BATU KAWAN, Aug 29 2026 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today officiated the 15th Malaysian Scout Jamboree, calling on young scouts to treat heritage as a foundation for the future and to lead in technology and artificial intelligence with responsibility rather than merely consume it.
The seven-day gathering, themed “Tracing Heritage, Building the Future,” marks the national jamboree’s return to Penang 60 years after the inaugural event was held in Teluk Bahang in 1966. More than 5,400 participants, including hundreds of international scouts from 11 countries, are assembled at Bandar Cassia in Batu Kawan.
In a post after the opening ceremony at Stadium Negeri, Anwar said the jamboree had become a meeting ground for young people from across Malaysia and abroad to sow friendship, build leadership and strengthen the spirit of service.
“The heritage we uphold today should become the basis for building a better future,” he wrote. In a world driven by technology and artificial intelligence, he added, scouts must be prepared not only to use those tools but to create, innovate and lead them “with full responsibility while guided by morals, integrity, humanity and the spirit of service.”
Anwar, who also serves as national president of the Scouts Association of Malaysia, appeared at the ceremony in scout uniform, greeting young participants and striking a traditional gong to mark the opening.
The event, organised by Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia Negeri Pulau Pinang, runs until 4 September. Programmes include leadership and STEM activities, survival skills, cultural exchanges, environmental projects and the long-running Merdeka Hike. International contingents include scouts from Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines and several other countries.
Anwar closed his message by expressing hope that the friendship, unity and service cultivated at the jamboree would grow into lasting strength for Malaysia’s youth.
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