This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 26, 2022 - January 1, 2023

The peaceful and orderly 15th general election (GE15) with its high voter turnout illustrates Malaysians’ growing maturity in upholding the spirit of a democratic society that chooses its own government.

Voter registrations at the national level increased by 41.7%, from 14.9 million voters in GE14 to 21.2 million in GE15 while voter registrations in Perak increased by 34.9%, from 1.5 million in GE14 to over two million in GE15. For the first time in Malaysian history, citizens aged 18 and above were automatically registered as voters with the right to choose Malaysia’s government. Nearly 51% of voters are under the age of 39; 6.6% are in the age range of 18 to 20.

The number of voters who cast their ballots across the country increased from 11.5 million in GE14 to 15.3 million in GE15. 1.5 million voters cast their ballots in Perak in GE15 compared with 1.1 million voters in GE14 to elect 24 members of parliament and 59 members of the State Legislative Assembly.

The coalition of political parties contesting as Perikatan Nasional (PN) won 26 state assembly seats, Pakatan Harapan (PH) won 24 seats, and Barisan Nasional (BN) won nine seats. In terms of the total number of votes obtained at the state level, PH obtained 632,888 votes, PN got 455,734 votes and BN got 380,816 votes. Glory be to the almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala, who is the determinant of all that comes to pass, as is in accordance to His Words in verses 82-83 of Surah Yasin which says: “Indeed, when He intends a thing, His Command is, ‘be’, and it is! So, glory be to the One in Whose Hands is the authority over all things, and to Whom alone you will all be returned.”

On Nov 21, 2022, PH and BN expressed their intention to join forces to form the state government and nominated the member of the Perak Legislative Assembly for Kota Tampan for consent of his appointment as menteri besar. Referring to Article XVI (2)-(a) of the Perak Constitution (known as the “Undang-Undang Tubuh Kerajaan Perak Darul Ridzuan”), we opine that the Kota Tampan assemblyman has earned the trust of majority of the members of the state assembly, leading to Our consent for him to be sworn in as menteri besar of Perak on Nov 21, 2022. Following that, 10 members of the state assembly were consented to take oath of office as members of the Perak Legislative Council on Nov 22, 2022.

Thirty-five members of the 15th Perak Legislative Assembly are new and 24 are those who continue to be trusted by the people to represent them; two of them — the Kota Tampan and Kepayang state assemblymen — have been serving in the Perak Legislative Assembly for six consecutive terms, making them the longest-serving members. Congratulations to the members who, having gained the trust of the people, have been elected to this esteemed assembly. To those who met with success, may there be profound appreciation for this divine blessing. For those who did not achieve their intended outcomes, may this spur reflection on personal shortcomings and areas of development, recognising that God is neither cruel nor unjust. Our appreciation and thanks go to the former members of the Perak Legislative Council as well as members of the 14th State Legislative Assembly for their service during their time as members of this eminent assembly.

The leaders are now appointed and the government is now established. Being a member of the state assembly, chosen by the people, is a great honour but also a significant responsibility to be fulfilled, that requires hard work, dedication and significant sacrifice. Fulfil the responsibilities that have been entrusted to you with sincerity, honesty, fairness and impartiality, in accordance with the constitution and the law. Stay away from arrogance, conceit, and the culture of winner-takes-all. Instead, be fair and just in allocating resources and implementing development programmes fairly without prejudice, without discrimination, or without suppression against any party, for every voter is a divine being and every constituency in this state is under the sovereignty of the Sultan of Perak. The people should not be made to bear any hardship. Instead, the spirit of democracy must be upheld, and the interests and welfare of every common citizen should be in the hearts of leaders as a perpetual priority.

The population of the state of Perak is 2.5 million people, comprising the three major ethnic groups: 61.5% Malay and bumiputera, 26.7% Chinese, and 11.3% Indian. Our multi-ethnic population observes various religious beliefs, inherits diverse cultures and is proficient in multiple languages. Historically, in many countries around the world, civil wars have occurred because people have chosen to clash, create discord and cause conflict over differences in caste, ethnicity, skin colour and religion. If these differences are focused on with ill intent, we are actively creating a recipe for a nation with citizens always divided, deep in discord and dispute. If we choose to magnify such differences, we are essentially choosing to construct a dividing wall that prevents the building of a united society, a society that accepts and celebrates differences, respects diversity and recognises the wealth and strength that diversity brings when it is embraced positively. If we can wisely nurture and celebrate our differences, a beautiful and colourful blend of harmony will be woven into the fabric of our society.

Mutual understanding and harmonious relationships between ethnicities are determining factors to ensure peace and harmony in both state and country. Countries and states where citizens live in peace and harmony will be able to focus their attention, energy and effort to attract investors and tourists, increase economic growth and boost the development of the state, ultimately leading to prosperity for the people. This points to the reality that extreme views on ethnicity and religion which incite hatred and potentially provoke hostility among citizens must be stopped. Firm and immediate action must be taken to stop activities of any party, whether through speech or actions, that poison minds and fan negative emotions of people by exploiting differences in ethnicity and religion. This earth must not be sown with poisonous weeds that can kill the trees of unity nor should the sky be allowed to be shrouded in acidic clouds that rain down on the earth with racist and religious-driven extremist beliefs. The decision of the Royal Malaysian Police to take preventative measures to maintain public order post-election was the correct course of action.

