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About PRAXIS​ 2025

The global order is coming apart at the seams. Trade barriers worldwide are climbing to heights unseen in modern history, all while the multilateral rules-based trading system remains defective. Hard-won climate commitments achieved over decades are backsliding, while increasing global fragmentation threatens the foundations of Malaysia’s economic development. As familiar international frameworks dissolve, the world grows more fragmented, uncertain and dangerous. Malaysia cannot afford to stand idle. This moment offers Malaysia the opportunity to shape the next generation of regional norms around trade, climate and connectivity – and to strengthen our economic and physical ties across ASEAN and beyond. Join us at PRAXIS 2025 to explore what comes after the old normal – and how Malaysia could shape today’s global fractures into its future advantage.
Speakers
Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah

Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah

Chairman, Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

Datuk Prof Faiz leads the institute’s policy development and Track-Two diplomacy, including through the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS) and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC). He is also the Malaysian representative to the ASEAN Regional Forum Experts and Eminent Persons (ARF EEP) meeting and Co-Chair of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP). His diverse career spans media, law enforcement, education, corporate law and public interest litigation, as well as strategic and international affairs advisory to federal and state governments. He is the founding dean of Selangor Business School (UNISEL) and the author of books on jurisprudence, public policy and strategic management.

Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah
YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz

YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz

Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry

Tengku Zafrul Aziz is responsible for growing the country’s manufacturing industry and trade, as well as attracting investments. Since his appointment in December 2022, he has consistently pledged to make Malaysia more pro-business, pro-investment and pro-trade. He served as Malaysia's finance minister between March 2020 and October 2022 where he led the curation and implementation of eight stimulus and aid packages in response to Covid-19. Prior to his ministerial appointments, Tengku Zafrul was in the banking and financial sector for more than 22 years, specialising in investment banking, sustainable finance, change management and regional policy execution. Just before joining the government, he was the Group CEO and executive director of CIMB Group Holdings Bhd.

YB Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz
YB Tuan Steven Sim Chee Keong

YB Tuan Steven Sim Chee Keong

Minister of Human Resources

YB Sim is the Bukit Mertajam MP and was appointed to his current post in December 2023. He is a former deputy finance minister and deputy youth and sports minister. Prior to his election as member of parliament, Sim served as councillor in Majlis Bandaraya Seberang Perai, one of the largest municipal councils in the country. He also sits on the governing board of the Penang Institute, a leading public policy think-tank. He is the author of four books: The Audacity to Think: An Invitation to Rethink Politics; Being Malaysia; an anthology of Malay poems, Dalam Salju Ada Bunga (2018); and a contemporary sociopolitical critique of the Malay classic Hikayat Hang Tuah, Hang Tuah: Adiwira Bangsa. In 201, he was named a Young Global Leader of the Geneva-based World Economic Forum.

YB Tuan Steven Sim Chee Keong
Arividya Arimuthu

Arividya Arimuthu

Senior Fellow, Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

Arividya specialises in WTO and EU laws and has more than 20 years’ experience in trade negotiations. She is a former senior director for strategic negotiations at MITI and chief negotiator for numerous high-stakes free trade agreement negotiations, including the CPTPP, for which she led the ratification and implementation for Malaysia.

Arividya Arimuthu

Schedule

Day 1
Day 2
Event guide (delegate)
Event guide (media)

Tuesday, 13 August 2024

0800-0900
Registration and arrival Renaissance Kuala Lumpur
0900-0910
Welcoming remarks by Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah Chairman of ISIS Malaysia

0910-0915
Special message by YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim Prime Minister of Malaysia

0915-1015
Positioning Malaysia’s trade and economic priorities amid a shifting global landscape Spotlight session 1

As the world grapples with escalating geopolitical uncertainty, trade protectionism and shifting economic alliances, Malaysia, a highly open and trade-dependent economy, is at a crossroads. The changing global landscape presents risks and opportunities for Malaysia, especially as it gears up to assume the ASEAN chair in 2025. This session will explore how Malaysia could navigate these complex dynamics to bolster its trade and economic strategies, ensuring they serve both regional interests and domestic economic goals. How can Malaysia leverage on ASEAN leadership to enhance regional cooperation and align with the economic aspirations of a growing Global South? How can Malaysia make use of economic diplomacy to advance its domestic socio-economic objectives outlined in the Madani Economy Framework? How can public policy ensure that the benefits of economic openness are shared more evenly?

