KUALA LUMPUR: Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, this morning graced the state awards and honours ceremony held in conjunction with his 80th birthday celebration.
Leading the list of 98 recipients was his daughter, Tengku Zerafina, who received the Darjah Kerabat Selangor Yang Dihormati (D.K.II).
In conjunction with his birthday, Sultan Sharafuddin spoke to Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, sharing his views on several matters – from dirty streets to rowdy lawmakers.
Here are some excerpts from the series of Bernama articles.
‘I’m fed up. Time for councils to clean up their act’
Sultan Sharafuddin said he had received many complaints about cleanliness in Selangor and wants immediate action to restore the state’s image.
“In the past, when people wrote to me, they often left out their names and contact details, but now they provide full personal information. They want to be contacted.
“They also attach photographs to substantiate their complaints. They show proof. One even blogged about the situation with an open letter to me, out of desperation to get my attention.
“I am fed up, really. It is time the councils clean up their act.”
Represent rakyat with respect, dignity and integrity
Sultan Sharafuddin expressed concern over Members of Parliament who behaved poorly in the august House.
“It’s a disgrace. Despite numerous calls in the past advising these MPs to behave, some continue to be rowdy.”
He added that lawmakers should serve as role models, especially to the younger generation, but some instead “behave like bullies”.
“MPs should debate intelligently and offer constructive ideas. There is no need to be abusive or to hurl insults at each other. Such immaturity will only diminish the trust of the rakyat in the institution.”
Type C, Type M – stop this nonsense
The Selangor Sultan also called for an end to negative comments about race and religion on social media.
“Why do we need to call fellow Malaysians ‘Type C’ (Chinese) or ‘Type M’ (Malays), or kafir and non-kafir, orang kita (our people) or jenis dia (their kind)?
“Please stop such nonsense. In Malaysia’s context, where sensitivities around ethnicity, faith and national identity are high, we must understand that such online behaviour cannot be tolerated.”
He urged Malaysians of all races and religions to work together.
“Focus on the common values of all races. Don’t harp on the differences. There are things that we cannot change as human beings. So it is better to emphasise the common good, values and principles in life and religion,” he added.
