PUTRAJAYA: The Higher Education Ministry is committed to making the Putrajaya Festival of Ideas (FOI) an annual event in a bid to establish Putrajaya as the ‘City of Ideas’ for Malaysia and the world. Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir announced that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed his willingness to make the Putrajaya FOI, which debuted this year, one of the nation’s flagship programmes.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the MADANI government, led by the prime minister, is dedicated to upholding the tradition of knowledge and promoting the enlightenment of ideas to foster an informed, ethical, and competitive society. Dr Zambry emphasized that the Putrajaya FOI aims to serve as a platform that unites not only academics but also Malaysians from all walks of life. He shared these insights while attending the Malaysia Ideas Summit (MyIDEAS), a key component of the festival.
The three-day festival, continuing until Friday, offers a variety of activities, including the provision of
10,000 job opportunities for visitors. Dr Zambry also revealed that the ministry has initiated an ‘idea bank’ at the Putrajaya FOI, encouraging visitors to submit ideas, opinions, or suggestions that could benefit society and the nation. Contributions from Malaysians or anyone with unique ideas or valuable insights to address societal issues will be forwarded to relevant authorities, particularly the government, as part of the initiative to drive positive change.
The Putrajaya FOI has successfully gathered over 80 leaders, experts, academics, and industry professionals to engage in forums and parallel sessions under the MyIDEAS platform. In response to recent media coverage regarding the death of a Reserve Officer Training Unit (Palapes) cadet on November 13, Dr Zambry stated that the ministry is awaiting a comprehensive report from a local university before determining further action. Earlier reports had quoted the victim’s father, who alleged that his son’s death was due to physical abuse, including being
stepped on the chest and mistreated by his trainer.