M'sian Govt's Struggles Are Based On Islam - PM Najib

KLANG (Selangor, Malaysia), July 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak said the present cause of the Federal Government is based on the requirements of Islam under the concept of 'Maqasid Al-Shariah'. He said that among the policies of the Maqasid Al-Shariah practiced by the government was to preserve and empower Islam but at the same time, it also protected and respected the human rights of both the Muslims and non-Muslims. In respecting the human rights of the Malaysian people, he said the government had abolished the Internal Security Act (ISA). "We certainly are not isolating or ignoring Islam but our cause is the struggle that is required by Islam," he said in his speech at the gathering to appreciate the deeds of the late Ustaz Nik Mohamed Mohyideen Wan Musa at the Sultan Alam Shah Islamic College, here Saturday. Nik Mohamed Mohyideen was the first head of the college and the founder of a relgious school Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama. Najib explained that the national transformation policy, through the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and the Economic Transformation Programme, was centred on the Maqasid Al-Shariah. "Maintaining accounts, protecting respect and origins and preserving the assets through a strong economy, these are principles of the Maqasid Al-Shariah. "We developed the Kolej Islam (Islamic College) concept and placed religious teachers in terms of their positions on par with other teachers...all these are based on Maqasid Al-Shariah," he said. In addition, he said the 1Malaysia People's Textile Shop, which was also launched Saturday, represented another element of the Maqasid Al-Shariah. Najib also said the educational approach adopted by the Kolej Islam, which merged worldly knowledge and Islam, was the outcome of the collaboration of his late father Abdul Razak Hussein as the Education Minister and the late Nik Mohamed Mohyideen, as the Head of Kolej Islam in 1967, that represented the implementers of the new policy. Najib said the concept of merging the intellect with religion in schools had been championed by Nik Mohamed Mohyideen to produce human beings who possessed much greater strength compared with those who were educated through one dimensional knowledge. "Here lies the appropriateness of the establishment of the Kolej Islam which is crucial in moulding human beings who reflect the Islamic morals," he said. The Prime Minister said besides religious observance, Islam also placed importance on good morals among the people. He said that the concept of merging the intellect with religion was also important in the development of Islamic leadership and civilisation. Najib said Muslims were also facing a challenge when Islam was not perceived as a goal that should be championed and instead made as a tool to achieve a political objective. "That's why there is chaos among the Muslims. Starting from an uncertain direction...one minute championing an Islamic nation, the next minute changing to a welfare state, then there is 'hudud' (law) right up to the problem that we read in the newspapers in the past few days, husband and wife separating due to politics," he said. In addition, Najib wanted the collapse of the Islamic Civilisation in Andalusia, Spain following the failure of its Muslim community to preserve unity due to internal conflicts, power struggles, and jealousy, to be taken as a lesson. Meanwhile, Najib said the government would confer an appropriate award to commemorate the struggles of the late Nik Mohamed Mohyideen. The Prime Minister also announced that the government would provide an allocation of RM10 million (US$3.2 million) to improve facilities at the Kolej Islam while the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), the largest component party of the ruling Barisan Nasional (National Front - BN) government, would contribute RM200,000 (US$64,516). -- BERNAMA