KUALA LUMPUR: The Institute of Traditional Islamic Thought has called for a political ceasefire and urged political leaders to focus their energy on managing socio-economic imbalances of society as the spread of Covid-19 reached alarming levels.
Its vice-president Ismail Mina Ahmad said this was in line with the decrees of Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar and Pahang Regent Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al Sultan Abdullah Riayatuddin Al Mustafa Billah in conjunction with the celebration of Maal Hijrah 1443, recently.
He also hoped all parties accept the guidance and advice with an open heart.
“All parties, especially political leaders should devote all their energy to managing the socio -economic imbalances of the society which is very distressing.
“Apart from breaking the alarming Covid-19 epidemic chain, the ongoing political struggle could result in worsening national instability,” he said in a statement on Thursday (Aug 12).
He said the significant points of the decrees of Sultan Ibrahim and Tengku Hassanal were guidance and advice to all political leaders to prioritise the unity of the ummah.
“Apart from that, they also advised political leaders to maintain the socio-political stability of the country, and it was not a time to quarrel and fight for power, but to unite in helping the people.
“The Johor Sultan also expressed his disappointment regarding the current political power struggle,” he said, adding that all political leaders need to immediately stop fighting and struggle for power, while the community and country was in an extraordinary situation.
He said the current situation required extraordinary action from all parties, especially political leaders who seem increasingly passionate and aggressive in dominating the corridors of power.
“The normal practices and actions of political democracy should be replaced with the current duties, and we expect all political leaders to be big-hearted by holding their anger.
“They need to exercise patience in these extraordinary circumstances, in addition to having to immediately stop struggling and fighting as advised by the Malay Rulers,” he said.
He said a political ceasefire must be agreed on to clear the already murky and disappointing situation.
“All parties, especially political leaders, must work hand-in-hand with non-governmental organisations to help manage the community and the country to get out of this socio-economic imbalance,” he said.
