LUMUT: Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, attended a Yasin recital, tahlil and special sermon as part of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s 90th anniversary celebration.
The Selangor Ruler is the Navy’s Captain-in-Chief.
On arrival at the naval base here at 12.13pm yesterday, Sultan Sharafuddin was greeted by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Ayob.
Also present was the Navy’s Honorary First Admiral Datuk Muhammad Abdullah and top leadership.
The Yasin recitation, tahlil and special sermon held at the Navy’s An-Nur Mosque also served to commemorate the victims of the tragic collision involving a Maritime Operations Helicopter (HOM-AW139) and a Fennec (M502-6) helicopter.
The crash, which occurred on Tuesday, claimed the lives of 10 Navy members and officers.
About 3,000 personnel attended the Yasin recital and tahlil led by Navy headquarters religious director Lieutenant-Colonel Ahmad Kamil Abdullah.
Sultan Sharafuddin then proceeded to perform Friday prayers at the mosque.
Meanwhile, in his special sermon, Abdul Rahman said the tragic incident had a profound impact and constituted a significant loss for the Navy and the nation as a whole.
“Understand that you, the fallen victims, have sacrificed your lives for our beloved motherland and homeland. Your sacrifice, beyond measure, cannot be repaid with mere tears.
“We can only offer you our prayers, so that your souls may forever be blessed by Allah SWT,” he said, as the congregation joined him in reciting Surah al-Fatihah, Bernama reported.
In his sermon, Abdul Rahman emphasised that the theme of this year’s celebration, “TLDM Perkasa Kedaulatan Terpelihara” positions the Navy as the vanguard defender, entrusted with the crucial responsibility of safeguarding every inch of the nation’s waters, thus preventing any form of intrusion or enemy conflict.
“The 90-year milestone signifies maturity and experience. Over the past nine decades, the Navy has demonstrated unwavering commitment and dedication to protecting our waters, upholding the honour of our sovereignty and consistently fulfilling the trust to safeguard the sanctity of our religion,” he said.
The Navy Chief Admiral stressed that the competency of Navy officers and personnel is a priority and should be emphasised, along with maintaining high readiness, without relying solely on material aspects.
The 90th Navy anniversary parade, scheduled for today, has been cancelled.
Instead, it will be replaced with a tahlil ceremony and prayers in the aftermath of the helicopter crash tragedy.
Mohamed Khaled had earlier announced that Sultan Sharafuddin had consented to the cancellation.
