POVERTY OF UMMAH WILL WORSEN IF LEADERS CONCERNED WITH AMASSING WEALTH FOR THEMSELVES - PERAK SULTAN

PARIT, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- Poverty of the ummah will become worse if the

leaders are more concerned with building wealth for themselves and their own

families and cliques, said the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah.

The Sultan said wealth obtained in a sudden and dubious manner would create

individuals who were artificially and temporarily rich.

"Such material wealth not complemented by mental and intellectual wealth,

knowledge acquisition and spirituality is false wealth which only creates a

culture of ostentatiousness, extravagance and wastage.

"What happen will be leakage of resources, blighted development and high

rates of unemployment, migration, smuggling and crime, coupled with various

social problems," Sultan Azlan said when launching the state-level Maulidur

Rasul celebration at the Raudhatul Mardhiah Mosque grounds, here, today.

The ruler said the situation would ultimately affect public order, besides

threatening political stability and raising costs in maintaining safety and

national security.

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"As a result, the ummah (community) will increasing suffer as they are

caught in the vicious cycle of poverty."

The Sultan said building wealth for the ummah should be through legitimate

means based on the formula of equal justice to ensure their overall prosperity.

He said disallowed should be actions that helped the creation of sudden

wealth to the extent of contravening laws, and that was controlled by a few

greedy individuals.

Sultan Azlan said the well-being of a people and nation was much influenced

by the character and wisdom of the leaders.

"Distinguished and authoritative ulama and honest traders will come about in

a country where the leaders are godly.

"If the leaders realise their big responsibility to the ummah and nation,

and their even bigger responsibility to Allah, then there will be prosperity for

the people and country.

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"The nation''s resources will be managed efficiently and transparently, its

wealth distributed fairly and not wasted, while the interest of the majority is

the priority."

Therefore, said the Sultan, it was important for Muslims to return to

honourable leadership as enjoined by the Prophet.

"The Prophet''s governance held strong to rules, addressed each mistake and

forbade defying God''s laws even it involved family members, relatives and close

friends," he said.

At the event, Sultan Azlan also presented the "Tokoh Keluarga Mithali" award

to former Perak chief kadi Sulaiman Ismail, 76, the "Tokoh Guru Sekolah Agama

Rakyat" award to Khamudah Ghazali, 70, and "Tokoh Pendakwah" award to Perak

Information Organisation committee member, Dr Mohamed Amir Meera Hussain, 74.

Also present were Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Bainun, Raja Muda Perak Raja

Dr Nazrin Shah and Raja Puan Besar Perak Tuanku Zara Salim, Raja Di Hilir

Perak Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa and Raja Puan Muda Perak Raja Nor Mahani

Raja Shahar Shah, and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

-- BERNAMA

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