Kuala Lumpur, NU Online
Muslims in Malaysia need to be remain united as their religion, Islam, is under threat and they have to face the challenges and issues threatening the religion for defending Islam.<>

The Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, urged the Muslims of the country to remain united whiledescribing the challenges confronting Islam and its followers as “a major challenge.”

Yassin said that Muslims in the country have always been respectful in defending the dignity of Islam. However, he added, there are certain segments within the community who are keen on playing the religion card by raising issues sensitive to Muslims.

He stated, “We should realize that in our community there are various groups, from political bodies to political leaders, who thrive on politicizing Islam.”

“Such issues have threatened to cause disarray amongst Muslims and if no attempts are taken to address the matter, Muslims in the country could end up confused,” he added.

He continued, “It is a huge challenge for us, although Malaysia practices the system of parliamentary democracy where its people are free to express their views, we should not touch on issues that can split and confuse Muslims.”

He also urged the Islamic scholars to come forward and play a role in explaining the situation to Muslims.

He was addressing the Al-Makmur mosque congregation at Kuantan after Friday prayers.

Muhyiddin said that Muslims in the country should close ranks to safeguard the integrity of the religion, developing their community and promoting progress.

“Muslims will not be able to fulfill their religious obligations if they are weak. The country’s leadership has always emphasized on helping Muslims in the country and protecting the sanctity of the Muslim faith” he said.

“For example, we have managed to reduce poverty through the e-Kasih program,” he said, adding that other Muslim countries which lack similar programs, such as Sudan and Somalia, remain in poverty.

Later, at the Pahang state and Federal Level civil servants’ gathering, Muhyiddin called on employees in the public sector to develop an improved “rapid response mechanism” to deal with public complaints.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that given Malaysia’s changing demographics and fast-growing economy, the civil service need to act quickly to counter weaknesses in government delivery.

He stated, “The profile of the average Malaysian has changed greatly, especially among the young.”

“The people are more informed and aware of their rights. They expect a lot from their government and public servants and have various channels to vent their frustrations,” he added.

He also said, “Our response to them must be swift as failure to do so could potentially hurt the country.”

At the same time, Yassin lauded civil servants in turning Malaysia into one of the world’s most competitive countries, citing the nation’s highly placed position in global rankings such as the Foreign Direct Investment Index 2012.

Yassin said that government workers play a key role in driving foreign and local investments, by providing services and the environment needed for business and trade to thrive.

“The success story of Malaysia is the success story of the civil service,” he concluded.

Editor : Sudarto Murtaufiq