Latest news with #Jemilah
The Sun
30-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Govt urged to steer Asean beyond economic output
PETALING JAYA: Renowned humanitarian and Mercy Malaysia founder Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood has urged Malaysia to use its Asean chairmanship as a turning point not just for the region's economic ambitions but to also redefine progress through the lens of genuine well-being and planetary health. Speaking on 'The Game of Impossible' podcast on Friday, Jemilah stressed that gross domestic product (GDP) alone is a flawed and outdated metric of development. She said high income does not always equate to happiness or safety. 'GDP alone is a bad measure of development. You have seen countries with high GDPs but very unhappy people, very unsafe. We need a well-being economics model in which everyone can live a good life with dignity and enough economic development,' she said. Jemilah, who founded Mercy Malaysia in 1999 after being moved by wartime footage from Kosovo, reflected on how humanitarian work has evolved from reactive disaster response to addressing the root causes of human vulnerability. She recounted a life-changing moment from 2000, when images of a Mozambican woman giving birth atop a mango tree during severe flooding left a lasting impression. Years later, while serving as Under Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, she visited Mozambique and discovered that the boy she was playing with was that very baby. 'That was my 'aha' moment,' she said. 'Have I been putting band-aids on gaping wounds? Until and unless we tackle the underlying drivers of why people are becoming so vulnerable, we can't keep (applying) aid as a cure.' That realisation drove her deeper into planetary health, a field linking the well-being of humanity to the state of the Earth's natural systems. Upon returning to Malaysia from Switzerland during the Covid-19 pandemic, Jemilah established the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, envisioning it as a regional hub to address intertwined challenges such as climate change, social inequality and sustainable growth. 'Asia Pacific is the most vulnerable region in the world,' she warned, urging Malaysia to lead boldly during its Asean chairmanship with real commitments to decarbonisation, halting deforestation and driving behavioural change. She highlighted Costa Rica as an inspiring example, a country that abolished its military, invested in environmental conservation and built a thriving ecotourism sector while consistently ranking among the world's happiest nations. 'I would rather live well than be extremely wealthy. You may have wealth but no health. We need to find the balance between well-being and wealth,' she said. Reflecting on over two decades in humanitarian service, from conflict zones in Iraq and Afghanistan to the 2004 tsunami in Aceh, Jemilah shared searing memories, including an ambush in Iraq that claimed the lives of her colleagues and left her needing months of therapy. 'Humanitarian workers were no longer sacrosanct. International humanitarian law had been breached,' she said, describing how their clearly marked ambulance was deliberately targeted. Through it all, Jemilah emphasised the values of humility, persistence and gratitude. She said true leadership includes knowing when to step aside as she did by preparing a succession plan before stepping down from Mercy Malaysia.
Barnama
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
MADANI Concept Can Be Expanded To ASEAN Level
KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia MADANI concept introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as a framework to drive the nation towards becoming a developed, prosperous and competitive country can be expanded to the ASEAN level. Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University executive director Prof Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood said this is because the core values emphasized in the concept such as justice and humanity are aligned with ASEAN's aspirations, with Malaysia serving as chair this year. "To the Prime Minister, I would say I love the Malaysia MADANI concept because it is in line with planetary health, it's in line with sustainability. We need an ASEAN MADANI. "I think that begins with looking at the whole issue of climate, peace and security. We need him to come out of his chairmanship, winning the whole issue around conflict, finding a peace resolution," she said during Bernama TV's "ASEAN: Dari Kuala Lumpur ke Dunia" programme, hosted by Gerard Ratnam tonight. Dr Jemilah said we have to find a peaceful end to the conflicts in the region, particularly in Myanmar. "It's an appeal to him. As tough as it is, we are all behind him and we want him to succeed. We want him to take on climate change, biodiversity loss and the planetary crisis we are facing very, very seriously. "We need to look at a rapid energy transition for the region and that these crises are intergenerational. We owe it to the future generations to put into place now the mechanisms that will help make their future lives better than ours," she said. Dr Jemilah added that Malaysia's image as a respected nation on the global stage can be used as a form of soft power when engaging with any international country on arising issues. She said that Malaysia's position as the ASEAN Chair also provides an advantage, as countries in the region are currently situated between two global superpowers, Malaysia therefore, has a role to play in ensuring the region's economy and businesses continue to grow.
