SHAH ALAM, May 29 — The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, is saddened by the problem of Malay disunity which has reached worrying levels.
He said the split was bad, especially when there were so many groups claiming to fight for the interests of the Malays but this worsened when the groups often criticised each other, which was like smudging charcoal on one’s own face.
He added that the disintegration was exacerbated by the presence of a handful of Malay leaders who hurled ridicule and sarcasm against their own race openly without shame.
“Open arguments and bickering among the Malays are happening everywhere, including on social media and mainstream media. The disputes involve all aspects, to the extent that small things become the cause of conflict and subsequently result in a significant split.
“The slander hurled by one party to another and feelings of jealousy, betrayal and hatred displayed seem to be a kind of culture among the Malays,” he said at a breaking-of-fast with the people and the presentation of Aidilfitri contributions here today.
Also present were the Raja Muda of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah, Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari and other state dignitaries.
Sultan Sharafuddin said this was disappointing because the Malays are adherents of Islam which always prioritises the inculcation of noble values in Muslims.
But he said the noble values advocated by Islam and which should be within every Malay were not practised, as if they had forgotten about the boundaries placed by the religion to prevent disunity and dispute.
Sultan Sharafuddin also reminded the Malays that they would jeopardise everything in terms of religious, economic, political and educational rights should they continue to split and live in disunity as there will be others who would benefit from it.
“Do we want to see Malays one day being marginalised and become slaves in our own homeland? Do we want to see the Malays colonised in terms of religion, economy, political power, education, thinking and various other aspects of life?
“If we are not careful and continue to fight and split, either among the Malays or fellow Malay leaders, then I believe, all the things that I mentioned will become a reality in the near future,” said Sultan Sharafuddin.
He said as the state’s Sultan, it is his responsibility to preserve unity among the people, especially among the Malay majority who are Muslims.
But the Selangor of Sultan said his call for the Malays to unite does not mean he is a racist because he always wants all the people to live in comfort, harmony and enjoy the wealth of the nation fairly and equally.
Sultan Sharafuddin also called on the Malays to be united and set aside the wrangling, and Malay leaders regardless of party politics to stop all political culture of rhetoric and no longer label their own race with harsh criticisms.
He said the Malays are now more in need of solidarity, including among their leaders, so that any shortcomings can be overcome with a good attitude, cooperation, mutual help and selflessness while discarding treacherous envy and vengeance.
He said there was no need for Malays to accept open criticism and innuendos that could hurt the feelings of the community.
“Leaders, especially Malay leaders, have to play a role to help the Malays effectively without insulting and calling them names, causing the Malays to lose confidence and remain weak.
“Malay leaders should not only think of their short-term interests and merely seek popularity in a particular group, thus setting aside the fundamentals of preserving the interests of the Malays as a whole,” he said.
Citing as an example the fall of the Melaka Sultanate empire some time ago due to jealousy, betrayal, greed, disunity and power struggle, Sultan Sharafuddin reminded the Malays to always learn from that past mistake.
“I am confident if the Malays are united and cooperate closely, there are no obstacles that cannot be overcome and the Malays will surely achieve success again and become a powerful and dignified race,” he said.
Meanwhile, in conjunction with Aidilfitri next week, he also advised the people to be careful and prudent when driving on the road.
At the same event, Sultan Sharafuddin opened the Taman Seri Muda Mosque in Section 25 here. — Bernama
