Don’t make impulsive, emotional decisions, Sultan Nazrin tells leaders

PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Nazrin Shah today urged Malaysia’s leaders against making impulsive, emotional, and reckless decisions.

Sultan Nazrin said leaders who prioritise short-term interests and make hasty decisions without careful thought will ultimately cause harm, while innocent citizens later bear the consequences.

“The calmness, openness, and cautiousness of leaders in making decisions based on well-informed judgments are crucial,” he said during the national-level Maal Hijrah 1448 celebration at the Putra Mosque here.

Also in attendance were deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof and religious affairs minister Zulkifli Hasan.

Sultan Nazrin said every leader should learn from the Hijrah event, which demonstrated the importance of strategic planning.

The Perak ruler gave the example of Prophet Muhammad appointing Abdullah Uraiqit, who was not a Muslim at the time, as a guide due to his trustworthiness, knowledge of desert routes, and reliability.

“This story serves as an example that Islam recognises a person’s expertise, integrity, and trustworthiness without prejudice towards their religious background, provided they do not harm Muslims.”

The sultan also highlighted the importance of unity, drawing inspiration from the Medina Charter and how it united people of diverse races and religions through tolerance and just leadership.

“Clearly, the success of a nation depends greatly on the willingness of its people to cooperate, respect one another, and live harmoniously despite differences in ethnicity, culture, and religion, while being under the stewardship of a just and wise government.”