KUALA LUMPUR: The call to all relevant government agencies and authorities to fully prepare for floods during the northeast monsoon has come from the King himself. Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah also urged the bodies involved to ensure that assistance reached flood victims effectively and quickly in a systematic manner.
His Majesty said this while gracing this year’s national Maulidur Rasul celebrations – themed “Malaysian Family, Catalyst for Prosperity” – at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with Prophet Muhammad’s birthday yesterday.
The King was accompanied at the event by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
Also present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and civil servants from various ministries, all donning full traditional Malay attire.
Sultan Abdullah said that every November, Malaysia faced the risk of flooding.
“Recently, the Meteorological Department forecasted continuous heavy rain and risk of large-scale flooding at the end of November.
“I would like to remind the people to prepare for the change in weather that is to take place soon.
“I also asked all relevant agencies to make detailed and comprehensive preparations to cater for the people’s well-being.
“The preparations must not only be in mitigating the effects of floods, but also in devising a system to ensure that assistance reaches the flood victims in a planned manner quickly and effectively,” the King said.
His Majesty also called on leaders to emulate Prophet Muhammad’s leadership.
“The concept of governance in Islam is a trust as it is an allegiance between man and his Creator.
“Therefore, everything that is done by a leader should be done for the good of the community. This is why the Prophet insisted on a tight-knit relationship between the leader and his community based on love and respect.
“As the Prophet said, the best among your leaders are those whom you love and they love you; whom you pray for and they pray for you; and the worst of the leaders are those whom you hate and they hate you,” Sultan Abdullah said.
His Majesty also stated that the non-discriminatory policies for all religions in the Medina Charter, which was used to govern by the Prophet, ensured a united nation under his leadership, six decades before the Magna Carta itself.
(Issued in June 1215, the Magna Carta was the first document to put into writing the principle that the King of England and his government were not above the law.)
At the same event, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad said it was vital for a Muslim-majority country to practise the concept of welfare and non-discriminatory policies for everyone.
“As a country with Muslims as its majority, the multiracial and multi- religious community has to understand that Islam celebrates diversity and plurality of a community, a Malaysian asset. This must be preserved in harmony with tolerance without playing up sentiments which can threaten the peace of the nation.
“The success of Prophet Muhammad as an excellent statesman must be exemplified, especially his leadership in the administration of a diverse community,” he said.
