PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s speech at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22 was in a class of its own.

In tone, style and content, he struck all the right chords, addressing regional, world and transnational issues such as global warming as well as the disenfranchisement and marginalisation of the poor.

He began in formal Malay except for the traditional Islamic greetings before switching to English for his speech proper.

His attire of baju Melayu with samping and songkok in understated colours was simple yet elegant. The UNGA is not the place to display your colourful costume, exotic culture or quaint language but to share with others your visions and aspirations for a better world. This, Anwar did brilliantly. His predecessors too have all addressed the UNGA but none matched Anwar’s superb performance.

His immediate predecessor, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, was parochial, more interested in playing local politics by delivering his speech in Malay. He may have won plaudits from language nationalists back home but, alas, few delegates kept their earphones on. Nobody wants to hear a translator’s voice.

Muhyiddin Yassin, on the other hand, would have been better off speaking in Malay and relying on the official translator.

Najib Razak’s crisp English, from his British boarding school upbringing, made his presentations glossy but that could not compensate for the lack of substance.

As for Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his speeches at the UNGA and elsewhere were as forgettable as was his tenure.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad had addressed the UNGA more times than any world leader except perhaps Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. Both also share some other unsavory features.

Dr Mahathir’s dwindling fans as well as Anwar’s domestic detractors have made much on the purported number of empty seats in the hall when Anwar was speaking, as compared to when Dr Mahathir last appeared in 2019. They forget that those UN delegates then stayed less to hear what Dr Mahathir had to say.

As for content, it was Dr Mahathir’s usual and predictable criticising of the West and his playing to the Third World gallery.

Anwar’s first applause came when he in clear unequivocal language condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His critics back home saw that as his sucking up to the United States. Yes, Anwar’s statement pleased the West, the US in particular.

However, if his detractors had listened further, he also condemned Israel’s annexation of Palestine and terrorising the Palestinians. That drew even louder applause. You can bet that the Americans were not pleased with that.

Anwar is correct to support Ukraine. Malaysia, like Ukraine, also has powerful neighbours and had indeed been invaded by one. Only Sukarno’s ineptness and corruption made the 1960s Confrontation  fail.

Malaysia now has an even more powerful neighbour, China. Unlike Indonesia, our border with China is not terrestrial but maritime, in the now-contested South China Sea. As such, it is much more difficult to define and defend.

China is flexing her naval muscles with its so-called “Nine-dash Line” claim. This relying on moldy documents to exert territorial claim is as old as humankind, or at least written documents. It would not be the first time that wars would be started based on such purported deeds.

Anwar drew enthusiastic applause when he condemned the recent spate of Quran burning in Sweden and when he voiced the plight of the poor. As for the former, hatred and intolerance are just that. Hiding behind the façade of freedom of expression is but a perversion of enlightened values.

Anwar reiterated the Swedish Quran burning incident later in a Friday “khutba” (sermon) at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York. Here again, Anwar’s genius in reading his audience was on clear display.

He related his Madani government’s response, translating the Quran into Scandinavian languages for free distribution. Counter intuitive, as with literally throwing fuel (or paper in this case) into the fire. However, as Anwar so eloquently elaborated in his “khutba”, only knowledge (ilm) and wisdom (hikmah) could win over evil and ignorance.

Anwar’s informal session with Malaysian students was refreshingly candid. Together with their probing questions and Anwar’s substantive responses, that encounter brings home the value of sending Malaysians to great American colleges instead of the usual Creekville State universities or Third World institutions.

In the epigraph to his biography of Prophet Muhammad, “Muhammad: Man and Prophet”, Saudi writer Adil Salahi quoted the advice his father gave him: “… [L]oving Prophet Muhammad could only be demonstrated by following his teachings, not by singing his praises.”

In being eloquent both as a secular leader as he did in addressing the UNGA and a few hours later as a spiritual one with his “khutba”, Anwar emulates our great Prophet Muhammad in blending affairs “mualamat” (secular) with “ibadat” (spiritual).

May Allah continue guiding Anwar to lead Malaysia towards a better, peaceful and prosperous future. Ameen! – September 26, 2023.

* M. Bakri Musa reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.