PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's economy is on the right track despite concerns over the sliding ringgit, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.
Anwar said the nation received the most amount of investment value in its history last year.
He added that it has also witnessed lower rates of unemployment and inflation, with stronger economic growth in spite of the slowing global economy.
He said Malaysia's most significant move was requiring commercial transactions with China to be conducted in ringgit, which lessened reliance on the US currency.
"Twenty-five percent of trade transactions with China are done in ringgit and its Chinese (yuan), as well as 18 per cent with Indonesia and Thailand 20 per cent in local currencies.
"While we are looking at improving this, the situation should not be used as political attacks that are not based on facts.
"We must not condemn others as we please and instead, get the correct facts while showing compassion and understanding (towards others)," he said in his speech at the Restu Global Quranic Arts Festival (ReGQAF) launch today.
In fact, he said, one of the earliest kitab (religious books) that the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) had been instructed to print under the current government was 'Ethics of disagreement in islam'.
In nurturing the Quran generation that embraces good values, the Education Ministry would be distributing Imam Nawawi's 40 hadith book to school students, he said.
It is currently being proofread by Jakim, he said.
"While embracing Madani in economy, it is equally important that the country strengthen good values and humanity.
"What is the point of having skyscrapers if the (welfare of the) people are ignored; what is the meaning of having big factories if the employees are stressed with low wage?" he said.