This country has elements that can be so easily exploited to cause anarchy. The harmonious inter-ethnic relations that have been established from pre-independence and maintained throughout the post-independence era should not be gambled away or jeopardised by political games that poison the minds and inflame the emotions of the people. Everyone thus plays a role in ensuring that harmonious inter-ethnic relations continue to be nurtured and that understanding between followers of various religions continues to be fostered. The people of this country, especially the younger generation, should be given guidance and education on the system of government and nationhood based on the doctrine of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy as well as the importance of understanding and embracing the five principles contained in the Rukun Negara as guidelines for building a united, harmonious nation in a sovereign, peaceful and prosperous independent country.

Islam should be seen as a blessing for all humanity (Rahmatan lil-’alamin), as it promotes the principles of universal justice and the promotion of peace. From an Islamic perspective, the existence of various religions and cultures is testament to God’s greatness, having made this realm and its inhabitants of various ethnicities and appearances as expressed in verse 118, Surah Hud which means, “If thy Lord had so willed He could have made mankind one People (one single community); but they will not cease to dispute,” (Surah Hud, verse 118).

The relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims should be one of tolerance, courtesy and peace. Muslims have a long history of interacting with non-Muslims in various matters like commercial transactions (muamalat), agreements and reconciliation, dating back to the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). There is nothing wrong with having good relations with non-Muslims for the sake of creating a peaceful and harmonious society. It is also important to strive for unity among the ummah as mandated by the word of God in verse 8, Surah al-Mumtahanah which means, “Allah does not forbid you from dealing kindly and fairly with those who have neither fought nor driven you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves those who are fair.”

Take lessons from the example of the Hudaibiyah Treaty, which paved the way for the liberation of Mecca and the unification of relations between Muslims and other Arab tribes, allowing society to live in peace and harmony. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalam’s leadership style while leading the multi-ethnic and multi-­religious community in Medina should be used as a model. His approach to leading such a diverse group demonstrates how to effectively lead and manage relations between different groups. This spirit of cooperation between different religions was a key factor in the establishment of the Federation of Malaya and the achievement of independence in 1957, which was followed by the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Any form of threat or challenge that could lead to ethnic, religious or political ideological conflict must be managed with wisdom and tact for long-term solutions to be found and achieved.

The world economy in 2023 is expected to be unstable and volatile — we are likely in very turbulent waters. Cloudy days await in 2023. In 2023, the world is predicted to face sluggish economic growth and contraction. An economic slowdown is anticipated, characterised by declining corporate and individual incomes, shrinking overseas demand and decreased consumer spending.

There is a close connection between politics and economics. Research and observations in developing countries have shown that economic development can be achieved through political stability. Political stability is the determinant of economic recovery and development. Recognising this, our government is committed to ensuring a stable political environment. The country’s economy post-Covid-19 has shown signs of recovery. We hope the momentum of the country’s economic recovery will be strengthened after GE15 with the establishment of a new government at the federal and state levels. With a stable political environment, the country will be able to focus its efforts and resources on healing the economic wounds caused by the pandemic, which were exacerbated by political instability.

The people require efficient economic governance to enable the resumption of economic activity. They desire a government that is capable and energetic in managing the country’s affairs and fostering meaningful economic growth. They also want a government that is skilful and wise in managing state resources, preventing pilferage, and avoiding waste. The people want a transparent and trustworthy government, free from corruption and breach of trust. It is very important for the government to listen and understand the concerns facing the population, such as unemployment, high cost of living, food insecurity and issues involving environmental sustainability, education, healthcare and housing as well as quality public relations and digital communication. As such, it is paramount for our government to work with the federal government to implement strategic measures that create a favourable investment climate, increase employment opportunities, address the cost of living, ensure food security, and improve social facilities and services. Fulfil the people’s hopes — fulfil the people’s trust.

Given the uncertain global economic environment and the high debt burden, state spending will be channelled to prioritised initiatives that provide direct benefits to the people, and strict thrift measures to reduce wasteful spending will be enforced. Our government fully considers the people’s key message from GE15, which is the rejection of corrupt practices, financial leakage, abuse of power and breach of trust.

The state assembly is a legislative institution that is responsible for assessing, debating and approving state enactments. Its members have a duty to maintain the dignity of this chamber and make it a respected forum for discussing substantive issues in a respectful and orderly manner, without resorting to profanity or raising of voices. Members of the state assembly are elected by the people and serve as their spokespersons. The assembly plays an important role in providing a check and balance to the executive branch by allowing members to voice constructive feedback on programmes implemented by the executive branch. Adequate time should be allocated to enable members to participate in constructive debate. At the same time, the assembly should not become a forum for finger and petty squabbles that waste time and detract from meaningful debate.

To ensure the preservation of a healthy democracy, members of the assembly must bear the responsibility of being leaders who represent moderation, in tune with the message of understanding, welcoming the symphony of harmony, towards creating a religious and cultural environment that reflects the spirit of inclusivity and mutual respect among different ethnic and religious groups in the country.

May the State of Perak Darul Ridzuan overflow with God’s Grace, always be in a state of peace and prosperity, and its people continue to be guided and blessed by Allah Subhanahu Wataála with Taufik (the divinely-ordained ability to attain a certain goal and all the things that come along with it) and Hidayah (divine guidance).

This is an excerpt of the royal address by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-lah at the inauguration of the 15th State Legislative Assembly of Perak on Dec 20.

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