Kuala Lumpur: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable people in Malaysia was evident long before he assumed the role of Prime Minister.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, IDE Research Centre Executive Director Amidi Abdul Manan emphasized Anwar’s enduring efforts, which were highlighted by Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor, Prof Muhammad Yunus, during his participation as a panellist at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 in Davos, Switzerland. The event was also attended by the Prime Minister recently.

Prof Muhammad Yunus, a 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate recognized for introducing microcredit loans to empower underprivileged groups, praised Anwar’s commitment to uplifting vulnerable communities. During a WEF session titled “ASEAN, Even Stronger Together,” Yunus noted that Malaysia was the first country to adopt his microcredit idea through the establishment of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), initiated by Anwar when he was the Education Minister.

Amidi elaborated that in 1987, Anwar directed Universiti Sains Malaysia to study the feasibility of the Grameen Bank concept, which led to the establishment of AIM. This study was led by Prof Dr Shukor Kassim and Prof Dr David Gibbon. Anwar’s efforts to assist the poor date back to 1974 when he advocated for rubber smallholders in Baling during a fall in rubber prices.

Anwar’s fight for the poor continued during his tenure as Agriculture Minister, where he launched the Pasar Tani initiative in 1985 to combat exploitation by middlemen against poor rural farmers. In 2022, Anwar described the concept of Ihsan, or compassion, in his book “Membangun Negara MADANI,” emphasizing empathy and solutions to alleviate hardship.

Amidi stated that the MADANI framework represents the culmination of Anwar’s four decades of experience in public service and over a decade of contemplating the country’s future. It embodies loyalty and love from a leader towards his nation, beyond being a mere slogan.