PETALING JAYA, April 5 — The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj has expressed his desire for Malays, especially in Selangor, to continue on the path of unity and to strengthen harmony in the state’s multiracial and multireligious society.
His Royal Highness was also moved when he saw the unity, cooperation, and concern displayed by Malays, stating the spirit of unity and cooperation fostered needed to be defended and worked on to ensure a more developed and progressive Selangor.
“Refrain from having prejudice towards one another and let us always foster an attitude of tolerance to guarantee the harmony of social life in the state of Selangor.
“A country where its people are not united but divided will never achieve the progress and successes it hopes for,” said the Ruler during a fast-breaking function at Masjid Damansara Perdana today.
Tengku Permaisuri Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin and Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah also graced the function.
Sultan Sharafuddin added that political leaders had the role of uniting the people and not making situations worse by raising issues which could lead to disunity.
They must think of the best ways of uniting the people, including using social media platforms, to foster mutual respect and understanding and ensure a harmonious society in Malaysia.
“I always hope that Malay Muslims in my state refrain from bad values and attitudes forbidden by Islam, including lying, slandering, and cursing.
“I do not want such bad behaviour to spread, especially on social media,” said His Royal Highness, voicing concern that even the educated have begun showing such behaviour and used religion, their positions, and popularity to curry support, even at the expense of causing disunity among Muslims.
“I have found that lately, many who call themselves religious scholars have tried to influence the public through opinions and views touching on religious issues, but actually have their hidden personal agendas, like the Malay proverb ‘ada udang di sebalik batu’ in every action they take.
“Therefore, I would like to advise all Muslims to always be cautious and wise in assessing who are the true ‘ulama’ and who only uses religion for their personal interests,” said the Sultan.
During the event, His Royal Highness bestowed the name Masjid Damansara Perdana on the RM15 million house of worship, which can accommodate 3,200 congregants, and presented Hari Raya Aidilfitri aid to 172 orphans from the Petaling district before performing Maghrib, Isyak, and Tarawih prayers alongside other guests.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, state executive councillor for Islamic affairs and cultural innovation Dr Mohammad Fahmi Ngah, Selangor Islamic Religious Council chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, and Selangor Islamic Religious Department director Dato’ Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad also attended the function.
— Bernama
