ADDRESS
BY
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
SULTAN NAZRIN MUIZZUDDIN SHAH
AT THE
BOOK LAUNCH
OF
‘BREAKING, BUT NOT BROKEN’
BY
GHAZALLY ISMAIL, AHMAD IBRAHIM
AND HISHAM BADRUL HASHIM
DATE: SATURDAY, 8 AUGUST 2026
TIME: 3.00 PM
VENUE: FEDERAL HALL, SULTAN ABDUL SAMAD BUILDING, KUALA LUMPUR.
1. It gives me great pleasure to launch this book on the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. MCKK, or simply the College, or Kolet, is very dear to me, as it is to so many others here today. I say this not only out of my natural affection and loyalty as Royal Patron of its Board of Governors. I also speak as a Malaysian. For I think we all appreciate the special place this institution occupies in our nation’s history, as one of its finest and oldest educational establishments.
2. The patriotic pride we instinctively take in this venerable school is, however, quickly unsettled by this book. Its very title, Breaking, But Not Broken, suggests that our nostalgia might be misplaced, and that our shared pleasure in the College’s past achievements should be tempered by its less glorious current reality. It is this issue that the book addresses with candour and care, offering a host of wise and well-informed remedies for the malaise it describes.
3. The authors’ analysis of the challenges MCKK faces is unflinching, even harsh, at times. Their assessment extends to the select few older residential schools, equally celebrated, and equally, it seems, in decline. These institutions, designated as ‘power’ schools, have seen their powers sadly dimmed, and their long-standing ability to produce graduates of the very highest calibre is no longer as assured as it once was. Command of language, critical thinking, even a commitment to serve — all are deemed lacking in today’s graduates. And this, of course, is in marked contrast to the past.
4. The College, as with other schools of its kind, has always aimed to deliver far more than scholarly achievement, which is expected as a matter of course. Inculcating a strong sense of ethics has always been utterly integral to its educational mission; encapsulated best by its motto, Fiat Sapientia Virtus. And it was this combination of qualities — academic excellence and a deeply ingrained sense of right and of duty — that underpinned the extraordinary contributions made by so many graduates of old.
5. The authors’ concern over the loss of both this educational rigor and the all-important ethos is palpable. But despite their strong critique, it is clear throughout that they are motivated by the same deep sense of pride we all feel in these institutions, and perhaps even more so, by a true sense of love. The depth of respect and care on display goes beyond what is normally felt for one’s alma mater. Because these schools are establishments that have justly earned the admiration of the entire nation. Their alumni collectively are among our finest nation-builders, their achievements reaching into the international sphere.
6. Of these accomplishments the book recounts many fine examples across all realms, from the public sphere to medicine, academia, business, and beyond. These mini-biographies are a powerful reminder of just how large are the shoes that the current generation must try to fill, and just how high the bar has been set for them. It is a tall order, but the College must now re-establish these same high standards, and not only maintain them, but even exceed them.
7. Whether or not we are alumni ourselves, we are thus all hugely invested in the future of these special schools. And so it is absolutely vital that their current malaise is tackled effectively, so they can resume their important role in generating such fine graduates.
8. This process of renewal and reform must also encompass our other educational establishments. As the book explains, our education system as a whole is confronting similar challenges, which are similarly undermining the quality of its output. This is naturally a matter of great concern to many of us here. For if we are to survive and flourish in this turbulent and fast-transforming world, we must meet and overcome these difficulties. As a nation, we must reinvigorate our education system, adapting it to the demands of the current age.
9. The advent of generative AI presents immense opportunities and challenges for both education and the world of work. Both will be at the epicentre of the seismic impacts this technology will have — and is already having — on society at large. And we certainly do not have the luxury of time to consider these at our leisure. AI and other technological advances continue to unfold at an extraordinary pace, in ways already beyond our control and, at times, beyond our full understanding.
