Prioritise real community needs and compassion, says Anwar
PUTRAJAYA: The concept of justice must be guided by fairness and compassion, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said rather than race or state sentiments, it should instead be grounded in the actual needs of the people.
He said the principle of “justice as fairness” requires policymakers to consider the circumstances of communities rather than distributing resources equally regardless of need.
“Justice does not mean giving everyone the same thing.
“If a school in a rural area needs more support, it would not be fair to allocate the same amount as a school that already has ample resources,” he said when opening the 10th Putrajaya Bhd Professional Cooperative’s (Koprojaya) annual general meeting.
Also present were Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Koprojaya chairman Saiful Azhar Shaharun.
Explaining further, Anwar said justice must be combined with compassion (ihsan) to ensure aid reaches those who need it most.
“Sometimes, in our political discourse, justice is interpreted through the lens of state interests or race. But it must be based on what is needed.
“If a community has a high number of poor people, then we must pay attention to them.
“The majority of the poor in this country are Malays and bumiputra, but there are also poor Indians and indigenous communities in the interior whose needs must be addressed,” he said.
Anwar said a proper understanding of justice and compassion was essential in ensuring government policies benefited all segments of society.
On governance, he said strong governance practices were equally important in ensuring resources generated by the economy reached the wider public.
He pointed to cooperatives as an example of institutions that could perform well if managed properly.
“Anyone can draft a plan or budget. The question is how we empower cooperatives.
“Many have failed, but there are also cooperatives that have recorded strong performance because they are managed well, systematically and in an orderly manner,” he said.
Anwar said issues such as corruption and abuse of power remained a priority for the government, even if some viewed them lightly.
“If we do not correct these weaknesses, no matter how much wealth is generated, it will not benefit the majority because the advantages will continue to accrue to the same small group,” he said.
Anwar said successful cooperatives should share their experiences and best practices with others, but maintained that good governance remained the most important factor behind strong performance.
The Prime Minister congratulated Koprojaya for successfully practising good governance, enabling it to achieve commendable performance that can serve as an example for other cooperative movements.
Koprojaya has grown into a high-impact cooperative with total assets reaching RM17.93mil and a business network spanning 13 active locations nationwide.
