KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah will be gracing National Maal Hijrah 1445H celebration slated to be held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) this Wednesday (July 19).
Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Hakimah Mohd Yusoff said, at the event, Al-Sultan Abdullah would also deliver a Royal Address and present the National and International Tokoh Maal Hijrah Award to the recipients.
She said the celebration, themed “Perpaduan Teras Malaysia Madani”, is also expected to be attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and 6,000 guests comprising Cabinet ministers, foreign diplomats, senior government officials, participating agencies and the general public.
“The theme is a manifestation of the essence of Prophet Muhammad’s actions and manners, and unity is the foundation of a civilised society, not only in material terms but also in terms of ideology and spirituality,” she said in a statement on Monday (July 17).
She said this year’s Maal Hijrah celebration would begin with a prayer ceremony for the end and beginning of the new Hijrah year at the National Mosque tomorrow, which will be led by the Grand Imam Ehsan Mohd Hosni.
Meanwhile, Jakim Corporate Communication Unit senior assistant director Norzaidan Hamad said unity has been highlighted as the main thrust of this year’s Maal Hijrah celebration in line with the concept of Malaysia Madani mooted by the Prime Minister.
To achieve unity among the multi-religious and multi-ethnicity society in the country, Norzaidan said that the public need to commemorate the Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Makkah to Madinah and the establishment of an Islamic governance model.
“Prophet Muhammad built a nation where there were both Muslims and non-Muslims who benefitted from his leadership. Unity was the foundation of that Islamic nation.
“So, that’s the element that we want to instil in our society today, that even the Prophet did not deny space and opportunities for non-Muslims in an Islamic state. We have managed to do that so far. Every year, non-Muslims can also celebrate their respective religious festivals,” Norzaidan said when featured in Bernama TV’s Apa Khabar Malaysia programme on Monday.- Bernama