Former Indonesian president Joko Widodo (Jokowi) opened the Penang Peace Dialogue on September 5, 2026, urging leaders and citizens alike to build lasting peace through mutual understanding [1, 2]. He stressed that leaders must listen closely to the concerns, aspirations, and problems of their people. "A leader is not only someone who understands strategy and power, but someone who truly understands their people, who listens to them, feels their concern, understands their problem, and works for their future," Jokowi said [1].
Jokowi emphasized that peacebuilding is a shared responsibility. While leaders play a crucial role, people must also try to understand their leaders’ direction and the challenges they face [1, 2, 3].
The dialogue is part of the Commonwealth of World Chinatowns (CWC) Conference Series and draws around 200 delegates to Penang, Malaysia, for a two-day event themed "Bridging Civilisations in a Multipolar World" [1, 2]. Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow spoke alongside Jokowi, highlighting trust as a key infrastructure for cooperation amid rising strategic rivalry and multipolar global challenges. Chow said, "Connectivity can bring countries together, but trust is what allows them to remain together when interests begin to diverge" [1].
He noted that global economic ties bring opportunities but also risks, as visible through supply chain disruptions when divisions deepen. While countries and societies do not have to agree on every issue, Chow said they must keep communication open and identify areas to cooperate [1, 2, 3].
Jokowi is set to deliver the keynote address on September 6, continuing his call for dialogue and mutual understanding as essential to peace in a complex world [1, 2].