Moderator:

Jaideep Singh
Analyst
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

Speakers:

Arividya Arimuthu
Senior Fellow
Chairman’s Office
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia 

Dr Lili Yan Ing
Lead Adviser
Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)

Rozieyanahayu Ab Rahman
Director
Strategic Negotiations Division
Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI)

1015-1030
Break
1030-1130
Advancing Malaysia’s economic complexity to achieve NIMP 2030 goals Spotlight session 2

Economic complexity refers to a country’s ability to produce a diverse range of sophisticated and technologically advanced products while measuring the depth of its knowledge creation and productive capabilities. Nations with high economic complexity tend to exhibit sustained economic growth, higher productivity and increased per capita incomes over the longer term. Malaysia has set ambitious targets to increase its economic complexity ranking under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030). This strategy involves expanding advanced manufacturing capabilities, investment in higher quality education, and building a better innovation ecosystem. To achieve these goals, however, requires overcoming longstanding domestic policy challenges, amid increasingly challenging outlook for global supply chains. This session aims to explore Malaysia’s efforts towards driving greater economic complexity. How are the current initiatives faring and what are the key obstacles to deepen economic complexity? How can we align the interests of public, private and academic institutions to develop a truly innovative and skill-driven economy capable of thriving in the global marketplace?  

Moderator:

Qarrem Kassim
Analyst
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

Speakers:

Aedreena Reeza Alwi
Director and Head of NIMP Delivery Management Unit
Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI)

Jan Noether
Executive Director
Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MGCC) 

Prof Dr VGR Chandran Govindaraju
Professor of Industrial Development
Universiti Malaya

1130-1200
Keynote address by YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry

1200-1345
Lunch
1345-1400
Keynote address by YB Tuan Steven Sim Chee Keong Minister of Human Resources

1400-1515
Adapting Malaysia’s future of work to generative artificial intelligence Research session 1

The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) like generative pre-trained transformer (GPT)-based models and other emerging AI technologies have reignited concerns about the future of work, particularly its potential to displace, augment or change jobs across industries. Generative AI technologies, unlike previous waves of automation that replaced physical and routine tasks, aim to automate higher-order cognitive tasks. This raises the possibility of a greater scope of job displacement than initially anticipated, affecting jobs across a wider range of sectors. There are further concerns that technological advancement will accelerate skill-biased technological change and further widen the gap between high-skilled and low-skilled workers in Malaysia. This session will explore the potential job and skill impacts of generative AI and other novel AI technologies on Malaysia’s future workforce. How will the job landscape change in the coming years? What policy strategies can Malaysia adopt to mitigate the risks of job displacement while incentivising job creation in emerging AI-driven sectors? How can Malaysia adapt the education and skills training ecosystem and labour market policies to better prepare workers, firms and society for the risks and opportunities created by technological change?

Moderator:  

Calvin Cheng 
Fellow 
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia 

Speakers:  

Alyssa Farha Jasmin
Economist 
World Bank Malaysia 

Dr Jasmine Begum
Regional Director, Corporate, External & Legal Affairs
Microsoft ASEAN 

Mohd Khairi Man  
Deputy Secretary-General
Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC)  

Thomas Mathew 
Group CEO 
TalentCorp Group of Companies

1515-1545
Break
1545-1700
Regulating social media platforms while protecting free speech Research session 2

Harmful online content continues to proliferate on social media platforms. Existing countermeasures, however, were either designed in a different era for different-use cases or inadequate to address the challenges at scale. For instance, certain legal provisions were drafted before the advent of modern platforms and are blunt tools that could suppress free speech rights. Meanwhile, emerging technologies, such as generative AI, threaten to lower the barriers to creating realistic manipulated information, enabling its production at scale. This exacerbates existing problems with harmful online content. Efforts have been made to address these issues, such as social media licensing. The effectiveness of these measures preventing the spread of harmful online content remains to be seen. This session will explore how platform regulation should be structured, what international best practices to consider, and how these fit into Malaysia’s socio-political context and balanced by free speech imperatives. The aim is to outline innovative strategies for protecting Malaysia’s information environment.

Moderator: 

Harris Zainul 
Deputy Director (Research) 
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia 

Speakers: 

Anuar Fariz Fadzil 
Head of Public Policy 
TikTok Malaysia  

Gayathry Venkiteswaran 
Assistant Professor 
School of Media, Languages and Cultures 
University of Nottingham Malaysia  

Mediha Mahmood 
CEO 
Communications and Multimedia Content Forum (CMCF) 

Wednesday, 14 August 2024

0800-0915
Registration and arrival Renaissance Kuala Lumpur
0915-1030
Diversifying technology options for Malaysia’s energy transition Research session 3

Malaysia aspires to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as early as 2050, with the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) spearheading the decarbonisation of the energy sector. Despite the broad suite of initiatives announced and anticipated investments, fossil fuels are still expected to make up 77% of Malaysia’s primary energy supply and 29% of electricity installed capacity in 2050, with gas as the dominant source. Natural carbon sinks, which are themselves threatened by deforestation and development, shoulder a heavy burden of absorbing the volume of unabated emissions required to turn net-zero goals into reality. Hence, Malaysia should look beyond the portfolio of electricity generation sources currently considered in NETR and assess the long-term viability of other options. This session seeks to explore the feasibility, benefits and risks of other technologies that could complement existing measures to further displace fossil fuels and cement greater degrees of decarbonisation. 

