Jakim to issue guidelines on 1Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, 5 May 2009: The Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim) will issue a set of guidelines on 1Malaysia to avoid wrong interpretation or misperception of the concept among the people.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Maj Gen (Rtd) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom, said the guidelines would also be useful for national leaders so that when they addressed the people on the subject, the latter would be able to understand better.

He said at the moment the people had yet to fully understand 1Malaysia as the concept and its objectives had been twisted by certain quarters with vested interest.

“Before the polemic on the concept gets worse, we need to have guidelines to better explain the concept in the interest of the nation, race and religion,” he said after opening a roundtable conference on the 1Malaysia concept at the multipurpose hall of the Federal Territory Mosque, here, today.

Jamil Khir said the guidelines would be drawn up based on the resolutions made at the end of the roundtable conference.

He said the guidelines would be contained in a booklet to be distributed nationwide so that the people would understand and appreciate the aspirations of the new national leadership.

“The media can also play a role by creating public awareness on the resolutions and guidelines.

“We want the concept, philosophy and direction of 1Malaysia, introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to be understood and applied by all levels of society,” he added.

The one-day conference was also attended by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim, Jakim director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz and religious adviser to the prime minister Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin. — Bernama