KUALA LUMPUR: There is a need for a foreign policy that has principles in holding on to core values and national interest and yet is flexible enough to adapt to shifting realities, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The Foreign Minister said that this comes as the natural order is shifting beneath our feet.
"This is as institutions are weakening, rules are ignored and economic dependencies, once meant to enable growth, are now used to exert pressures," he said in his opening remarks at the book launch of "Strategic Shift: Preparing Malaysia for a Turbulent Future".
Domestically, he stated that it requires political will to push through reforms that will prepare our institutions, our economy, and people for what lies ahead.
"At Wisma Putra, our role is to ensure Malaysia speaks credibly and coherently on the global stage. This requires the ability to see the world as it is," he said.
Touching on Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah, the chairman of the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia and the author of the book, Mohamad said he "brings an unusually broad perspective to these issues."
"His experience in so many fields offers guidance on how Malaysia can face the uncertain future," he said.
Faiz is regarded as one of the nation's leading thinkers in foreign affairs and international trade, with a distinguished career spanning journalism, law enforcement, academia and more than three decades of legal practice.
"(This is a) book that is worth reading, because it challenges Malaysians to think critically about our place in the world," he said. - Bernama