Moderator:  

Dhana Raj Markandu
Senior Analyst 
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia 

Speakers:   

YM Raja Dato’ Dr Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan 
Lead Adviser 
MyPOWER Corporation  

Dr Afiza Idris 
Director  
Energy Division 
Ministry of Economy 

Ikmal Hisham Maharon 
Assistant Director 
Sectoral Planning Division 
Economic Planning Unit Sarawak  

Datin Ir Ts Nor Ziha Zainol Abidin 
Head Corporate Ventures & Development 
Strategy & Venture Division 
Tenaga Nasional Bhd 

1030-1100
Break
1100-1200
Exploring pathways towards human-wildlife coexistence in Malaysia Spotlight session 3

As one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries, Malaysia’s biodiversity and wildlife are integral to its natural heritage and deeply embedded in its cultural, economic and national identity. The ongoing ecological and climate crisis, fuelled by an economic system that thrives on maximum extraction from the planet and people, has caused significant harm to the natural world. Intensifying competition for space has escalated human-wildlife conflicts and roadkill incidents, making many species vulnerable and pushing some, including iconic species, to the brink of extinction. For instance, there are fewer than 150 Malayan tigers remaining in the wild. Malaysia is at a critical juncture, forced to confront these issues before more species become extinct, disrupting further the balance of the ecosystem. This session will delve into Malaysia’s management of human-wildlife conflicts and overall approach to biodiversity conservation. Representatives from diverse backgrounds will discuss policy and regulatory measures, innovative practices as well as society’s role in setting a path towards a harmonious relationship between humans and wildlife.

Moderator: 

Ahmad Afandi  
Fellow  
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia 

Speakers: 

Dato’ Sri Darwis Abdul Razak  
Chief Executive Officer
Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL)  

Dr Khairul Naim Adham 
Undersecretary  
Biodiversity Management Section  
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability  

Dr Mark Rayan Darmaraj 
Country Director 
Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia Program 

Zara Phang 
Sustainable Economy Lead  
WWF-Malaysia

1200-1400
Lunch
1400-1515
Integrating health and social care for Malaysia’s care economy Research session 4

Asia’s rapidly ageing societies underscores the urgent necessity for social services to meet care needs over the long term. But a key barrier to effective delivery and organisation of social services is the dominant approach of treating health and social care as entirely separate policy domains in favour of a curative health approach that threatens to strain public health systems further. This stands in the way of adopting promotive and preventative measures that could be critical to meeting care needs. In Malaysia, latest developments outlined in the Health White Paper and impending legislation, such as the Senior Citizens’ Bill, offer new opportunities to reform health and social care services to meet these gaps. This session takes stock of the aged care economy and best practices from across the region preparing for ageing nation status, while delving into systemic reforms surrounding the care economy, community-based care and long-term care insurance. In essence, it outlines the vision for an ideal endpoint: the seamless and equitable provision of services for the elderly.

Moderator:

Lee Min Hui
Senior Analyst
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

Speakers:

Assoc Prof Angelique Chan
Executive Director
Centre for Ageing Research & Education
Duke-NUS Medical School
National University of Singapore 

Dr Khoo Chow Huat
Managing Director, Hospital & Healthcare Operations
Sunway Healthcare Group

Dr Matthew Dornan
Senior Economist
World Bank Malaysia

Dr Sheleaswani Inche Zainal Abidin
Public Health Specialist
Ministry of Health

1515-1545
Break
1545-1645
Reviewing urban solutions to ageing in the city Spotlight session 4

As Malaysia nears ageing nation status, the need to mobilise planning policies to develop age-friendly urban infrastructure is paramount. With 79% of the population concentrated in urban areas, cities must respond to this challenge, especially amid a cultural preference for ageing-in-place. A key barrier to healthy and active ageing for elderly living in cities is the exclusionary policies which isolate the elderly from social participation and interaction with their surroundings. Age-friendly cities would not only support elderly wellbeing but also impact wider social agendas, such as better disability inclusion, opportunities for social mobility, and the creation of public spaces and social infrastructure. This session explores best practices in implementing age-friendly urban development policies and takes stock of the challenges, drawing inspiration from successful age-friendly cities across the country. 

