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IDEAS 8th Anniversary Dinner 2018

On 8 February 2018, we congratulated the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) on its 8 years – and counting – of working for a better Malaysia. Every year, the event is celebrated together with donors, friends, and clients of IDEAS in an Anniversary Dinner which is in conjunction with the commemoration of Tunku Abdul Rahman’s birthday. Tunku Abdul Rahman served as the first Prime Minister after the independence and is famously known as the founding father of Malaysia.

The celebration was held in Kuala Lumpur and was officiated by Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin Tuanku Muhriz who gave inspiring remarks to all the guests. The main event of the night was the panel discussion moderated by Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Chief Executive of IDEAS. The theme “Malaysia Outlook 2018: Where are we heading?” was the issue discussed among the panelists: Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr. Rebecca Fatima Sta. Maria (Chairman, IDEAS), Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail (former Attorney General), and Christopher Leong (former Bar Council President).

Emphasising on how institutions play a key role in nation-building, Christopher Leong said institutions’ resilience are heavily correlated with their independence. It is not just about professionalism or institutions having the ability to work and achieve their objectives, Leong added.

Tan Sri Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, who is also the former secretary-general of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, credited the public sector for upholding some sort of transparency when performing its tasks. The issue of building resilience within institutions, higher levels of governance, and integrity are the things that will take Malaysia to the next level.