Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman held a National Transformation 2050 (TN50) dialogue with fellow Malaysians in Manila, the Philippines yesterday.

In a statement today, Wisma Putra said the dialogue was the second TN50 dialogue by the minister involving Malaysians abroad, with the first being held in London on July 7.

According to the statement, the event was warmly received and attended by more than 70 Malaysians currently residing in the Philippines in which participants engaged in a robust discussion and shared their aspirations for Malaysia's future.

"The participants shared their aspirations for the people in 2050, to embrace a national identity as Malaysians, while at the same time preserving the various cultures in a multi-ethnic fabric.

"The participants also emphasised the importance to have an inclusive national programme and policies which will not be based on racial division," it said.

The statement said the issues pertaining to conservation of environment, improvement of rural healthcare facilities, transparent media reporting as well as balanced and positive family development were also raised as key features to be included in the new transformation programme.

These TN50 dialogues are part of the initiative under the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS), whereby Anifah has been appointed as the segment leader to spearhead the TN50 engagements with the Malaysian diaspora.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced TN50 as the new vision for Malaysia in October 2016 when tabling Budget 2017 with the aim of making Malaysia the 20th ranked country in terms of per capita income and as a developed nation with the identity of a Malaysian nation.

-- BERNAMA