10. The education sector more broadly, along with MCKK and similar schools, must adapt to these upheavals, while simultaneously grappling with the legacy issues that lie behind the current malaise. In its direct and honest style, this book makes a valuable contribution to the growing conversation on the deeper questions of educational reform. However long-standing and knotty these issues may be, tackling them effectively is critical if we are to keep up in the new world of AI. From traditional establishments such as MCKK, right across the educational gamut, institutions will be compelled to adapt and transform in response to these new realities.
11. This process of educational reform will entail a re-evaluation of education’s role in society more broadly. Here too the book provides useful insight, reminding us that education systems are the very foundation upon which societies are built — cultivating knowledge, shaping human development, preserving the collective memory of the past, and serving as a springboard for a common future. All dependent upon the form, manner, and content of the education being delivered, which must now also prepare the next generation for a future transformed by increasingly capable AI.
12. This future may be uncertain, but it is also filled with tremendous potential for those who are adequately prepared. This is our urgent task: to make these preparations; adapt our education system; re-imagine and re-equip it, so that it can deliver more effectively what is needed. So that the next generation may be better able to reap the benefits of the AI age we are entering.
13. The goal is not only to develop human capital that can adapt to evolving economic dynamics driven by rapid technological change. We must also cultivate well-rounded human beings, young people whose skills, sensitivities, and values are all essential to their contribution and role in society. Both elements — the practical and the more intangible — are always important. But in this current period of dramatic and unpredictable transformation, it becomes even more vital that our education system can deliver both these qualities.
14. So we must equip the next generation to emerge well prepared into a Brave New World. As economic agents, workers, consumers, but also as human beings — sentient, thinking, feeling beings, fundamentally distinct from whatever AI may become.
15. And this is where such schools as MCKK can re-emerge, taking on a revitalized role in this modern era. The very goals of such heritage schools must adapt to the profoundly different context in which they now operate. A new approach is demanded — one that suits the current times, but that also builds on the strong ethical and educational foundations that have long defined these schools. For however much the world is changing, these attributes remain as important as ever.
16. The authors approach this highly complex topic with great sensitivity, while also paying due and respectful tribute to the College’s illustrious history. As a record of its achievements, this book succeeds admirably. But it is by no means a rose-tinted memoir, as the title announces from the outset. And what an inspiring idea it conveys — that something can be breaking, can be facing serious issues, but is still by no means broken. The belief that whatever the difficulties faced, however serious or precipitous the decline, venerable institutions like MCKK can survive and flourish once more. This is a message of resilience that we should carry with us and apply in many other spheres of life.
17. Great courage is required to set the ball in motion, as the authors have done with this bold and incisive book. The courage firstly to identify the problems, undeterred by the institution’s venerable reputation. Then to diagnose with precision and care their characteristics and causes. This is done in part by reflecting on the College in its heyday and the many achievements of its graduates, which owed much to the strong foundations and enduring values that the College imparted to its students.
18. And then finally, the courage to offer a clear and cogent prescription for how MCKK can best move forward. How the College can advance away from the challenges of its current conditions, and towards a re-energised future. Not by any naive attempt to return to the past or try to reclaim past glories. But rather, by seizing the opportunity to meet the demands of the present day, while staying grounded in its own steadfast ethos, values, and history.
19. There is no suggestion here of attempting to relive past successes or recreate a bygone heyday, even though MCKK’s history does figure significantly in this volume. The intention is rather to demonstrate just how sturdy the College’s foundations are. To remember just how exceptional its graduates have been, and how important their contributions. And thus to demonstrate that a return to these core values — duty, commitment and academic excellence — must remain the cornerstone of the reinvention that is now required. A renewed College, but one grounded in the same ethos of service that has long been integral to its culture. Reinvigorated in this way, it may go on to achieve perhaps even greater heights.
20. I want to commend the authors, Ghazally Ismail, Ahmad Ibrahim and Hisham Badrul Hashim, for their courage in tackling this sensitive subject so well. And I want to congratulate them for producing such an engaging and valuable book. Alumni or not, I urge you all to read it, not only for its insights into MCKK, but also for its broader reflections on the way forward for our education sector, as we collectively confront the challenges of the AI era.