KUALA LUMPUR: A nation’s progress should be measured by its citizens’ quality of life and not the number of megastructures in the country, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
To that end, Anwar said Malaysia is currently implementing digital systems to deliver social protection more effectively to vulnerable communities.
"The conviction that guides us is clear – true prosperity is not measured by the size of our skyscrapers or GDP, but by the dignity with which ordinary citizens live their daily lives," he said in his opening remarks at the World Social Security Forum (WSSF) on Monday (Sept 29).
Anwar said the gap between wealthy and poor nations is stuck, as governments with deep pockets invest heavily in social protection while impoverished governments struggle to even provide the basics.
"Yet, the pressures of our time – climate change, technological disruption, migration displacement – know no borders.
"If capital can cross continents in search of profit, then a measure of solidarity, too, must cross borders in the name of justice.
"We must begin to see social security as part of a global ecosystem," he said.
According to Anwar, the proposed global ecosystem can take many forms, among them stronger financing for protection floors, global funds created for health and climate, fairer taxation across borders, and the sharing of expertise and technology so that no country is left behind.
"A world fractured by inequality cannot endure.
"Our responsibility is to ensure that social protection keeps pace with the world we live in and the world our children will inherit," he added.
