Anwar said the “Asian renaissance” of the 1990s had been centred on economic growth. “But it is important for society to have a strong arts and cultural movement,” he said at the Putrajaya Cultural Festival today.

He also said the tourism, arts, and culture ministry plays the important role of honouring the meaning of art, paintings, poems, films and theatre plays.

Also present at the festival were tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing and Putrajaya Corporation president Fadlun Mak Ujud.

Anwar said arts and culture could help promote stronger ties among Malaysia’s multicultural society.

The differences among the country’s multiracial society is Malaysia’s strength, he added.

“We should take this opportunity to see how great our country is. We can either choose to see diversity as our strength or something contentious,” Anwar said.

He congratulated all the performers at the mega-scale festival and said he would make the recommendation to list it as an annual event.