PM Najib reiterates Malaysia not failed nation

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has reiterated that Malaysia is not a failed state either in terms of the Islamic development or infrastructure facilities for the people.

The prime minister said the development of Islam was not only observed through talks alone but could also be translated in all aspects of life such as the setting up of the Islamic administrative infrastructure which indirectly became part of the message of 'dakwah' to the society.

Taking the Putrajaya Islamic Complex (KIP) as an example, he said the launching of the complex, which unified 11 religious agencies under one roof, proved that the government always strived to put Islam at its highest level by providing the best infrastructure for the realisation of the development of the country.

"In these two days, there is a reason for us to feel proud. Yesterday, I launched the second phase of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) line and today, launched the KIP, a new icon in preparation of the best governance for the glorious Islamic administration.

"Is this the picture of a failed country? Is this the picture of a bankrupt government? Does this lead to the devastation of Malaysia which needs to be saved?" he asked when opening the KIP here today.

The prime minister said the launch of the MRT, deemed to be 'world-class people's infra-system' and the KIP building of more than one million square feet were the great examples of a great state administration which the people should be proud of.

He said the centralisation of religious agencies in a complex was also in line with the government's intention to improve the delivery of services to the people and to become an example to other countries.

Najib added it would also dismiss the perception of Islam which was often associated with violence, conflicts and massacres.

The negative perceptions could be eroded when KIP became the only building for the Islamic administration to be awarded the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2017 for the Best Office Building category in Bangkok, Thailand recently, he said.

At the event, he also launched the Syariah-compliant Governance Guidelines (GTU-s), as an effort to improve the Islamic governance after the introduction of the Malaysia Syariah Index, two years ago.

Najib said the general guidelines that served as a reference to various religious agencies without waiving the existing laws and regulations enforced at the respective agencies, were crucial to ensure that the various agency governance systems could be well supervised.

He said the guidelines were unique and had their own value because they were the combination of the universal Islamic values and modern governance values popularised by the West.

The launching of these guidelines proved the government was serious in ensuring that religious institutions were well managed for the benefit and well-being of the people, he added.

Najib also launched the Islamic Financial Centre, an initiative by the Lembaga Tabung Haji located at the complex, which would provide services such as Islamic financing and financial management, currency exchange, insurance coverage, travel services and also pilgrimage and umrah packages.

-- BERNAMA