KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — The acts of harbouring envy and committing slander are becoming more prevalent in recent times and can damage people’s thinking, and in that regard, the celebration of Maal Hijrah 1445H/2023M calls on the community to steer clear of practices that do not benefit the society and the country.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in his address at the national-level Maal Hijrah celebration today, also called on the people not to be narrow-minded or have a negative mindset as such attitude and behaviour would not bring any good.
The King also said that the spirit of the ‘hijrah’ leading to the unity and solidarity of the Muhajirin and Ansar which occurred 1,400 years ago should be used as the main guide in managing the country’s diversity.
At the celebration, themed ‘Perpaduan Teras Malaysia MADANI’ (Unity the Pillar of Malaysia MADANI), Al-Sultan Abdullah also presented the National Tokoh Maal Hijrah award to the former director-general of the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) Datuk Dr Abdul Monir Yaacob and the Grand Mufti of India Sheikh Abu Bakar Ahmad Al-Malibari who was named as the International Tokoh Maal Hijrah.
In MELAKA, almost 1,000 Muslims attended the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration at the Al-Azim Mosque auditorium in Bukit Palah, which saw a total of 13 individuals receive awards with Datuk Othman Muhamad, 71, was named as the recipient of the state Abu Bakar As-Siddiq Award or Tokoh Maal Hijrah 2023.
The award was presented by Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam.
In SABAH, Yang Dipertua Negeri Sabah Tun Juhar Mahiruddin urged the Sabahans to formulate appropriate strategies, methodologies and approaches to continue maintaining the existing peace which has been experienced all these years as a result of intact racial unity.
In his message in conjunction with the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration, he reminded the people that the civilisation that has been formed may disappear with time if the people do not adopt a holistic and sustainable approach.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor was also present at the celebration attended by about 500 people held at Wisma Majlis Ugama Sabah Islam in Kota Kinabalu.
In PAHANG, the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah attended the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration at the Dewan Majlis Bandaraya Kuantan.
Tengku Hassanal was accompanied by Tengku Arif Bendahara Tengku Muhammad Iskandar Ri’ayatuddin Shah and their arrival at 9.30 am was greeted by Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.
At the event, Tengku Hassanal also presented the state Tokoh Maal Hijrah award to the former state Syariah Chief Judge Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Md Yunos who brought home RM10,000 in cash, a certificate and a plaque of appreciation.
In SARAWAK, Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg attended the state-level Ma’al Hijrah celebration at the Dewan Kompleks Islam Sarawak, Kuching.
Abang Johari in his speech called on Muslims to adopt the spirit of hijrah, especially in the aspect of learning and loving knowledge.
He said through knowledge, the Islamic world will become a leader in various knowledge including the latest technology.
In TERENGGANU, Maal Hijrah state-level celebration was held in moderation with the presentation of various awards to celebrate the achievements of individuals and organisations in certain fields.
However, there is no recipient for the main award, the state Tokoh Maal Hijrah, this year due to eligibility factors.
The Sultan and Sultanah of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin and Sultanah Nur Zahirah attended the event, accompanied by the Yang Dipertuan Muda of Terengganu, Tengku Muhammad Ismail.
In KEDAH, the Sultan of Kedah Al-Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah attended the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration at the Raia Hotel.
The celebration which started at 10.30 am was also attended by the Raja Muda of Kedah Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah Sultan Sallehuddin.
Sultan Sallehuddin, in his address, expressed hope that the Muslims in Kedah would always live in unity, maintain harmony and avoid division.
In PERAK, Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah said that Muslims must be ready, even obligated, to undergo a migration of the mind and culture, which will enable them to understand and interpret contemporary issues from various dimensions and empower them to tackle and master current situations, especially the rapid technological revolution.
At the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration held in Ipoh, Sultan Nazrin presented the state Tokoh Maal Hijrah award to Jurij Suliaman, the founder of the Yayasan Pembangunan Masjid Wilayah Bagan Serai and former Perak Syariah Chief Prosecutor, and the Saidina Abu Bakar Award (Tokoh Ar-Ridzuan) to Datuk Dr Fadzli Cheah Abdullah, the chairman of Masjid Muhammadiah (Chinese Mosque) in Ipoh.
In JOHOR, the Maal Hijrah celebration, held at the Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) in Iskandar Puteri, was officiated by the state Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid.
The event was also attended by Iskandar Puteri mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad.
The Former Muar Syariah High Court judge Shakirin Omar was named as the recipient of the state Tokoh Maal Hijrah 2023. Shakirin, a graduate of Al-Azhar University, Egypt, has held various positions including the Chief Syariah Judge of the Johor Syariah Judiciary Department.
