Friday November 14, 2008
Najib pledges to continue Islam Hadhari
By SHAHANAAZ HABIB
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has pledged to continue to promote Islam Hadhari (Civilisational Islam) when he takes over as Prime Minister.
The Deputy Prime Minister said he was a great believer in Islam Hadhari, introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“There is nothing to fear about Islam. I am a great believer of Islam Hadhari. I told the Prime Minister that after March (when Najib takes over as Prime Minister), he does not have to worry because this (Islam Hadhari) is something we will continue to propagate,” Najib said in opening the Seminar on Creating a Blue Ocean in Education and Training yesterday.
He said Malaysia was a unique country not only because of its multiracial, multi-religious and multi-cultural make-up but also due its geopolitical position because it straddles East and West, has Islamic ties and close links with the Middle East as well as a colonial and Western heritage.
He said that after the Sept 11 attacks on the United States, the West needed a greater understanding of Islam, and Malaysia could be a great model of how Islam is applied in a country.
“Yes, we do have problems in Malaysia, but it’s not insurmountable. People may have written us off, but we have developed and are becoming stronger and stronger,” he said.
At a press conference at a function later, Najib was asked whether the bumiputra policy had changed because the Government was letting companies seeking listing on Bursa Malaysia to open up their shares to non-bumiputras if bumiputras did not fully take up their 30% equity.
Stressing that the current bumiputra policy stays, he explained that any Malaysian company going for an initial public offering would still have to set aside 30% for bumiputra institutions and if this was not taken up, it would be offered to the general bumiputra public.
“If this is not fully subscribed, then the company will be deemed to have complied. I don’t think there’s any confusion,” he added.
Asked whether the relaxation was to help companies be competitive, Najib said it was the existing policy, and “we are making it as easy as possible in implementation”.
Najib said other measures to help the capital market would be introduced in good time.
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