TTF: Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak embodies the spirit of moderation and accommodation. It is this spirit that animated the fundamental principles of the Federal Constitution in ways that reflect peace and harmony. The global Muslim community is beginning to see how that harmony paved the way for a leadership of progression that allowed Najib to save Malaysia from the ideals of conservatism.
Which is why, leaders of the Muslim world are beginning to resonate with Najib’s brand of leadership (see news item below). They see how Najib and his father before him steered multiethnic and multicultural Malaysia to great heights without the need for senseless conflict or battle. It has dawned upon them that the quest for progression can only be satisfied if it is preceded by the quest for harmony.
And that is what distinguishes Najib from Mahathir. While the former sees the need for Malaysians to progress as a collective, the latter spent 22 years nurturing cabals segregated along racial lines, cabals that did not identify with one another as a race but as partners driven by greed and the need to accumulate material wealth for selfish political reasons.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, which adheres to the concept of wasatiyyah (moderation), is seen as a unique and progressive Islamic state that it is acknowledged by many other Muslim countries, says Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
He said Malaysia was also considered unique by many world leaders for the freedom of religion practised in the country, despite Islam being the official religion of the Federation.
He said it because of this unique factor that attracted other countries to emulate Malaysia or make it a model Muslim country, as well as the reason for Saudi King Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud to establish the King Salman Centre for International Peace (KSCIP) in Malaysia.
“I had also asked King Salman’s religious adviser why Malaysia was chosen as the location for the KSCIP and he said, our country is the true face of Islam, balanced, moderate and recognises co-existence. All these features are not found in our country (Saudi Arabia), but they are in yours,” said Asyraf.
He said this at a forum ‘Mendaulatkan Institusi Raja Dalam Perspektif Agama’ held in conjunction with the 2017 National Student Leadership Conference (Pemanas) here today, which is one of the programmes leading up to the 2017 UMNO General Assembly next week.
Meanwhile, Asyraf Wajdi said UMNO. as the lead party in Barisan Nasional, had always been fighting for Islam as well as empowering the religious institutions.
“For example, this year alone, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia received an additional allocation of almost RM1 billion, as we spend RM558 million of the RM994 million allocated only to pay allowances to imams.
“In addition, RM1.3 billion is allocated annually for the Islamic education division under the Ministry of Education, besides various other provisions,” he said.
Source: Bernama