Abstract

Malaysia has long taken pride in its political stability, steady leadership, and long-term vision for nation-building. Even through four changes of government since 2018, its five-yearly Malaysia Plan has remained a cornerstone of governance, providing a sense of its developmental trajectory and aspirations.

In this seminar, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, Member of Parliament for Machang, will share his analysis of the 13^th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13) and its implications.  He will elaborate on his observation that:

• The RMK-13, unveiled by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in July, failed to inspire either the markets or the Malaysian public;
• Its articulation of a long-term development vision was vague, with few measurable targets or concrete policy tools to tackle deep-seated inequalities spanning race, class, and region; and
• The lack of a clear, actionable roadmap for the Bumiputera Agenda risks further eroding trust among the Malay majority, for whom the policy is seen as central to national economic justice.

Wan Ahmad Fayhsal will also share his view on what it would take to restore both domestic and international confidence so that Malaysia can deliver on its promise and potential.

About the Speaker

Wan Ahmad Fayhsal  is a Malaysian politician currently serving as the Member of Parliament for Machang and a Supreme Council Member of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU). He had once served as the Youth Chief of BERSATU. He was Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports and Deputy Minister of National Unity from 2020 to 2022.

His career began at PETRONAS as a Business and Strategic Planning Executive before he moved into a senior executive role at the Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (TERAJU). Here, he played a key role in the founding of the Bumiputera Education Steering Foundation (Yayasan Peneraju).

Wan Fayhsal’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and a Master of Arts in Geopolitics, Territory and Security from King’s College London, which he completed as a Yayasan Khazanah scholar. He also pursued further studies in Islamic theology and philosophy at the Raja Zarith Sofiah Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilisation (RZS-CASIS).