PM pledges to defend IslamKUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the Government will constantly uphold the sanctity of Islam and safeguard it against manipulators using the religion for selfish political or personal gains.The Prime Minister gave this guarantee when pledging allegiance on behalf of the Government and the people at the installation of Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah as Malaysia's 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong yesterday. Dr Mahathir warned elements with ulterior motives not to split and weaken Muslims by committing sacrilege against Islam and undermining Muslims' faith in the religion. "In matters of religion, Your Majesty's government will continue to uphold Islam as the country's official religion besides guaranteeing other Malaysians the freedom to profess in other faiths. "The Government will continue to inculcate Islamic values in national administration," said Dr Mahathir. The Prime Minister said Malaysia's Islamic banking and insurance as well as other Islamic systems were now being emulated by other Islamic countries. Dr Mahathir also said the country owed much to the people for their support and conviction in the plausibility of the government's radical measures which contributed to the successful economic recovery. Dr Mahathir said the Government would like to see the private sector playing a more active role in rejuvenating trade and commerce so that the economy could return to the level before the 1997 crisis. The Prime Minister said the economic downturn had made Malaysians aware of the importance of staying united and preserving racial harmony. "The New Economic Policy, which aims at distributing wealth among the bumiputras by expanding the economic cake without taking away the rights of the other communities, has averted racial strife arising from disparity in economic achievements," he added. Dr Mahathir said the tolerance and mutual respect among multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-lingual Malaysians formed the key to Malaysia's prideful success.--Bernama |
