns, logic, and the way everything in the world works. I also want to make a meaningful impact based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to build a better Malaysia, for the present and for the future.”
UM youngest undergraduate student Izz Imil Shahrom, 12
*Putri and Izz delivered a talk titled “The Courage to Create” and “Breaking Barriers”, respectively at the PFOI, sharing their personal experiences, reflections and hopes in stepping out of their comfort zone and embracing neurodiversity.