Moderator: 

Chai Sen Tyng
Senior Research Officer
Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing
Universiti Putra Malaysia

Speakers: 

Dr Azmizam Abd Rashid
Deputy CEO
Urbanice Malaysia

Daniel Lim
Director of Urban Solutions
Think City

Assoc Prof Sumarni Ismail 
Department of Design and Architecture
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) 

1645-1700
Closing remarks by Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah Chairman of ISIS Malaysia

Thursday, 7 August 2025

0800-0900
Arrival and registration Foyer, Sentral Ballroom, Level 6
0900-0915
Welcoming remarks by Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah Chairman, ISIS Malaysia
0915-0930
Stocktake of ASEAN deliverables and Malaysia’s trade positioning Keynote address

Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz
Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry 

0930-0945
Break
0945-1100
Malaysia and ASEAN in the next-generation trading order Session 1

As the current global trade order fractures under the weight of geopolitical tensions, Malaysia faces large risks but even larger choices. It is self-evident that Malaysia must recalibrate swiftly trade policies, diversify markets and safeguard strategic economic sectors, using this moment to reshape global and regional trade rules. Yet, efforts to deepen intra-ASEAN trade, present a unified front on tariffs and foster regional supply chain integration have come up against the gravity of competing domestic interests and rising resource nationalism. This session explores how external pressures, including shifting trade flows and new economic alignments, are reshaping Malaysia. What practical measures has Malaysia taken thus far and how effective are they? Given divergent interests within ASEAN and broader global uncertainty, what forms of regional cooperation remain viable for Malaysia? Crucially, what strategic policy levers can Malaysia use to shape the next-generation trading order in line with its long-term economic interests and national identity?

Moderator:
Arividya Arimuthu
Senior Fellow
ISIS Malaysia

Speakers:
Prof Dr Sufian Jusoh
Professor of International Trade and Investment
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Datin Lorela Chia
Founding President
Malaysia Association of Sustainable Supply Chains

H.E. Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz
Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN
ASEAN Secretariat  

1100-1130
Break
1130-1245
Shaping Southeast Asia’s climate security for Malaysia’s future Session 2

Climate change is a threat multiplier that magnifies Southeast Asia’s existing vulnerabilities. Heat extremes, pluvial floods and sea-level rise create new systemic risks for food systems, critical infrastructure and financial stability. Yet, decades of global climate cooperation are unravelling under geopolitical rivalry, leaving high-risk regions like ASEAN without a unified response. This moment gives Malaysia both a strategic imperative and diplomatic opening to champion a self-reliant, region-wide climate agenda that converts today’s fractures into future strength. This session will explore resilience-building strategies in addressing climate impacts. What are some immediate domestic and cross-border hot spots that demand immediate intervention from Malaysia and ASEAN? How would Southeast Asia’s regional differences account for climate risks? How can Malaysia build partnerships to anchor a next-generation ASEAN climate security agenda while advancing its own low-carbon, climate-resilient future?

Moderator:
Kieran Li Nair
Senior Researcher
ISIS Malaysia

Speakers:
Prof Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood
Executive Director
Sunway Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH)

Prof Mely Caballero-Anthony
Head of the Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS)

Mr Tomokazu Serizawa
Programme Specialist
United Nations Development Programme

1245-1400
Lunch
1400-1515
Malaysia’s Southern Corridor as model for cross-border connectivity Session 3

Major rail infrastructure investments, a surge of data centre developments, and initiatives such as the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) are rapidly transforming Malaysia’s Southern Corridor into a nexus for cross-border integration. Amid a wider rollback of globalisation and rising fragmentation, Malaysia now has an opportunity to both advance and shape the next generation of regional connectivity norms – with the Southern Corridor serving as a living blueprint for how ASEAN countries can deepen regional integration and connectivity across borders. This session explores how Malaysia can use the Southern Corridor to set regional standards in infrastructure interoperability, economic cooperation, and cross-border flows of capital, talent, and services. What types of physical and digital infrastructure are necessary to unlock cross-border trade and attract investment? What incentives and policies will best attract and retain global talent and innovative firms to the region? Critically, how can Malaysia set the Southern Corridor within a broader ASEAN strategy for resilient, rules-based connectivity, offering a blueprint for economic integration in a fractured global order?

Moderator:
Tan Sri Datuk Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria
Director
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS)  

1515-1615
Malaysia’s human resources and jobs agenda for the next global era Fireside chat

YB Tuan Steven Sim Chee Keong 
Minister of Human Resources 

1615-1630
Closing remarks by Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah Chairman, ISIS Malaysia

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